Had my car for less than a year and about 3 weeks ago the tires starting "roaring" and making a sort of vibrating sound. Took it into the dealer and they pinned it as a balancing issue.

Took it in to get balanced last week and it came out with the same issue.

Took it in again and now they say it's my tires. All four of them to be exact. I'm running on Bridgestone Protenza RE050A's.

They estimate the replacements to be $1200. Damn...

They're trying to bull **** me and say there's no warranty coverage. I'm pretty sure there is. Anyone help me out? I've already checked the Bridgestone website and Nissan book and it does say I have warranty.

Anyone help me out?

Should've been put in Wheels section...Sorry...Mod could you move this there.

 

TRY THIS FLAME SUIT ON<img src=http://www.sailgb.com/pi/Safety/mk2_flamesuit.jpg>

 

i know the 03's actually have a suit claimed for excessive tir growl and wear. you get a 225.00 dealer card if you have had the problem.... i know the 03's alignment were out of spec from the factory... might want to check into that with the 07's

 

Simple question dude. It's a yes or no. You don't have to be a jackass about it.

 

How many miles on the tires?
Where is the vibration located (front, rear, moves from front to rear, etc.)?


Possible causes...

1. Tire balance / tire wear issue
2. Drive shaft out of balance (tends to feel as if the vibrations start at front center of car then moves towards the rear at evenly timed intervals)

Could be other causes as well.

 

About 15,000 miles. It's more towards the front. Not much of a vibration just more of a growl from the tires.

I appreciate the help guys. ^^

 

Since the vibrations appear to come from the front of the vehicle, that would pretty much throw out the rear tires being bad (dealerships suck).

I don't think it would be a wheel balance issue unless a whole set fell off. Vibrations for balancing tend to happen at higher speeds.

I don't believe it would be the same feathering issue the earlier models had, as that growling/roar tended to occur at speeds lower than 45mph.

I'm betting an alignment issue. Did you bottom out or curb the front of your car recently?

 

Hasn't been curbed but I don't think its an allignment issue. Took it in for an alignment not too long ago. I was mistaken sorry. It actually occurs around 35 MPH and becomes really noticeable around 45 MPH. At around 60 MPH+ it just becomes a constant hum almost blends in with road noise.

Hmm...

 

Totally different problem - that growl was noticed when slowing or stopping, i.e. low speed noise. OP sees it at higher speeds when driving.

 

OP - does the problem appear on all roads or just certain surfaces (asphalt vs concrete)?

I would bring it to a good tire shop to have it diagnosed, kind of a second opinion, before spending $$$ on four new tires.

 

a. Some tires make more noise than others. Nothing wrong with the tire they are just noisy.

b. Front tire roar is symptomatic of feathering. Plenty of photos in the tire forum to help with this determination. Feathered tires that are noisy at 45 MPH will also be noisy at 20 MPH. When coming to a stop they will “growl.” At 45 MPH they sound like “a washing machine on spin cycle.”

 

Thanks for the help guys.

I've tested them on concrete and asphalt (newly paved) and still made the same sound.

But I'll bring it into a tire shop around here to get a second opinion. I'm 100% sure I'm still under warranty. They didn't detect anything out of the ordinary, no punctures or warping.

I'll try to talk to another "Nissan Service Advisor". haha...what a joke...

 

second opinion needed indeed...its scary that they first said its the balance...then all of the sudden its bad tires....this screams "I DON"T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING"...not a good thing.

 

Tires with unusual wear are also noisy.

A tire pro can spot “cupping.” A typical 350Z problem is “scrubbing” the inner edge of the front tires. This may be the result of excessive tow.

Once a tire is damaged and noisy, it will always be noisy regardless of what you do. Good luck.

 

Thanks I'll give you a guys an update...Appreciate it guys.

 

I had mega-cupping on my '05. Drive in some dirt and stop the car. Look at the inner edges of the tires. If they are cupped, the edges will looked "scalloped". Mine actually made inner body panels vibrate. And unfortunately, it isn't under warranty. The Bridgestone tires are very soft and more prone to cupping. Don't buy tires from the dealer, they'll rape you. $1200 is ridiculous for those tires. I put a set of Falken ze912s for less than $800.

 

I can get a set of pilot sports (315 rear and 275 front) for just a little over $1200. The quote they gave you is insane.

 

Yeah I know I was pretty shocked at the price they gave me. I'm pretty sure I still have warranty for these tires...I'll talk to them on Monday. Thanks again.

 

I think you answer the question. Your advice matches my experience.

--Spike

 

Please don't buy the tires from the dealership if you need to replace them.

Also, there are plenty of great replacements for them from other vendors that are cheaper, quieter, and plenty reliable.

While most toe noise from the front I've seen comes from 20-35 miles an hour, you may still want to turn your wheel all the way left or right and see if there is a pattern like this below (alternating dark/light on the inside or outside of the tire)- if there is, your front toe alignment is off and fixing it should take care of the issue.