This just in...delivered to the Z Car Club Association,
See, Nissan does listen.
Direct from Nissan...

>> To: Z Club Officers, Nissan enthusiast website administrators & editors
>>
>> From: Dean Case
>> Manager, Product PR
>> Corporate Communications
>> Nissan North America
>>
>> Re: 2003 Nissan 350Z Front Wheel Alignment Warranty Extension
>>
>> Later today all Nissan dealers in North America will be contacted via
>> e-mail with information related to the 2003 Nissan 350Z Front Wheel
>> Alignment Warranty Extension. Knowing that many Z enthusiasts are active
>> on the internet we are chosing to share this same information directly
>> with you. Hopefully this will clear up the issue once and for all.
>> Please feel free to post this memo tomorrow morning along with the
>> technical service bulletin. I ask for the overnight delay simply to allow
>> our dealers a change to read through their e-mail before getting any calls
>> from customers. We appreciate your patience while we worked to solve this
>> issue.
>>
>>
>> Summary
>> Approximately 40,000 2003 350Z customers will have the warranty extended
>> on their Front Wheel Alignments. If the front toe alignment on these
>> vehicles is not correct, an irregular wear pattern can occur on the inner
>> edge of the front tires. The wear pattern can cause a noise described as
>> "tire roar" or "tire growl." This noise may be most noticeable during low
>> speed braking.
>>
>> The extended Front Wheel Alignment Warranty for all MY 2003 350Z's will be
>> two (2) years, from the original in-service date. For vehicles
>> experiencing this noise, Nissan will inspect the tires for this irregular
>> wear pattern, and will rotate or replace affected tires per the protocol
>> noted in the technical service bulletin (see attached). For vehicles
>> whose front tires were previously replaced due to tire roar or growl,
>> Nissan will reimburse customers for front tires that were replaced with
>> less than 30,000 miles of usage at the time of replacement based on
>> documented front tire noise complaints (prorated from 21,001 to 30,000
>> miles).
>>
>> Background
>> Over the past year some 350Z owners have experienced a tire noise issue,
>> predominately during low speed braking. This has been described as tire
>> "roar" or "growl." Some owners have also described tire "feathering." It
>> is very important to note that this is a consumer satisfaction issue that
>> does not impact the handling or the safety of the vehicle.
>>
>> The 350Z was designed for maximum dynamic handling performance and is
>> equipped with tires with optimized handling characteristics. This
>> performance set-up requires very accurate front-end alignment, and Nissan
>> has determined that the 350Z tires are sensitive to any toe-out
>> whatsoever. This noise/excess tire "feathering" issue is not related to
>> camber. Nissan has been following vehicles carefully aligned with no
>> toe-out and has found thus far that, once set correctly, the Z's alignment
>> remains set correctly over time, and that tire noise does not occur on
>> those vehicles.
>>
>> Nissan engineers have investigated the tire noise issue and determined
>> that, when the noise occurs, the root cause is chassis alignment -
>> specifically the toe adjustment. Toe-out can cause a tire wear pattern
>> (i.e., excess feathering) that creates tire noise. A Technical Service
>> Bulletin (NTB03-006), addressing alignment was issued to all Nissan
>> dealers in January of 2003. In June of 2003 the affected VIN range was
>> identified in NTB03-006A.
>>
>> Nonetheless, the problem has persisted for some customers due to an
>> apparent failure to properly set the correct alignment. Because of the
>> sensitivity of this vehicle/tire combination to proper alignment, Nissan
>> has advised dealers not to use the "Go/No-Go" color indicators commonly
>> found on some alignment machines. Rather, Nissan is advising dealers that
>> it is critical to refer to the actual alignment number that is displayed
>> for the Toe Setting, and reminds dealers that it is very important not to
>> have any Toe-Out when they are finished aligning the car. This was
>> documented in a revised Technical Service Bulletin (NTB03-006B) in
>> December of 2003. Nissan is also requiring dealers to document proper
>> calibration of their alignment equipment.
>>
>> Nissan Action
>> To ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction, Nissan is extending
>> the warranty for front wheel alignment on customers' 350Zs to 2 years from
>> the original in-service date. Like all Nissan New Vehicle Limited
>> Warranty service, this extended warranty is only available through a
>> Nissan dealership.
>>
>> Beginning in late April, 2004 Nissan will contact affected 2003 350Z
>> customers by mail. For Model Year 2003 350Z vehicles that exhibit front
>> tire roar or growl noise, during the extended warranty period Nissan will
>> inspect vehicles to determine the wheel, tire and suspension equipment
>> installed on the vehicle. Then Nissan will:
>>
>> * For vehicles equipped with original equipment tires and wheels (or
>> with genuine Nissan chrome or NISMO accessory Z wheels), Nissan will:
>> * Inspect the tires for irregular wear pattern on the inside portion
>> of the front tires and, if necessary, either rotate the front tires from
>> side to side or replace the front tires as determined to be necessary by
>> formal repair criteria.
>> * If tires are either rotated or replaced, check the front wheel
>> alignment and adjust, as needed, to ensure proper toe-in adjustment.
>> * For vehicles equipped with replacement tires and original equipment
>> wheels (or with genuine Nissan chrome or NISMO accessory Z wheels) ,
>> Nissan will:
>> * Check the front wheel alignment and adjust, as needed.
>> * For vehicles with replacement tires that are not the original size,
>> or with wheels other than those listed in number 1 or 2 above or, or with
>> suspension modifications other than NISMO-S Tune, this warranty extension
>> is not applicable unless the wheels, tires and/or suspension are first
>> returned to original factory specifications and the vehicle is then
>> presented to a Nissan dealer for repair prior to expiration of this
>> extended warranty.
>>
>> Note: If it is determined that replacement of the front tires is covered
>> and necessary: Tires with less than 21,001 miles of usage will be replaced
>> free of charge; Tires replaced between 21,001 and 30,000 miles will be
>> prorated and Nissan will pay for a percentage of the tire replacement
>> cost.
>>
>> Statement:
>>
>> "On some 2003 MY 350Z's, customers have experienced tire noise
>> described as tire "growl" or "roar." The root cause of this type of tire
>> noise is front-end alignment. Nissan will extend the front wheel
>> alignment warranty for this tire noise to two (2) years, with unlimited
>> mileage. Nissan will contact all customers who may be affected. These
>> customers will be invited to bring their car to a Nissan dealer if they
>> believe they may be affected by this issue. Nissan will inspect the
>> vehicle and perform the appropriate repair which may include wheel
>> alignment, front tire rotation and, in some cases, front tire replacement.
>> All 2003 MY 350Z customers will be notified that they may be eligible for
>> reimbursement of prior expenses related to this warranty extension which
>> were incurred during the extended warranty period. Reimbursement for
>> repairs or tire replacements due to normal wear are not included in this
>> program. Nissan is committed to a high level of customer safety, service,
>> and satisfaction and is working with its dealers to promptly address this
>> condition."
>>
>> Attached for reference is the TSB.
>>
>> <<046TSB NTB04-043.pdf>>
>>
>> Please direct any consumer inquiries to Consumer Affairs at 1 (800)
>> 343-0294
>>
>>
>
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