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Nissan 350Z Problems and Solutions

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Comments

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    you just said you currently have no problems, though, correct, jmills?

    so what's the problem?

    by the way, i just dropped my Z off at the dealer this morning for an oil change and to check the tire growl. We'll see what happens.

    I've got 15k miles now and, although i do have the noise, the tires are still in very good shape, so i have no big complaints.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    I have Cupping and growl on my front tires on my second set. The dealer states it is not sufficiently bad to replace the tires. They did check alignment and found the alignment was perfect on the front tires. I have never had any type of tire problem on any of the five previous new cars I owned in the past six years.

    I have a steering wheel which is splitting and which two dealers state is an appearance problem and not covered under warranty.

    The Gas gauge was defective and had to be replaced.

    The driver’s window motor was defective and had to be replaced.

    I had to go to the Better business bureau and go through arbitration to get the defective rear view mirror replaced, the dealer stated it was good and Nissan refused to send a factory rep to look at it. The Arbitrator and an independent ASE tech determined it was defective. After this judgment Nissan finally replaced the mirror last week.

    It took me three dealers in two states followed by a call to Nissan to finally get the headlights aimed. All three dealers told me they cannot be aimed. Finally I called Nissan and they "instructed" the last dealer and the lights were aimed.

    :lemon:
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    well, as far as those other problems, if they were fixed, I don't believe they help qualify the car as a lemon. But, of course, I'm no expert.

    on the tires, you just wrote a few days ago that you are getting reimbursed for tires and, i thought, they were going to diagnose and possibly fix it (again). Have you tried the new alignment specs and new redesigned tires (nissan's claims, not mine)?

    If they still can't fix your tire problem, then, yes, you may very well qualify for lemon under those circumstances ... I don't know what the mileage limit is, though.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    I was told on the telephone that I would be re-imbursed for alignment which I should not have been charged for. I have not received any written confirmation or a check yet.

    The dealer stated that my cupping and growl was "not bad enough to warrant replacement".

    I have the "Old" tires which Nissan states are the problem.

    Bridgestone denies that there has been any problem or re-design of their tire.

    The same tire is OEM on the RX8 and several other sports cars and has not experienced any cupping or feathering problems.

    I think Nissan extended the alignment and tire warranty in the hope of killing the class action lawsuit in progress.

    :lemon:
  • kawataworkskawataworks Member Posts: 2
    Can you send me the info to the Lemon Law Lawyer you used. I too want to get rid of my 350Z.
    I have had soo many problems with my car.

    Thank you.

    Ian
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    so i dropped my car off at the dealer yesterday for an oil change and to look into my tire roar.

    they have ordered new front tires for me, and scheduled me for a 2nd appointment sept 1st. Problem is that they say they have to send my car out to get the alignment done because "its very sensitive." They say I should expect to be without my car for 2 days. Ugh!!

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Since Nissan is so concerned about the quality of their service and their customer satisfaction, I am certain they will provide you with a loaner car to drive while yours is being worked on.

    By the way,what year and model 350Z do you have?
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    '04 Touring.

    Well, a loaner has nothing to do with Nissan, its on a dealership by dealership basis. For instance, my volvo dealer gives loaners, but I've heard of many who don't. anyway, the service rep made no mention of a loaner.

    Its ok. I have spare cars at home that I'd rather drive than an economy rental car anyway.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • starchecker1starchecker1 Member Posts: 35
    How loud was the noise, and how noticeable was the cupping. I have some noise, but it doesn't seem to intrusive. With the top down the outside noise drowns it out pretty well, with the top up I can hear it more. Mine does it the most at 40 - 45 MPH on smooth roads, and a little at 25MPG when braking.

    My feathering is on the outside blocks. I have had three alignments so far, and each one seams to cause the outside or the inside to feather. 12,000 miles so far.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    typically the inside feathers per the problem.

    My tires still look good to me, but I can feel the problem when i run my hand over the tire. Just slightly.

    I bought the car with 9K miles (now at 15k), so I've always had the roaring noise when slowing down and didn't know it was a problem. Over the last couple thousand miles, however, it has gotten louder. The noise has been most noticeable at exactly those times you describe. Moderate steady speed on a smooth road produces a droning kind of sound through the floorboards and slowing down from about 25 and lower is a very loud roaring noise.

    how many miles do you have on yours?

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • starchecker1starchecker1 Member Posts: 35
    Thanks for the reply. So if I understand you, you get the almost rythmic droning noise at around 40 as well as the slower and braking speeds.

    My tires still look good to me. I only notice the feathering my running my hand one direction.

    Started out the inside blocks feathered, then the outside on one tire and the inside on the other, then none on one, and oustide on other, and now outside on both.

    I didn't think mine would qualify for a replacement, but after hearing about yours, it's worth a trip to the dealer.

    Either way, I always said if I can get 15K out of the tires I will be happy, this minor hassle can't take away from the thrill of this ride!

    Thanks
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    I totally agree in every way. I was fully prepared to buy new tires every 15k on my own and had no problem with that. The fact I'm getting freebies is just an added bonus. :)

    By the way, I said nothing to the service department about the tires being worn. I just said "i have the tire roar described in this letter from Nissan." They checked it out and said "yes, you do. we will order new tires."

    Also, had a message last night from the dealer. My new tires are in. Hmmmm... gonna have to call and see if they want to take me sooner than my Sept 1st appointment.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • tacomaboytacomaboy Member Posts: 35
    I bought it new from a Nissan dealer. By GM I mean General Manager.

    Yes my Z was a lemon, but there are quite a few. Note Nissan has now extended the warranty on the tires. This proves the point that there is a problem with th suspension design. However in my opinion, extending the tire warranty doesnt solve the problem, and once you get past that warranty, you will likely be replacing tires at your cost frequently.

    As far as the transmissions go, not all are affected, but many are, and some more than once... My biggest concern was the fact that they replaced it with the same model transmission, which is another sign that they have decided not to actually correct the problem, but bandaid it. Automatics seem to be very solid though.

    By the way I dont know if I mentioned but I traded it in for a 2003 S2000 which I know love! I got 22500 trade in and I owed 23200, so with the tax savings I ended up in the black ON TRADE IN (I never trade in normally). And I dont have to mess with lawyers or any of that.

    The more I read forums about the Z, the more concerned I am with build quality, and the happier I am I got out before everyone starts to realize the Z is not a reliable vehicle in general. The value of the car IMO is going to really drop soon. But I could be wrong. Some people are willing to pay for a pretty car thats fun to drive even if it does fall apart.

    The S2000 has 26k miles on it, and I got certified with 100k miles. But in all my searching on the S2000 forums, I havent found any problems as common as the feathering, transmission grind, and axle clicks that I had with the Z.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    its not the same transmission ... i can't remember exactly what build they are on, but I believe its somewhere around 4 or 5 different transmission model numbers out there.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    So you bought your 350 Z used with 9K and now have 15 K .

    In reading your many posts I would have thought you had many thousands of miles and numerous dealings with NIssan.

    That gives you six thousand miles of Z experience.

    I strongly suggest you temper your posts concerning 350 Z performance, handling and reliability with more experience.

    Many 350 Z Owners who have many more miles and considerably more experience dealing with Nissan dealers and the factory are considerably better equiped to evaluate the reliability and service Nissan provides.
  • orinda8orinda8 Member Posts: 4
    I just saw an ad from Michelin picturing a 350Z and hinting that these are the tires for this car; I am wondering if anyone had tried them yet;I also have to state that I have the 05 Touring version and have had absolutely no problems at 10K, no wear on the tires. It came with R rated tires not Z rated and I wonder if that is the reason for better wear. I also note that Consumer Reports continues to give the car good marks, so I wonder if there is some bias in opposite directions from either CR's readers vs the forum's readers
  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Consumer Reports bases it's reliability on reader polls.

    They initially check rated the 2003 Z until they got negative reader poll results and now show the 2003 Z with low reliability and thus no check rating.

    They also give the 2004 2005 a check rating because they have not received negative reader inputs on reliability from their reader annual polls.

    This does not indicate a Bias on the part of CU, it simply reflects their readers reliability experience.

    Thye fact that Nissan has extended their Alignment/Tire warranty for the 2003 & 2004 Z to 36 months with unlimited miles would tend to indicate that aproblem does exist with those model years.

    If it was a simple re-alignment problem it whould be a one shot fix.

    If it was a simple tire construction/design problem it would be a one shot fix.

    As this and many other forums seem to demonstrate that does not appear to be the case.

    As one of those who has experienced the tire feathering/cupping problem on two succesive sets of tires with multiple dealer re-alignments and statements that the front end alignment was not out of spec, I do not think that these forums are biased.

    What tires came on your 2005 ?

    Are they the Bridgestone RE040 ?
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    no one car is a reliable experience base. Even if I had 60K miles under my belt... its still just one car. It means very little.

    Regardless, I'm not sure what posts you are referring to. To the best of my recollection, I've never claimed "its a reliable car." I try not to do that with any car. I do, however, constantly remark that those with complaints are louder than those without. That's just a simple fact of life, and I can find that on any problems & solutions board.

    I certainly can comment on handling and performance because 6K miles is way more than any car mag drives a car for before giving their review. So my opinion on those aspects are no less valid than anything you pay to read.

    If you think my posts are somehow offensive in any way ... you are reading too much into them. I'm always very calm and analytical ... I can't help it if that doesn't come through in words on a forum.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • orinda8orinda8 Member Posts: 4
    Yes I have the Bridgestone RE040; at 10K there is so little wear that I predict an easy 30K; however they are nothing like the Michelin Pilots I had on my last car (BMW330i); but I am waiting a while before changing them just to be sure there are no alignment problems. I much prefer this car to the BMW, unlike the others who have posted previously
  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    The Nissan factory rep told me, on the telephone, that Bridgestone had redesigned the RE040 and that the cupping/feathering problem was caused by the tire.

    If that is true then Pilot's would probably cure the problem.

    However if it really was just the tire I doubt Nissan would have extended the alignment warranty to 36 months unlimited mileage on all 2003 & 2004 Z's.

    I called Bridgestone and they stated that they had not redesigned the RE040, had had no problems, and knew of none. They had me take the car to one of their local factory owned stores and verified that I have cupping, and again stated there has been no redesign of the RE040. I tend to believe them, since RE040's are OEM on the RX8 and several other performance cars, and have reported no problems whatsoever.

    I got an easy 31,000 out of my rear tires, they were not yet at the wear bars, and replaced them with Bridgestone Pole position S03's because Tire Rack rates them slightly better than the Pilots's

    You should have received a letter from Nissan announcing the extended alignment and tire warranty if you have a 2003 or 2004.

    I agree that Michelin is the preferable tire, we just put four Pilot sport A/S on our Mazda and the improvement in handling is amazing.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    You called Bridgestone? Interesting. When was this? Did you inform them that Nissan is slandering their good name? I'd like to hear their response to that. Likewise, I'd like to hear what Nissan has to say in response to the info you obtained from Bridgestone. Could make for some good entertainment.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Initial call was ten days ago.
    After reading your questions I called Bridgestone again.
    I just got off the telephone with their technical service rep. @ 1-800-367-3872.
    Mark - the Tech service rep stated; " The RE040 was redesigned to compensate for the front end problems on the 350 Z."
    He also stated that "this redesign will minimize, but not eliminate cupping because it is a suspension problem which Nissan has been unable to correct."

    He also reccomended that I ONLY use RE040's - Not the much higher performance Pole Position S03's I now have on the rear, since they are not designed to "minimize the cupping problem"

    So it sounds like any tire you put on the front of a 350 Z is going to cup due to the suspension.

    He also stated that "Nissan has tried to correct the suspension problem" but has been unsuccessful.
  • orinda8orinda8 Member Posts: 4
    This is interesting info; I now wonder if Michelin has designed the Pilot Exalto also to compensate for the suspension problem since they picture the Z in their ad;these tires are not cheap, so I am reluctant to take a chance
  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Based on what I have gotten, and or not gotten, from Nissan and Bridgestone it sounds like any tire is going to cup on the front of the 350 Z's.

    Nissan stated that the redesign was very minor and has a less aggressive tread, you probably could not see the difference.

    It sounds to me like Z owners are simply going to have to live with cupping/feathering and noise.

    I have already replaced my rear tires with Bridgestone Pole Position S03's and will probably go with them on the front when the RE040,s wear out.

    Tire rack reccomended the Avon All Weather for very good wear- It is made by Cooper- and tested very good. They are also very inexpensive.

    We just put four Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on our Mazda and they are exceptional, but they are not available in the 18" size for the Z or probably would try them.

    You could try calling Michelin tech support and asking them if the Exalto is designed to compensate for the Z problem.
  • zugerzuger Member Posts: 1
    The brakes keep on squeaking at low speed when applied lightly after warm up on my new Z roadster.
    Had it in 2 times they reset the rear and then totally redid the front without any improvement.
    I will have it in again to totally redo the rear, I guess.
    Does anyone have this problem as well and was there a solution to it?
  • tacomaboytacomaboy Member Posts: 35
    Yes there was supposedly a new model or something, but clearly that new model didnt have a fix.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    i was trying to find the info... but don't have that much time to spare ... in any case, I know there are at least 3 versions ... possibly more.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • tdowelltdowell Member Posts: 4
    just bought a new 05 Z with no miles, and i've put 1600 on myself in two months. been hearing a slight rattling noise from the rear like something was loose when slowly engaging the clutch and when turning off the engine. also makes a slight humming noise right before i park after putting it in neutral and letting the clutch out. any ideas?
  • starchecker1starchecker1 Member Posts: 35
    I had a similar situation a few months ago. I thought it had something to do with the clutch, but it was coming from the right rear. Mostly noticeable when letting up on the clutch starting out. I brought it in to the dealer, and there was a TSB out for something to do with the rear wheel bearing. Some desribe it as a rattling chain noise or even like coins clinking in the back. It usually shows up around 8,000 miles and affects 03 and 04's. I thought they used a different bearing system with the 05's to prevent that. So your's might be something different.
  • tdowelltdowell Member Posts: 4
    thanks for the insight...I'm gonna get underneath her tonite and see what I can turn up and then I'll try the dealer. yeah i can pin it coming from the rear, can't really tell which side yet, but thats certainly the noise its making. what did the dealer do to fix?
  • mgorfainmgorfain Member Posts: 1
    I've also got the 350Z front end problems. In fact I'm going to the dealer tomorrow for them to check and see if I qualify for a SECOND set of new tires for my 2003. I've got 34,000 miles on it and the problem has never gone away. Can't believe what they've stated in their latest letter that was sent out a couple of weeks ago about a new tire design to solve the problem. Seems pretty obvious by now that the front end alignment is the problem and the tire wear is a symptom. Prior to Nissan's latest warranty extension and I had purchased a five year unlimited alignment from the local Goodyear store (Which Nissan has refused to reimburse me for!). For the last year I've just had the front end aligned every time I get the oil changed. And the front tires are still wearing unevenly and the tire "growl" is still there.
    I would appreciate knowing the name and contact information for the attorney you are using.
    BTW, I also have the Brickyard Red paint but so far have not noticed any problems.

    Thanks, Michael G
    Huntington Beach, CA
  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Lots of luck with Nissan.

    They will not state what their exact criteria for tire replacement is.

    However!!!

    I had 2/32 cupping, two weeks ago,and the dealer said it was not enough and said the noise was not loud enough to warrant replacement

    I think they are only going to replace tires if they are so worn that you end up paying their cost

    I was charged for alignment by a Nissan dealer during the previous "Free Alignment Period" and am still trying to get it refunded.

    The one definite given in this whole situation is that Nissan is doing nothing to fix the front end problem and everything possible to keep from replacing tires with the newer design.

    It is one big publicity scam to look good and do nothing.
  • starchecker1starchecker1 Member Posts: 35
    It was most noticeable in the left rear bearing, but when they looked at it, they ended up replacing both rear bearings. I thought that was great. So far this service dept has taken care of me pretty well.

    They did say that was the first time they had to replace both sides. But they definitely knew about the problem.

    Andrew
  • tdowelltdowell Member Posts: 4
    Turns out the bearings were ok, and the rattle is coming from something else that Nissan doesn't know how to fix. When the clutch is let out, the car starts making a whirling noise, both when in gear and when in neutral. Dealer heard the noise but didn't know how to fix, and they called the Nissan Techline who acknowledged the problem but doesn't have a TSB out for it and doesn't have a solution to what they know exists...who ever tested mine had heard the same noise in 4 out of 10 other Z's so its more common than not. Seems strange that Nissan doesn't have any clue how to fix this!
  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Unfortunately it is not at all strange or surprising since they have never been able to correct the tire cupping problems, only reduce them by having Bridgestone build a special tire.

    Nissan has the most pathetically incompetent dealer and factory service network of any car manufacturer.
  • craigjcraigj Member Posts: 3
    What was the problem with your headlights? Mine are aimed too low and even the high beams are easy to overdrive. It will be nice to know if there is a fix.
  • craigjcraigj Member Posts: 3
    I have an '05 GTR with 775 miles and sometimes after parking it, when its in neutral there is a rattling/clicking noise that seems to come from the trans when I turn off the engine. The dealer heard it, but was unable to reproduce it on a test drive. Thus far I've had the car in 3 times for service (I've had it since aug 8th and was gone for 2 of those weeks on vacation)
    1. The top leaks, and when they replaced the seals (2 trips - one for diagnostic, one to install the seals) they did it wrong and now it is worse requiring another trip. I wish I could post a picture of what they did - it's pathetic :cry: .
    2. there is a chunk of plastic missing from the roll bar cover behind the drivers seat that they agreed they would replace. They ordered the wrong part requiring another trip to get it installed. (one down, hopefully only one to go)
    3. the aforementioned rattling noise - I'm sure there are more trips in my future about this.

    I've also noticed that the headlights are aimed way too low. It feels like I could overdrive them at 50. I get the idea from this forum that there will be a fight with them over that. Forewarned is forearmed I suppose.

    There is also a rattle somewhere in the center console, but that is probably a losing proposition from the start.

    To be honest, I love this car, It looks and handles great and even gets decent mileage, but I didn't plan on spending all this time at the dealer when I purchased it. Overall I'm really unhappy with the overall experience - this is what I'd expect buying a $12K Cobalt, not a $37K sports car.

    Admittedly, I'm very picky about my cars. I take care of them and expect to get quality for what I paid for. To add insult to injury, the last time I dropped the car off, the tech had his notebook on the hood of the car and was writing in it, and I had to ask him to not do that. You'd think that car people would know that you never do anything like that on a painted surface, even a clean one, especially when the owner is standing right there. Then they "detailed" the car and left water spots all over the door sills and on the wheels which took me 45 minutes with a shammy to clean up that evening.

    I'm trying to be nice to the people in the service department, because I know that if I go off on them I'll just get worse service than I'm already getting. How many trips to the dealer to fix manufacturing defects and dealer screwups in the first 1000 miles is acceptable?

    :(
  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    Lots of luck!!!

    I love to drive my 350 Track

    However I have never experienced worse service from dealers and factory.

    It took me three dealers in two states followed by a call to the factory to get my headlights aimed. All three dealers said they could not be aimed until I contacted the factory who called the last dealer.

    I had to go through arbitration with the BBB to get my defective rear view mirror replaced.

    I have never owned a car that had as many problems and as poor a dealer/factory service network.

    :lemon:
  • salalisalali Member Posts: 1
    Hi:
    I have a new 350-2005 base model that has 3000 miles.At first oil change I told the deasler that I had received info re: TSB for tire wear and alignment problems and they swore that they had no problems with the 05 because they all had the new tires and the alignment problem was corrected. BS! Guess what? They had to replace two front tires last Thursday, and they even put the left one on wrong! I had to wait another hour while they corrected their mistake. Oh, by the way, I guess they don't know how to user a tire guage either, as every tire was underinflated and no two tires were the same PSI!
  • tdowelltdowell Member Posts: 4
    I got the same rattle noise on my 2005 Z too. I hear it when I turn off the engine and if you slowly engage the clutch without putting too much gas on, you can hear it then too. i think the rattle is linked to a whirling noise mine makes when you lett the cluth out, whether in gear or not. the dealer heard the noise on mine and called the techline at nissan who tested 10 of them and heard the same noise on 4 others, so they acknowledged it but don't have a solution. my dealer said to call the techline and file a complaint, if enough of the z's have the same problem, then they will have to address start addressing it, for now its just considered normal.
  • bajapanty350zbajapanty350z Member Posts: 88
    Hey how you guys diong.. First time I use this Forum.. In fact never used a furom before. Well That little problem with the RPMS MIGHT JUST BE the Traction control now I dont mean to insult your intelligence because this might be something obvious to many people.... well it wasnt to me lol. This is my first high performance car you could say .. so well sometimes when I used to floor the gas pedal it would kinda die out then bam pick up again thats because the traction control advoids it from peeling out basically . that might be it.. I was ready to take it into the dealer.. then a friend with a z just pressed a button and ... well the rest is hizzzzzztory .. heh.
  • clonednaclonedna Member Posts: 4
    I purchased a 2004 350Z Touring Roadster, that when my problems started. The car seemed fine for the first 500 miles, then I noticed a burning smell like plastic or tranny fluid. I took the car to my dealer and they said they could not smell a thing. I did this over a 3 month period of time repeatedly taking the car back to get advise but none was given. Then at 1500 miles the clutch stopped working. I had the car towed to the dealer they looked it over and then replaced the clutch. That was good news until the burning smell came back and again at another 1500 (or 3000 miles total) miles the clutch stopped working. They accused me of bad clutch habits until they drove with me in an identical car and saw that I was a great clutch driver. So they called in an Nissan expert who without even looking under the hood told the service dept to replace both the clutch assembly and the tranny... I was happy and moved on. The burning smells again came back at about 8000 miles I took the car in for advise and again I was told they could not smell it. The Car stopped working again at 9000 miles (Yes the clutch) and now they won't fix it. As a matter of a fact they would not even look at the car and told me that it is a non warranty item and it will cost me $2200.00 to fix. I made a complaint with the Nissan customer sat people and thought I was getting somewhere... I didn't they said no warranty. I towed the car from the local dealer to an Acura dealer where I know they have good mechanics (Ex Nissan Expert) who told me that it is very hard to believe that the clutch would do what it is doing unless the time is not adjusted, hot spots on the flywheel from the tranny change, or just bad service work in general.

    My question is to all of you out there have you had the same problems seems like a few threads hear are having the same type of issues?

    I dont trust Nissan but I had to have my car towed to a different dealership (as to not void my warranty). I am not going to even go into the poor service and customer service issues I had but there were plenty. At least Acura gave me a loaner and it wasn't even their problem.

    Go Figure...
  • henehene Member Posts: 1
    Hi!

    Does the seats use 12V?
    Under seats are plug where is 4 pins and there is red, black, blue and white wire.
    Red and black is + and -, but what are blue and white wire?

    There is also one small plug where is two very small pins, what plug is this?

    Best regards, Henri Pylväs, Finland
  • bajapanty350zbajapanty350z Member Posts: 88
    hey sorry to hear about that problem you had with the Burning smell.. I just got word from my dealer .. which I had to call by the way .. they didnt call me to advise me .. but.. either way .. they have to fix the back axles.. the guy couldnt even explain to me what happened or what they were doing he just said they are putting a kit.. or something like that replacing the axles .. I would ask him if this was a factory problem that existed on other 350s and the guy was getting annoyed and he wouldnt let me talk. I had to tell him to stop talking and ask him if he was going to actually listen to any of my questions and let me talk. LOL the service IS HORRIBLE I got to the dealer to drop off the car and the guy was having a fun conversation with someone cursing and all.. I stood in front of him for about 5 minutes looking at him then I asked him.. excuse me.. are you busy.. then the guy tries to play it off by saying eh .. " yeah hold on sir " on the phone.. lol comeon he was talking to a buddy he wasnt talking to a customer. Very unprofessional. I have never owned a Nissan .. I only have about 4500 Miles so far.. and I am knocking on wood that nothing else happens.. but I must say I am dissapointed.. I had a honda accord.. which ofcourse doesnt compare and its a totally different car completely. But I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WHAT SO EVER and I drove that car hard.. for four years.. that car was loyal and didnt give me ONE problem.
    Either way Just wanted to let that say sory to hear about your problem and keep us updated.
    <---Robin
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    Not sure. Did you test them to see if one or both had power? Is it possible that its just another set of + and - that are there to power the 2nd motor (if there are 2 motors - 1 for tilt and 1 for sliding)? Just taking a stab in the dark.

    May I ask why it matters? Are you replacing the seats?

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jmillsjmills Member Posts: 77
    You should file a complaint with the BBB autoline, online.
    When Nissan refuses to correct the problem request arbitration.
    Arbitration will probably bring in an independent expert and that expert will often rule in your favor and Nissan will be required to correct the problem.

    This process will not cost you anything- Nissan has to pay for the cost.
  • miata007miata007 Member Posts: 129
    Sorry to hear about your problem. Is your car out of warranty? I know the clutch warranty is less than the car warranty. In your case, I can see you already have the problem before the car breaks down. Your dealership should have a record of your service record since they looked at your car several other times and found no problem. I suggest you get a laywer who is familiar with your state lemon law.

    007
  • clonednaclonedna Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for the advise, I have spoken to legal but the problem is that clutches are considered out of warranty. My best hopes are that they (Nissan) tear it down and find out what is causing the problem. If the motor is spinning too fast, hot spots on the fly wheel, improper tranny install, defective tranny, defective car... The thing that kills me the most is the overall experience with Nissan. You know had they been honest from the get go and at least opened it up and said it out of warranty I would have probably coughed up the $$$ and moved on. They didn't even look at the car and diagnosed it as driver error. According to legal though if enough people are complaining about the same thing there may be a case. It does bug me to no end though. After talking to Nissan Techs, and from all the research I have been doing I am finding that Nissan is having this problem all over the place. I am not sure if it is the clutch, flywheel, tranny, or being miss timed, etc.. The NissanTechs aren't sure either. I have found on other forums that there has been a major issue with shoddy parts plaguing Nissan especially in the clutch area.

    Well right now as I am writing they are tearing down my Z and hopefully I will have an answer tomorrow. I will keep all posted here as to the outcome.

    BTW I have already contacted the BBB, the OC Register and LA times newspaper s, FOX news, CBS, and KCAL news all of which have a big interest in the outcome as well. :sick:

    Clone
  • jovroxjovrox Member Posts: 1
    I can tell you from my experience, that after driving my 03 350z, that i started hearing a ratteling in the transmission when the clutch was released and the vehcle was idle. Turned out that it was a loose bearing that had not been cased inside the transmision. This is fixed under warranty. Took my dealership 3 weeks to do it, yay i had fun driving a pulsar around :(.

    Hope this helps
  • ztomcatztomcat Member Posts: 1
    Can anyone tell me if Nissan is extending or admitting now that the feathering is a problem on the 04 models. I have an 04 Roadster, been thur on set of tires before 12 k... not covered under warrenty. Had the alignment redone again at 16k, again at my cost. The car drives ok but the noise when breaking is still there. :mad:
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