Nissan 350Z Problems and Solutions

jaquino · December 2003

There are only 171 350Zs that are affected by that recall.

http://www.cars.com/news/stories/103103_storyb_cc.jhtml?page=news- story&aff=national

Unless the car you are purchasing was one of the first cars off the assembly line, you should be ok.

aok350z · December 2003

Thanks for the reference article, Jaquino. I'll check manufacturing dates before I buy.

Has anyone out there experienced this problem? Does the recall "fix" work?

jwilson1 · December 2003

This is Nissan's most reliable engine, the mainstay of the Maxima, Infiniti, Altima, etc., lines -- more of them on the road than of almost anything else. Now if you were thinking of a Focus, we might worry about recalls! REliability (as in starting in themorning) is the least of your worries with a Z -- plenty of other glitches in its first year, but the engine has had awards from WArds for umpteen years in a row, and is recognized by Consumer Reports as the smoothest most reliable engine in V6 available. JW

rb33661 · December 2003

rclab1: I live in the Pacific Northwest and I own a 350z. We annually receive 70 to 80 inches a year and for me the Z gets mixed reviews in the snow. I have 200 pounds in the back and if their is fresh powder on the ground the Z handles fine, it will move through the snow and get you where you need to go. But where the Z handles poorly is in packed snow and ice. Granted no cars handles well in ice but most preform well enough in packed snow. There has been numerous occasions where I have gotten stuck on packed snow and people had to push me out. The car's butt will slide back and forth barely gaining any form of traction and if you stop at a stop sign you are stuck. Will blizzak tires work for you? I dont know but its up to you and what you are willing to spend. I've come to the decision to just park mine during bad conditions. For me its not worth the risk driving it and wrapping it around a pole or hitting another car.

jwilson1 · December 2003

What kind of tires do you have on? JW

sbright1 · December 2003

I have a 03 350 touring I have had many problems with noises within my vehicle and have had the bose replaced due to cd's not playing and volume changes. Very disgusting since this is my first new car straight out of college. Some one told me that you must rotate the tires from side to side to help with the road noise. The only way I can think of getting rid of that for good is to get the same size tires all the way around. Which sucks due to it losing some of the handling because you must put skinny( stock) on front and on back. If you don't, be ready to replace tires alot depending on how you drive. I have also had both windows replaced due to scratching into the tint and glass. They replaced the felts for that.

g935 · December 2003

After I test drove an 04 touring model the other day, I jumped onto this forum to see what you people think of the car. I have been reading many squeak and rattle issues that go unsolved. This scares me to death. I have a Chevy truck with 360,000 miles and no rattles. My 88 930 Porsche never, ever squeaked or rattled. Did Nissan fix this for the 2004 model? I really liked the car. With a cat back exhaust and some minor changes, this car will put out over 300 easy. But, I cannot live with one rattle or squeak. Must be solid. Any info. is appreciated.

jwilson1 · December 2003

I've seen several articles recently that say that Nissan is working (at last) on some of the early glitches. One author surmised that some of the coupe rattles and suspension problems should be resolved late in the 04 model run.

But the Z is not at all like your Porsche and hp increases are hard to come by with simple changes. You mention exhaust -- because Nissan engineers have already tuned the engine pretty well, many of the aftermarket catbacks actually reduce the engine's output. The Nismo and Borla increase in the 2-7hp range, but the Borla shows its improvement in the topmost rpm range and seems to reduce torque at lower rpm's. Or so it has seemed from dyno sheets and talk on the Z boards. JW

cdan582 · January 2004

Hi All,
I have an '04 Manual w/ approx. 4300 miles. I have noticed a rattling (not body noise) sound during slow take-offs. It sounds like maybe the clutch or driveshaft has some slack in it(?) And it is easily mimicked when you get ready to come to a stop and depress the clutch pedal in a moderate manner. Also noticed during initial warm-ups (idling) if, you depress the clutch pedal (in nuetral) the RPM's will increase by a couple of 100RPM and decrease (same amount) when released. Anyone else notice this? Any input before, I take in for service?

foolsbrain · February 2004

With all Blizzak tires, it drives well in snow. Here in Calgary, Alberta, there ain't too many hills that I have to deal with. But snow, pack snow and ice are quite normal. I do see a few of the Z's are still out there. With the summer tire, it doesn't want to go anywhere.

delgado25 · February 2004

I would not buy a 350Z if I were you.
If you are from the north, unless you are filthy rich or live in Palm Springs or somewhere in Florida, it does not make fiscal sense to buy it.

I live in North Carolina and I was all over the road with a DUSTING of snow on the ground. I used to live in Jersey and Brooklyn, so driving in such weather is nothing. The RWD is terrible, the car is LIGHT -- contrary to some other poster's claims -- and you don't want narrow wheel-base. You want the 17s, but take some pressure out of the tires and weigh it down with sandbags if your only car is the Z.

I found out the hard way last week during the storm we had here. About 5 inches of snow fell. I had gone out before the snow started, went to church, and before I got out of church, there was about 1/2 an inch on the ground. I slid all over the road. I didn't move the car at all for two days, but that third day I tried digging out, I couldn't even pull a slight incline without someone pushing me out. And I often got stuck in place. Along with the suspension problems everyone else seems to have, I've had brakes squeaking loudly when the car is in reverse (began hearing this around 7,000 miles and this is an '04) a broken socket on a lugnut that was not due to my driving and now a blown transmission at 10,000 miles due to getting stuck in the snow and trying to reverse out.

Not what I call worth it. A 35K performance vehicle that DOESN'T perform.

You'd be better off with the 'Vette or waiting for the new GTO or Supras to be re-released. Don't buy the Z unless you're rich and have other vehicles or live in a dry climate!

will38 · February 2004

I live 45 miles northwest of Chicago, IL. I have a 03 touring model with the automatic. I have 17" Michelin Pilot Sport AS tires. I drive this car year round. For me, with a 100 pounds of sand in the back, it is very manageable in the snow. Which has been happening a lot lately. With the original equipment summer tires, the car was undrivable in snow. I was surprised what a change of tires can do. Before the Z, I had a 02 Maxima SE with the original equipment Bidgestone AS Potenzas. Even with front wheel drive, it wasn't much better in the snow than the Z. If I did get stuck, I'd call a tow truck rather than fry my transmission trying to get out.

nissan350z · February 2004

will38, I see what you mean by that with your Z. I too plan to use sand bag and snow tires when I get my Z next fall since it will be my only car. Frans

dlmunro · February 2004

Just an an update on my earlier post: The paint on my 350Z continues to chip off. This is NOT normal road wear and tear. I drive this car as little as possible now because of this problem. Where I would normally take road trips around the state, I now fly. I drive the car on average less than 15 miles per day. These drives are not on an interstate at high speeds. I recently gently brushed the rim of the gas tank while filling the tank and the paint chipped off. I have never taken the car through a commercial car wash; I have the car washed and waxed by hand. The owner of the company that washes the car told me he had never seen so many paint chips on a new car. I drove a Mercedes for 20 years and there were fewer chips on that car when I sold it (to buy the Z) than there were on the Z after 20 days. Many, many people are complaining of the paint job on their Zs. Road and Track is being asked to investigate the problem.

3fiftyz · February 2004

hi i have a 350z with almost 8k miles.. recently the brakes have been squeeking when i come to a stop.. only when i come to a slow stop and it doesnt make any noise when i come to a meduim-hard stop.. should i bring it to the dealer to check it out ...any suggestions?

zgirl1 · February 2004

3fiftyz , this doesn't sound like a brake issue. It sounds more like a front tire wearing issue. This is covered under warranty so the dealership should get new front tires if that is the problem.

ron350z · February 2004

anyone having any problems with the stitching wearing on the seat point that is rubbed when getting in and out of the car. ?? If there is a techical bulletin is there a number. My local dealership not aware of such. thanks

hydraulicit · February 2004

I had a 90 300ZX and had the same problem driving in snow until I put a set (4) of Goodyear M+S tires on it. Then it drove acceptably on snow. I did have one problem driving in snow when the depth was so deep that the car rode up on it's belly on the snow and the tires began to loose traction. Had to slow down a bit to maintain control.

The problem these cars have in snow is due to the high performance tires. They have large tread blocks that cause the tire to float up on the snow. Change to snow tires in the winter and you will be able to go.

riders9 · March 2004

I have a 2003 350K that just passed 15K on the odometer. In for first inspection, I found I needed all 4 tires replaced. It is the base model with P225/50/R17 front and P235/50/R17 rear Bridgestone Potenza tires. Called Nissan and they said this is normal for 350Z, i.e. a replacement of all tires every year. Car is not abused. Way lower wear than on other cars. What are people's experiences with this ??? Is this correct ??? Thx

jwilson1 · March 2004

I don't have a Z but a Porsche and wear out my summer high performance tires every 12000 to 18000. The rear ones actually last only about 10000. I find this to be fairly typical. What Bridgestone do you have? I have the S-02s, a great tire imo. JW

cjs2002 · March 2004

ya know I'd love to get a Z but since its my only car, I'm worried of driving it in winter... so instead I'm considering going into a G coupe or sedan... basically same thing... but the Z still looks nice and its now available as a roadster... but oh well... I make my decision in 3 weeks... then I'm stuck with what I choose... wish me luck

fish8 · March 2004

Tire wear on Z's is a major problem Nissan is trying to deal with. There have been many articles in trade magazines (Autoweek) that say Nissan is aware of the problem but they are not sure how to fix it. I believe the issue stems from the suspension set up. My Father has a '03 Z and is currently filing Lemon law against Nissan. Go to www.autoweek.com and search for 350Z problems. The articles have been in the mags within the past 2-3 months.

Basically, Nissan is lying to you. They know it's a problem and are not acknowledging it. My Fathers Nissan dealer has replaced 2 sets of tires ( for free)so far within 14K miles. Press the isse with the dealer's Service Manager.

fnfalman · March 2004

My best friend's 350Z Touring Roadster (6-months old, 3000-miles) had just shed its trunk lid panel while motoring down the freeway.

The trunk lid itself (the frame) is fine but the carbon fiber (or some sort of plastic composite) panel glued to the frame separated somehow. Probably bad glue or something.

No lies. It's in the shop right now waiting to be fixed.

riders9 · March 2004

Fish8: Thx for the tip to look at Autoweek. The dealer was no help. he referred us to Nissan customer service, they said wear was normal. I sent an email to Bridgestone and inquired about the Potenza series for 350Z. No response.....

Girlfriend took car to aftermarket shop for the 4 tire replacement. He put P225 all around. I said what ????? when I saw. She went back and they put P235 on back for no charge. Said they never had a car with different sizes front to back....right.....They know we'll be back soon.........

jwilson1 · March 2004

I had a tire that had to be replaced -- it took four trips to the tire store to get the right tire put on ... just plain carelessness, incompetence, stupidity, and "whatever" attitude throughout. They'll probably hassle your gf, so you may want to take it yourself. They may just not have the right tire in stock and taking the ez-profit route. JW

snify · March 2004

Recently had accident with my 350Z travelling from North Carolina to California. Hit tire with rim on it in fast lane at 75mph...OUCH. When took it to Nissan Texas, the front tires are SCREWED.(not related to accident) Nissan got me new front tires no problem, and told me NC Nissan should have told me of the problem they are having with the tires? Nope, didn't tell me as I had informed them of my long trip. I am writing Nissan as I believe that due to improper tires I was unable to properly stear around object in road? Also have clutch noise at low speeds. No other complaints, love the car, just pissed with Nissan for not telling us of the tire problems. I had been watching the tires pressures closely.... didn't help. Could have killed me... Nissan Texas appauled at tire wear, jaw dropper!

texasz · March 2004

I have a 2003 Touring automatic 350Z. At 16K miles, the dealer replaced (free of charge) my two front tires due to excessive wear caused by "an incorrect factory camber setting". Also during that visit, I paid to have new brake pads put on (to correct the squeaking present from about 5K mls), and the rotors turned. I also have excessive Bose bass, but just leave it on a negative bass setting to compensate. CURRENT PROBLEM is that the car won't accelerate past approx. 70 mph--I'm guessing, b/c the speedometer only registers 13 mph! The dealer has some part on order, but says it'll take a week to receive. SO frustrating...I never had any issues w/ my '01 Audi TT roadster. Will stick w/ German engineering next purchase.

electrons · March 2004

Has anyone experienced front tire wear problems at around 5k miles? I heard you are suppose to adjust the camber but it just buys time for more tire wear down the road.

I was considering this car but w/ the paint peeling and the rattle noise, and the usual tire wear problem, I think another car is a better choice.

14u2env · March 2004

Ive had two Hondas brand new, and a Lexus sc300 pre-owned and have never ever had this many problems, especially when Im only into the 3rd month of ownership. I have the Enth 350Z 6sp coup.
Heres my story, 1st day I took a closer look and there are large & uneven gaps between panels around the whole vehicle.
2nd day noticed vertical scratches under the paint on front and back bumpers.
The dealer sticker had a "Dessert Package" which included paint coating, scotch guard, vinyl treatment & tinted windows=$1,800. Windows were not tinted when I got home, HUMM? I'm wondering if any of the "Desert Package was done". Dealer tinted the windows but there are tiny bubbles in the tint.
4th Day whistling noise from front passenger side, dealership couldnt pin point this and has not been fixed.
Stereo replaced at 6k, dealer fixed. It ate the 5th cd I put in the unit, I guess the car doesn't like hard house. Stock stereo has horrible reception, no control, and you can't hear the rear speakers.
At 7k, when breaking, the vehicle now KNOCKS at the end of your break. It sounds like a jalopy, I believe its a combination of the struts/transmission.
Breaks squeak at 6k, and there is already wear on the driver side seat where you get in and out, on the fabric.
I'm taking it in for these three issues in a few days. I'm a little upset!!!
This is a second vehicle that doesn't get driven a lot. Oh, the front window is chipping, looks like someone sprayed it with pebbles instead of water out of a hose.
Paint job has orange peeling. All of these issues are signs of poor craftsmanship and not paying attention to detail. These are issues that should not be happening to a car that is well taken care of, kept in a garage and washed with diapers. Oh did I mention I am not happy with this vehicle. I have spent countless hours at the dealership and have not once been offered a loaner. I have the extended/expanded warranty. This car is fun to drive when you have the TCS off, otherwise you are stuck to the ground and the car controls how fast it will let you go at take off. Even with TCS on the vehicle still skids around corners.
I would also suggest not to dress your tires with anything like armor oil. The dealership had slapped that stuff on thick and the combination of that & asphalt/break dust has dyed the wheel wells and the mud flaps black.
Mud flaps, the factory does not send you screws that match the color of the vehicle. I would suggest rubber tools when working on your vehicle because it is so prone to scratches. In a year there wont be any paint left. I was going to invest some money in the stereo system but now i'm thinking I need to get that clear vinyl coating put on it instead. I have the white 350Z does any body know which adhesive is best for white, one that won't turn yellow?
Fortunately my dealer has been very helpful United Nissan in Las Vegas. I haven't had to pay for a single thing, not even an oil change. I think it's because they know what I'm in store for.

Thank you every one for all of your help.
14u2env "Brandy"

14u2env · March 2004

What a nice day today was, listening to music on my factory 350Z Nissan stereo. ; ) LOL

I was driving along and when at the end of a stop and I hear this horrible noise, scared me BAD!! GEEZZEE WT?.

I'm at about 7,000 miles on my Z and have a manual 6sp 2004 coup. When I'm at the end of my break there is this very scary clutch/strut/break KNOCKING grinding noise. It sounds like something is broken or something fell off or, well it's just not good, something happened and it just happened, no warning, nothing.

If anyone has had this similar problem or this noise at the end of a break, could you clue me in on the situation. I just don't want to be driving down the road and have parts falling off of my car, or worse, This is not good, at all.

I have to bring my Z in because of vertical scratches under the clear coat of the paint on the front and rear bumpers (I guess this is called tattooing) and they also scratched the heck out of my car when they changed the oil, so i'll just add a couple more issues for them to fix.
I wonder if they'll give me a loaner? Or just have me sit in the waiting room all day again.

Thanks,
Brandy LV, NV

zzz350 · March 2004

With the run of luck you have been experiencing, stay away from the casinos.

I live in SF and have not had a problem at all with my Jet Black Z, yes the paint is prone to chipping but that's it. Sounds like your dealer who is doing all the fixes is also causing you some of your problems with careless treatment of the car. Oh, yeah, it's "Braking" not "breaking", then again in your case maybe "breaking" is a more appropriate discription.

zzz350 · April 2004

is you can forget to check it for a month or two, yet you can get caught up on all the posts (1) in 10 seconds.

Come on folks, there must be more news and info to report than we have been showing in here. Let's pick it up a little, okay alot.

woz832 · April 2004

I have an '03 performance model (manual w/ 18's). I too have already been into the dealer to replace the tires (at less than 11kmi). They claim it's an allignment problem and supposedly fixed that. So far, the new tires are ok, but it's only been about 1.5kmi. I have heard many people say the tire wear issue is due to the shock/strut combo not being right for the car. Basically not correctable by re-allignment. I'm hoping this problem does not reappear but if it does, I think the only way to fix it would be by putting in an aftermarket suspension better suited for the car. Has anyone put 5 or 10 kmi on their 350 since getting the tire problem fixed? Does it come back?

So far I have also had a couple mystery rattles and squeeks on the interior. Definitely annoying, but I chalk it up to this being the first year out w/ a new car design. Usually it takes them a while to work out the bugs. It's just disappointing to hear so many people complain about the dealers not wanting to fix things.

Sylvia · April 2004

Straight from the editors - Nissan published a TSB on April 12, 2004 Reference NTB04-043 "2003 350Z Front Wheel Alignment Warranty Extension" and it has been sent to the dealers.

If you confirm:

An applied vehicle has excessive front tire "roar" or "growl" noise under the following conditions:
-When braking moderately
-At speeds below 30 mph
-On smooth road surfaces

....the TSB is quite long. We will be posting a summary version or notice of it in the Ownership section of the site. If you would like the entire TSB (21 pages) please contact your dealer.

nissan350z · April 2004

Since the 350Z has different size tires on the front and back how does the dealer rotate them if they do?

jwilson1 · April 2004

side to side; remount tires, of course. JW

fish8 · May 2004

Anyone read the long term test in Autoweek? The 350Z did not do too well as far as quality problems go.

bigmo24 · May 2004

I live in Chicago and am looking into buying a Z. Does the upgrade of traction control in the Enthusiast from the base model make a huge difference for driving in the snow?...or do both models handle the same?

Dan

brett3 · June 2004

I just had the 3M clear bra applied on my car: lifetime warranty on it: barely noticeable, and I hope it will help with the chipping problem. Covers the entire nose to the top of the headlights, the door edges, and side mirrors: $400.. Worth it, if it works!

brett3 · June 2004

the service manual states tires on the z are not rotated.... Seems wierd: would think they would do side to side?????

jwilson1 · June 2004

The tires are directional treads, iirc. So it's not really "rotating" in the sense you move the wheel from one side to the other. The tire has to be removed from the rim then remounted on the opposite rim to keep its direction. When I remount tires on my car it runs about $80-$100. JW

lm350z · June 2004

I just bought my 2004 "Z" in March. After reading some of the problems that other owners have had I just thought I would share my 1 and only problem so far. Had a interior rattle so the dealership worked on the dash, tore it completely apart. The rattle was still there. Then somehow I realized the rattle was coming from the rear view mirror. They replaced the mirror and have not heard a rattle since.
Also heard about the front tire wear through a friend. He owns BMW's and has the same problems with them. Suggested to take it to the dealer and have them set the tires straight. No toe - No camber - No Caster just put them straight. My service advisor admitted that all I needed was to have the front tires aligned before the wear pattern was started, so I have a appointment soon before I trash 2 tires.

bkhan25 · June 2004

Hi, I was planning on buying a 350z, but after having read about all the problems this car has (brakes, paint, tires, crappy music system) I think I should stay clear of this car. If people are having problems with it under 20k miles, I can't imagine how bad it'll be when you're closer to 50k or 75k. It would be really painful to buy a brand new car and have to spend time at the dealership.
What do you guys think?
Cheers
bk

fish8 · June 2004

Good luck with your tire issue. Nissan just bought back my Fathers car due to tire wear issues. 2 Sets of tires in less than 20K miles.

mailady · June 2004

I own a 2003z and on my way home today ran out of gas with the fuel tank showing a quarter of a tank showing on the guage.The HELP truck came and gave me a gallon of gas so i could reach the gas station where i proceeded to fill the tank.The tank showed full with the addition of 11 gallons.If this is a twenty gallon tank what happened to the other approximately 8 gallons? Has anyone else had a problem with the fuel gauge.

zzz350 · July 2004

OPEC not only is charging a lot for oil, they are now sending thieves to steal gas from your tank.

earlfargis · July 2004

Here's a very good site for practical 305Z fixes http://www.cliffshade.com/350zr/index.asp.

That said, I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling that Nissan's "running" 2004 production fixes are all in place -- or will make it prior to the 2005 models -- and, even then, don't address the tire problems and transmission problems. I was considering buying one but my pockets aren't deep enough cover post-warrenty repairs and annual replacement of high-priced performance tires.

I thought famous Japanese quality was a draw but a recent JD Edwards quality report I read in the paper (based on experiences with 2001 models) showed Nissan slightly below average in average defects. Which may explain many of the gripes in this (and other) forums.

If I can get past the quality issues, one issue keeps me on the fence that others here may be able to help me with. I'm concerned with the blind spot on the 350Z coupe. Is this a scary car to drive on interstates and in heavy traffic (e.g., rush hour)? Some driving impressions would be helpful. Thanks.

dcolas · July 2004

I see a lot posted in regards to the problems with the nissan 350, I most deal with the 2003 model, I drove a 260, a 280 and a 300ZX and enjoyed them very much, since the 350 came out I have been waiting for my present lease to expire to get one but now I'm not sure after reading what has been posted here.
Can anyone tell me if the 2004 models have the same problems, or has nissan taken care of it, also what about the 2005? will they increase in price.
thanks.

350ztrack · August 2004

I have a 2003 Track model. The windows have a grease smear that is caused (I assume) by the rollers within the door. Additionally, I have this “boing” sound in my car that I simply cannot isolate!

Lastly, I know everyone complains about the sound system, but has any one upgraded to a better sound system and if so any suggestions? I am weary of putting in a new system because I do not want to change to look of the car.

Notwithstanding the above, the car kicks [non-permissible content removed] - and I would recommend this car to anyone who loves to drive - and if you don’t - this car will make you love driving.

sandman57 · September 2004

I have 2004 brand new roadster and there is a squeak directly behind driver seat. I cant reproduce it without driving. It sounds like styrofoam in a box. Any help??

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