2003 Nissan 350Z

NISSAN 350Z. LOST CONTROL OF CAR JUST CHANGING LANES AT 45 MPH. CAR SPUN SIDEWAY AND WHEN I TRIED TO RECOVER, STEERING WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE AS TIRES SEEMED TO BE JUST GLIDING WHEREVER THEY WANTED TO GO. I AM JUST NOW CONNECTING THIS INCIDENT TO THE JUST BECAME AWARE OF TIRE AND FRONT END PROBLEM THAT NISSAN SEEMS TO BE HAVING WITH THIS VEHICLE. I ONLY WISH SOMEBODY HAD TOLD ME MY FRONT END WAS NOT ALIGNED AND TRACKING CORRECTLY AND THAT MY TIRES WERE WORN AWAY ON THE INNER EDGES. THE FAILURE TO NOTIFY ME PLACED ME IN A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT ALLOWED ME TO THINK THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING WAS SAFE AND WOULD RESPOND WHEN I NEEDED IT TO. MY INITIAL THINKING OF A SLICK ROAD, WHICH REALLY WASN'T PRESENT, IS NOW APPARENT TO ME TO BE A FRONT END WHICH CAN WANDER AND CAUSE ABRUPT ALTERATIONS IN TRACKING DUE TO TIRE WEAR AND IMPROPER ALIGNMENT. FORTUNATELY, THE ONLY BRUISED ITEM WAS THE CAR. I HOPE IT DOESN'T LEAD TO A HUMAN. *AK *NM THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE FAILED THE MASSACHUSETTS SAFETY INSPECTION BECAUSE OF BAD TIRES. *TC

THE TIRES BEGAN TO FEATHER AND WEAR UNEVENLY WITHIN THE FIRST 5000 MILES OF OWNING THE CAR. THE TIRES BEGAN TO CUP. THE CAR NOW HAS EXTREMELY LOUD ROAD NOISE. IT IS LOADER THAN ANY NORMAL SPORTS CAR SHOULD BE AND IS HORRIBLE TO DRIVE. IT IS VERY NERVE RACKING. THE TIRE WEAR COULD BE DANGEROUS AND RESULT IN A FLAT OR BLOW OUT. THE TIRE WEAR IS PROBABLY DUE TO A SUSPENSION ISSUE WITH THE CAR. NISSAN HAS SERVICE RECORDS ISSUED. NISSAN TOLD THE DEALER TO SWAP MY TWO FRONT WHEELS, BUT THIS DID NOTHING.*AK

BROUGHT MY CAR IN TWICE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT A LOUD GROWLING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END AT 6000 MILES. I TOLD HIM THAT THE NOISE IS REALLY BAD WHEN I BRAKE AT SPEEDS BELOW 50 MPH. ERIN FROM THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT NISSAN DOES HAVE A BULLETIN OUT AND THEIR QUICK FIX IS: TO ROTATE MY TIRES FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND DO A FRONT ALIGNMENT. HE TOLD ME MY TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK AGAIN TO COMPLAIN THAT THE NOISE GOT WORSE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT MAY TAKE 1000-2000 MILES FOR THE NOISE TO GO AWAY. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS CRAZY. ERIC TOLD ME JUST TO TURN MY RADIO UP AND I WOULDN'T HEAR THE NOISE. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT NISSAN WILL ONLY ROTATE THE TIRES ONCE AND THEN AFTER THAT I WILL NEED TO DO IT MORE OFFEN. HE TOLD ME THAT I WILL NEED TO REPLACE MY TIRES SOON. I TOLD HIM IT JUST HAS 6000 MILES ON IT. I ALSO HAD MY CAR BACK FOR THE LOUD BREAK NOISE AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. AFTER FINDING THIS WEBSITE I REALIZED I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT IS THIS COMPLAINT. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT NISSAN IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SEVERE PROBLEM THAT COULD BECOME DANGEOUS FOR DRIVING WHEN THE TIRES ARE WEARING UNEVENLY.*AK

I HAVE A FEATHERING PROBLEM WITH MY FRONT TIRES DUE TO A FRONT END SUSPENSION DEFECT. MY EFFORTS WITH NISSAN CORPORATION AND THE DEALER (ED NAPLETON NISSAN IN NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA) HAVE BEEN FRUITLESS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THREATENED TO NOT SERVICE MY CAR WHEN I BROUGHT UP THE LEMON LAW. THE DEALER THEN ADMITTED TO THE PROBLEM (ONCE I PROVIDED INFORMATION THAT OTHERS REPORTED THIS PROBLEM) AND SAID THEY WOULD TRY TO GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE TIRES. THEN THE DEALER THEN ONLY OFFERED TIRES AT DEALER COST (WHICH WAS HIGHER THAN A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO DID INSTALL REPLACEMENTS). NISSAN CORPORATION (YANIQUE, CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON) IN CALIFORNIA WAS BOTH CONDESCENDING AND ARGUMENTATIVE WITH ME. THE NISSAN REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED THAT TIRE REIMBURSEMENT IS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE THE DEALER WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD DRIVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF MILES COMMUTING TO WORK. THUS, MY VEHICLE FIRST EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MY 15K MILES SERVICE. THE DEALER SWITCHED THE FRONT END TIRES AND IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD, I COULD HEAR THE NOISE RELATING TO THE ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH I WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER NISSAN 350Z OWNER THAT HE EXPERIENCED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, IT DIDN'T REGISTER WITH ME UNTIL THE TIRES WERE SWITCHED AT 15K THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THE DEALER WAS BUYING TIME KNOWING THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO PLACE SIGNIFICANT MILES ON THIS CAR AND DIDN'T REIMBURSE ME FOR THESE TIRES BASED ON THE SAME REASONING. THE DEALER STATES THAT THEY DIDN'T MANUFACTURE THE CAR OR THE TIRES AND THUS, THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE TRIED TO KEEP THE ISSUE SECRET FROM THE PUBLIC. APPARENTLY THERE IS NOT FIX AND A RECENT AUTO MAGAZINE ARTICLE HAS IDENTIFIED 39,000 VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD HOPE THAT THIS COMPLAINT RECEIVES SUFFICIENT ATTENTION, SINCE THIS PROBLEM IS BOTH COSTLY TO THE CONSUMER AND COULD POSE A SAFETY PROBLEM DUE TO POOR TRACTION OF THE FRONT END TIRES. *AK

THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING, AND MIS-DIAGNOSED A. ROAR FROM FRONT SUSPENSION UNDER 40 MPH. FIRST ATTEMPTED REPAIR @ 7,279 MILES. CHANGED BRAKE PADS AND TURNED ROTORS. ATTEMPT FAILED, ROAR REMAINED. B. ROAR & PULLS TO THE RIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEED. SECOND ATTEMPTED REPAIR @ 7,720 MILES. CHANGED RIGHT SIDE COMPRESSION ROD. PULL TO RIGHT CORRECTED, ROAR REMAINED. C. ROAR SEVERE,VISUAL DAMAGE{FEATHERING} ON INSIDE EDGE OF FRONT TIRES. THIRD ATTEMPTED REPAIR @ 11,077 MILES. ROTATED FRONT TIRES SIDE TO SIDE, OFF RIMS {DIRECTIONAL TIRES} ALSO DID FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT. ROARS LESS, BUT STILL VERY NOISY. AT 12,000 MILES NOISE INCREASING, NEW FEATHERING NOW APPEARING ON INSIDE OF FRONT TIRES. THIS SUSPENSION PROBLEM NOT CORRECTED