2003 Nissan 350Z

DT: THE FRONT END AND TIRE DEFECTS. AT 7438 MILES, CAR WAS RUMBLING AT STOP SPEED. DEALER PUT NEW FRONT TIRES AND ALIGNED FRONT END. AT APPROXIMATELY 10,000 MILES DEALER INSTALLED NEW FRONT BRAKES. AT 12, 493 MILES THE CAR WAS RUMBLING AT STOP SPEED. DEALER PUT NEW FRONT BRAKES AND ALIGNED FRONT END AGAIN. BOTH TIMES TIRES HAD CUPPED, AND THREAD SEPARATED. IF IT DID NOT GET FIXED IT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. ( A BLOW OUT ). *AK

FRONT TIRES ARE WEARING EXCESSIVELY ON THE INSIDE. THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO DRIVE AS IT PULLS TO THE RIGHT ONCE THE TIRES START TO WEAR. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. IT RAINS ALMOST DAILY, AND THE CAR IS EVEN WORSE ON SLIPPERY ROADS. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED FRONT TIRES TWICE AND REAR TIRES ONCE. I HAVE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BREAKS TWICE. THE BRAKES STILL SQUEAL AND SQUEAK BUT THE DEALER SAYS THE BRAKES ARE FINE. ONCE IT WAS ALIGNED THE SQUEAKING STOPPED FOR A FEW DAYS, THEN STARTED AGAIN.

ONGOING ALIGNMENT / TIRE FEATHERING ISSUES WITH NISSAN 350Z I HAVE HAD MY TIRES SWAPPED SIDE TO SIDE SEVERAL TIME + REPLACEMENT TIRES AND MANY ALIGNMENTS. THE 350Z WILL NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT AND EATS FRONT TIRES EVERY 7000-12000 MILES. IT WEARS THE INSIDES OF THE TIRES TO THE POINT OF REPLACEMENT WITH OVER 80% TREAD ON THE REST OF THE TIRE. THEY ARE NOW NOT PERFORMING ALIGNMENTS ON MY CAR EVEN THOUGH THEIR TSBS STATE THAT THEY WILL AND WILL REPLACE TIRES UP TO 30,000 MILES. THEY STOPPED DOING ALIGNMENTS AND TIRE ROTATIONS/REPLACEMENT BEFORE 20K MILES IN MY SITUATION. THE STOCK TIRES ARE UP TO $400 A PIECE, SO THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE DEALERS WANT $80 FOR AN ALIGNMENT EVERY 4-6 MONTHS + TIRE PURCHASE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND NISSAN REFUSES TO ISSUE A REAL RECALL, EVEN THOUGH EVERY 03 350Z HAS THIS ISSUE. IT WAS BLAMED ORIGINALLY ON THE SUSPENSION BEING STRESSED DURING SHIPMENT FROM JAPAN. I HAVE ALSO HAD DUAL REAR AXLE REPLACEMENT, TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT, CLUTCH ASSMBLY REPLACEMENT, JUST TO NAME A FEW. THE VEHICLE BECOME VERY UNSTABLE WITH THE FRONT ALIGNMENT ISSUE. THERE ARE ALSO ISSUES WITH THE REAR ALIGNMENT. IT IS OUT OF SPEC EVERYTIME IT WAS CHECKED.*AK

I OWN A 2003 350Z. I GOT A FLAT TIRE ON MY CAR YESTERDAY. I TOOK IT IN TO BE REPAIRED. WHEN THEY JACKED IT UP THEY NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES ARE BALD ON THE INSIDE. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED. THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD MANY 350Z'S COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SO THAT'S WHEN I LOOKED IT UP ON YOUR WEBSITE BUT DIDN'T SEE IT ANYWHERE. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY OTHER TIRES PLACES AS WELL AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE HAD MANY PEOPLE COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HAVE YOU HEARD THIS COMPLAINT FROM ANYONE ELSE? *NM

BOTH FRONT TIRES CUPPING AND FEATHERING WITH SEVERE RUMBLING NOISE IN FRONT END. DEALER REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES 3/31/04 AND PERFORMED FRONT-END ALIGNMENT. RETURNED 1/12/05 WITH SAME PROBLEM AND DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY HAD SEVERAL IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS ON THE 350Z. DEALER HAS NOTIFIED NISSAN AND ARE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THEM ON RESOLUTION. DEALER STATED THAT NISSAN IS TRYING TO CLAIM THAT THE TIRES ARE ONLY 15,000 MILE TIRES AND THAT THEY ARE THE PROBLEM. DEALER WILL CONTACT ME AGAIN WITHIN ONE WEEK WITH NISSAN'S RESOLUTION. DEALER DID NOT EVEN EXAMINE MY VECHICLE 1/12/05.*AK

TIRES ARE FEATHERING BADLY. DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER TRIED FIXING IT. NISSAN TRIED AVOIDING RECALL ON IT, BUT TOLD SERVICE CENTERS TO CHANGE TIRES AT NO COST. RIDICULOUS AND UNSAFE. WAS TOLD TO BE AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. EVERYONE EXCEPT THE COMPANY SEEMS TO NOTICE. 2003 350Z. NISSAN MADE ITS WARRANTY ON THE TIRES TO 24,000 AND OUR SERVICE IS TILL ABOUT 36000 MILES. THEY ARE JUST WAITING IT OUT UNTIL IT BECOMES THE PEOPLES PROBLEM. IS ANYBODY LISTENING?*AK

MY 2003 350Z'S TIRES WERE REPLACED BY THE DEALER AT 16,000 MILES. I RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM RIGHT BEFORE THE RECALL. NOW AT 27,000 MILES I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BACK TIRES/ALIGNMENT. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE CONTRACTED TIRE DEALER WHICH MY NISSAN DEALER SENDS IT'S WORK TO THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ALIGNMENT ON THE 2003 MODEL AND THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE BEEN CORRECTED ON THE 2004 MODEL. I'M TOLD THAT TO AVOID THE IMPROPER WEAR ON THE TIRES (CUPPING) THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED EVERY 3-6 MONTHS. I WAS TOLD THAT OTHER THAN THE TIRE NOISE(WHICH WHEN NOTICEABLE MEANS SERIOUS IMPROPER WEAR), ANOTHER WAY TO TELL THAT THIS CUPPING IS HAPPENING IS TO PUT THE CAR UP ON THE RACK. ALSO, THE CAR STARTS TO HAVE TRACTION/HANDLING PROBLEMS. THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SEEN IN A VISUAL CHECK WHEN THE CAR IS ON THE GROUND. I CALLED THE NISSAN HEADQUARTERS AND FILED A COMPLAINT, BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. AT 27,000 MILES I GOT THE REAR ALIGNED AND HAD TO PURCHASE TWO NEW REAR TIRES. THERE IS SO OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THAT NISSAN IS CHOOSING TO IGNORE. *JB

JAN 03 THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAL LOUDLY WHEN BRAKING IN COLD WEATHER. THE TWO FRONT TIRES CONTINUALLY LOST AIR AND NEEDED TO BE REFILLED EVERY 3-4 WEEKS. UPON DEALER INSPECTION, NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG. UPON RECALL NOTICE OF THE GROWLING OF THE TIRES (AROUND APRIL 04) THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TWO FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE BROUGHT BACK TWICE DUE TO THE ALIGNMENT BEING DONE INCORRECTLY (STEERING WHEEL WAS CROOKED AND SLIP & VDC OFF LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED).SINCE THE TIRE REPLACEMENT, THE TWO NEW FRONT TIRES STILL LOSE AIR AND NEED TO BE FILLED UP EVERY 2-3 WEEKS NOW. THE TIRES OCCASIONALLY SQUEAL LOUDLY WHEN BRAKING. DEC 04 THE DASHBOARD WAS LIT UP WITH THE FOLLOWING WARNING LIGHTS:1. BRAKES 2. VDC OFF 3. SLIP UPON TOWING THE VEHICLE INTO NISSAN (BECAUSE THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE WENT MYSTERIOUSLY FLAT AGAIN), NISSAN DEALER HAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE WORN THROUGH TO LESS THAN 10% AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO REPORTED THE FRONT TIRES HAD NO HOLES AND THE TIRE BEADING WAS FINE. THEY SUGGESTED THE TIRES GO LOW AND THE WARNING INDICATOR SOUNDS BECAUSE IT IS A SENSITIVE CAR. IT IS MY PERSONAL THEORY THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A DESIGN FLAW WITHIN THE SUSPENSION AND THE VEHICLE IS ALSO PLACING TOO MUCH WEIGHT AND PRESSURE ON THE FRONT TIRES WHICH HAS CAUSED: 1. GROWLING 2. FRONT TIRES TO LOSE AIR 3. BRAKES TO WEAR UNREASONABLY FAST 4. SQUEALING WHEN BRAKING. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN SATISFACTORY IN THEIR RESPONSES OR SUGGESTIONS. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE DEALER NOW; I REQUESTED THEY GIVE ME THE WORN BRAKE PADS WHEN I PICK UP THE CAR. *JB