2003 Nissan 350Z

I LEASED MY 350Z IN AUG 2003 AND ON 7/22/2004 WITH 9128 MILES ON THE VEHICLE I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO LOUD ROARING WHEN BRAKING IN THE FRONT END.THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES AND ALIGNED THE FRONT AT NO COST TO ME.ON 2/15/2005 WITH 13782 MILES I HAVE NOW BROUGHT THE CAR IN ONCE AGAIN WITH THE SAME GROWING NOISE AND THE DEALER ONCE AGAIN HAS STATED I NEED NEW FRONT TIRES AND ANOTHER FRONT END ALIGNMENT.HE STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSTALL AT NO COST TO ME BUT THE WARRANTY ON THIS WOULD BE UP AFTER 8/23/2005.IT APPEARS THAT NISSAN HAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX ON FOR THIS PROBLEM AND I GUESS I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TIRES AND ALIGNMENT AFTER THE 2 YEARS.*AK

MY 2003 NISSAN 350Z HAS A PROBLEM KEEPING ALIGNMENT. THIS CAUSES PREMATURE WEAR ON THE TIRES AND THE ADDITIONAL COST OF ALIGNMENT. THIS BEGAN IMMEDIATELY (2003 AT 6,000 MILES). BOTH TIRES AND THE ALIGNMENT WERE REPLACED AND REPAIRED. HOWEVER THE CAR CONTINUES TO LOSE ALIGNMENT. A BIGGER ISSUE IS CAUSED IN THE WINTER ON SLICK ROADS. THE CAR WILL SWERVE UNEXPECTEDLY - TOTALLY LOSE CONTROL AND CROSS OVER INTO ON COMING LANES. I FEEL THESE CARS REPRESENT A HAZARD NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVER BUT OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. THE ONLY SAFE REMEDIAL ACTION WOULD BE A RECALL AND PERMANENT REPAIR OF THIS DEFECT. *JB

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