2004 Nissan 350Z

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGED ON IT'S OWN. HOWEVER, THE ROAD WAS DRY AND NOT WET. THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT IT WAS NORMAL. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.

FIRST NOTICED BY VEHICLE OWNER AT APPROXIMATELY 10000 MILES, DEALER CONFIRMED AT 12000 MILES, MY 2004 NISSAN 350Z TOURING MODEL HAS DEVELOPED ABNORMAL WEAR OF INNER EDGES OF FRONT TIRES--FRONT TIRES FORMING A CUPPING SHAPE. THE RESULT OF THIS ABNORMAL WEAR HAS CREATED UNSTABLE HANDLING AND RIDE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY A SAFETY CONCERN WITH REGARD TO TIRE PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING. NISSAN HAS ISSUED A SERVICE ADVISORY BULLETIN ACKNOWLEDGING THIS VERY PROBLEM FOR THE 2003 350Z MODE, BUT NOT FOR THE 2004 MODEL. NISSAN HAS INDICATED THAT THE SUSPENSION IS THE PRIMARY PROBLEM FOR CAUSING THE ABNORMAL TIRE WEAR AND HAS AUTHORIZED A PARTIAL FIX TO THE PROBLEM. NISSAN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2004 MODEL--REQUEST INVESTIGATION FOR SAFETY CONCERNS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION.*AK

FRONT TIRES WORN ON INSIDE DUE TO FAULTY ALIGNNMENT FROM FACTORY. CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN DECEMBER 2003. DURING SECOND SERVICE ( 7,400 MILES) AT PURCHASING DEALERSHIP TIRES WERE BALANCED AND INSPECTED. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID NOTHING WAS ABNORMAL WITH THE TIRES. NOW 5 MONTHS LATER ( 13,000 MILES) PURCHASING DEALER REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT AUTO WHEN I TOLD THEM THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END AND THAT TIRES WERE WEARING ON THE INSIDE. I WAS TOLD BY PURCHASING DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO CALL NISSAN NORTH AMERICA OR TO CALL BRIDGESTONE TIRE COMPANY TO HAVE IT FIXED. I IN TURN CALLED NISSAN NORTH AMERICA AND WAS TOLD BY THEM TO TAKE THE CAR IN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. I TOOK THE CAR IN YESTERDAY AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW TIRES FOR THE FRONT AND THAT THE ALIGNMENT WOULD BE ADJUSTED WHEN THE NEW TIRES WERE INSTALLED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE UP TO NISSAN NORTH AMERICA TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST FOR TIRES AND SERVICE. I AM AFRAID THE BAD ALIGNMENT MAY CAUSE TIRE FAILURE DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE. I CHECK MY TIRES WEEKLY TO ENSURE NO CORDS ARE SHOWING ON THE INSIDE AND THAT THEY ARE PROPERLY INFLATED. ALL 2003 350 Z'S HAVE A 2 YEAR UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY ON THE ALIGNMENT AND TIRE REPLACEMENTS DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEMS, YET NISSAN NORTH AMERICA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE 2004 ISSUES EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE THE SAME AS THE 2003. YOU CAN'T EXPECT CONSUMERS TO PURCHASE 2 NEW TIRES ONCE A YEAR BECAUSE NISSAN CAN'T REPAIR AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM ON THEIR FLAGSHIP 350Z.

I OWN A 2004 ENTHUSIAST MODEL 350Z . DURING OUR VACATION THIS YEAR WE NOTICED A ROARING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT TIRES. WE ONLY HAD 6,507 MILES ON THE CAR AT THIS TIME. MY HUSBAND AND I AT FIRST THOUGHT THIS WAS DUE TO THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD WE WERE DRIVING ON. HOWEVER AFTER DRIVING ANOTHER 3,000 MILES THE NOISE GOT LOUDER AND AT THIS POINT WE WERE ALSO NOTICING A SKIPPING PROBLEM WITH THE RADIO/ CD PLAYER.SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE NISSAN DEALER UPON RETURNING HOME. AT THE DEALERSHIP MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A SPORTS CAR AND HAS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SUSPENSION AND TIRES , WE COULD EXPECT TO REPLACE THE TIRES VERY OFTEN ON THIS CAR. THE TIRES ARE WORN UNEVENLY AND FEATHERING ON THE INSIDE TREAD. TO MYSELF , THIS APPEARS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE CAR HANLDLING HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS UNEVEN WEAR. I DID MY RESEARCH ON THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE 2003 350Z HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. NISSAN HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM, THE ONLY THING THEY'VE DONE IS MADE A MINOR ADJUSTMENT IN THE SUSPENSION WHICH ALLOWS US TO DRIVE A LITTLE LONGER ON THESE TIRES. I KNOW THAT NISSAN IS AWARE OF THIS AND IS NOT MAKING ANY EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR REPLACE THE TIRES. A CONSUMER HAS A RIGHT TO EXPECT THE THE PRODUCT AND ALL ITS PARTS TO MEET A CERTAIN LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE. NISSAN HAS NOT ACTED IN GOOD FAITH TO ITS' CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE. NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD PURCHASE A CAR KNOWING THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRES AT EVERY 3-5,000 MILES. ESPECIALLY NOT AT THE PRICE OF EACH TIRE ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS , AT THE LEAST UNETHICAL, AND MAY BECOME CRIMINAL UPON THE DEATH OF A CONSUMER WHO DIES AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND REACHING FOR SOMETHING CONSUMER STRUCK HEAD ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. THE SAME METAL WAS ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. THE DESIGN FOR THE TOP WAS FLAWED.*AK CUTAWAY OF HINGES ON RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES AT HEAD LEVEL. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEFECTED PEICE WOULD PIERCE THE SKULL ON SIDE IMPACT. *TC

CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT DRIVER'S SEAT DID NOT LOCK INTO POSITION. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM. *AK THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MANUALLY OPERATED DRIVERS SEAT DID NOT LOCK SECURELY INTO PLACE IN TWO OF THE BACK POSITIONS UNLESS BY THE PELVIC THRUSTING MANEUVER OR BY PRESSING THE LEFT FOOT ON THE FLOOR TESTING THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE LATCH. PRIOR TO DRIVING, THE SEAT MOVEED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TO PLACE WHILE DRIVING WITH LOUD CLANKING SOUNDS. *SC *JB

LARGE THUUMP NOISE DEVELOPED AROUND 8000 MILES ON AUTOMATIC TRANMISSION OF MY 2004 350Z. IT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO 2 DEALERS. BOTH SAY IT IS PERFECTLY NORMAL. WE TEST DROVE 4 OTHER 350Z'S AND NONE OF THEM TO WHAT MY CAR DOES. THE DEALER REFUSES TO FIX IT AND NISSAN CORP. SAYS THEY WILL HELP, BUT CONTINUE TO IGNORE MY CALLS AND HANG UP ON ME.

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONSUMER NOTICED A YELLOW FLASH INDICATOR LIGHT READING SLIP WITH CAUSE UNKNOWN. THE CONSUMER RELEASED THE THROTTLE PEDAL AND THE SPEED CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AT 65 MPH. THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL CONTINUED AT THE SAME RATE OF SPEED, BURNING THE BRAKES WHEN THE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH, BUT THE RPM IDLED HIGH. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE PROBLEM DISAPPEARED. *AK THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT DURING INSTALLATION OF THE WHEELS, THE CHROME PLATING OF THE FRONT AND REAR WHEEL WERE MISTAKENLY SWITCHED. THE TECH ALSO STATED THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE REASON FOR THE MALFUNCTION AND THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WENT INTO "FAIL SAFE MODE" BECAUSE IT DETECTED A SIZE DIFFERENCE IN THE WHEELS. (PINS WHERE ALSO MISSING) *SC *JB