10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,814 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Nissan 350Z suspension problems

suspension problem

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2003 Nissan 350Z Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #56

Feb 022004

350Z

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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. The consumers vehicle failed the Massachusetts safety inspection because of bad tires.

- Saugus, MA, USA

problem #55

Feb 272004

350Z 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
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.

- Hoffman Estates, IL, USA

problem #54

Jul 102003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 7,500 miles
Tire cupping and feathering due to faulty suspension on 2003 Nissan 350Z causing car to veer to the right.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #53

Sep 012003

350Z

  • 15,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

problem #52

Feb 072003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,800 miles
Front end suspension problems is causing front tires to wear improperly(feathering) only after 4000 miles!

- Oklahoma City, OK, USA

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problem #51

Jun 012003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 8,000 miles
Excessive tire wear and feathering on front tires resulting in excessive noise, reduced traction, and requiring premature replacement.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #50

Jul 192003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 7,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Noiced growl and rumbling noise around front end of 2003 Nissan 350Z. Dealer performed no diagnostics, nor checked service bulletins. Claimed could not duplicate the problem. Third trip in, dealer admitted to hearing the now loud noise. Millage at 7500 - 10,200. Diagnosed feathering (cupping) front tires.

- Baytown, TX, USA

problem #49

Nov 012003

350Z

  • miles
Excessive road noise, growl with car.

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #48

Dec 182003

(reported on)

350Z

  • 12,000 miles
Due to front suspension failure tires wore out prematurely.

- Fountain Valley, CA, USA

problem #47

Dec 112001

350Z 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Premature, excessive, asymmetrical front tire wear on 2003 Nissan 350Z. Tire wear is confined to the inside tread block ring only, circumferentially around the tire. Indications are a raised heel and lowered toe pattern in the direction of the tread. This occurs on all Nissan 350Z's, and it's only a matter of time before tire failure results in serious injury or loss of life. See zcar.com for more complaints and details. Nissan's tsb solution is to realign the front end, and simply rotate the tire, transferring the abnmormal wear pattern and resultant hazard to the opposite tread block. Realignment does not correct the problem. Nissan has put a dangerous new model on the road with a design flaw that eats tires at an extraordinary rate (5,000-8,000 miles!!!). unless fixed, the car is likely to become known as the corvair of the 21st century "unsafe at any speed".

- Chanhassen, MN, USA

problem #46

Dec 012003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2003 350Z displays most of the common complaints of other owners...tire feathering, pulling to the right, excessive tire and brake noise, A/C buzz, bose sound system that can't be heard above road noise. Some of the above are annoyances, others, such as tire wear and handling are definate safety issues. Nissan has changed the front suspension on the 2004 350Z for the reason that the 2003 suspension is flawed. There should be a recall!

- Denver, GA, USA

problem #45

Aug 012003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 9,000 miles
In may of 2003 I purchased a new Nissan 350Z. After around 9000 miles the tires began to make an increased amount of road noise. Upon inspection the interior radius of both front tires was worn in a very uneven pattern. The rear tires are fine... mind you this is a rear-wheel drive car. Over the course of the next 3000 miles this noise became increasingly louder and at 12000 miles is unbearable. It sounds like I'm driving an eighteen-wheeler as opposed to a sport car. I brought the car to the dealership where I bought it - peter's Nissan in nashua, nh - they said that my tires were "chopped" and recommended replacing them. Of course they wanted me to pay for it, citing a tire defect. The problem with this argument is that my rear tires are fine and they recommended replacing my "chopped" fronts with another pair of the same tire. In my mind there is obviously a suspension geometry issue with this car. After being quoted $1008.64 for two tires, mounted and balanced, from the Nissan dealer I proceeded to call Nissan North America's Consumer Affairs line. (1-800-nissan1) I spoke with a representative who told me that engineers are currently working on a fix and he brushed me off the phone quickly. I received no satisfaction and am still driving around my "new", under warranty Nissan product with an obviously defective suspension. Evidently Nissan expects me to shell out (using their ridiculous quote) $1008.64 every six months or 10,000 miles for two front tires. Assuming the life of this car at a conservative 100,000 miles, that's $10,086.40 in front tires alone. More than a third of the cars value new in just front tires! there is a defect here somewhere that Nissan has yet to address. The tires are a Bridgestone potenza model. While I find these tires to be a low-quality product to begin with, the sort of wear occurring on my car is not a tire issue. Again, my rears are just fine.

- Sandown, NH, USA

problem #44

Nov 262003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Vehicle drifts to right and is experiencing very high wear on the inside of the front tires.

- Kerhonkson, NY, USA

problem #43

Mar 012003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 5,000 miles
Nissan 350Z 2003 front suspension issue - tires are feathering because of bad setup in front suspension. This problem surfaced after about 5000 miles on the car in the form of a low rumbling noise when slowing down. This noise slowly got worse until I took the car in and niacin said the tires were defective. I was given a new set of tires that were not feathered and the problem went away until I reached another 5000 miles, at which point, the noise resurfaced. I once again, took it into niacin, who was very good about recognizing that there was a problem, and brought up the fact that the original issue was most likely not defective tires but a poor setup of some kind that was causing the feathering. They agreed and said a bulletin had been sent out about this issue. The solution, they said, was to switch the tires, re-calibrate something with the suspension, and the tires would eventually even out. I have only driven 3000 miles since this fix, but the noise is still apparent, and I believe there is still an issue in the front suspension. I feel that niacin has been very good to me about addressing issues as they come up, but if this is a bigger problem, I really feel that niacin should recall rhe front suspension and address the deeper problem. I can't keep replacing my tires every 5000 miles.

- Sandy, UT, USA

problem #42

May 052003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 12,000 miles
Front suspension problem causing front inner edge of tires to wear unevenly. Possible blow out of front tires, due to accelerated wear on inside edge of front tires.

- Cliffside Park, NJ, USA

problem #41

Nov 102003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
Purchased 2003 Nissan 350Z in Aug 02 and it had a suspension problem from day one, it would pull hard to the right. At 2500 miles Nissan realigned the front end to get it to run straight, but now at 11,000 miles the edges of the front tires are cupping. My Nissan dealer has noted the tire wear issue, but did not or could not do any thing to correct or suggest new tires or a suspension fix. I am very concerned.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

problem #40

Nov 132003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 6,000 miles
A know problem with the front alignment of the 2003 350Z causes front tire feathering.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #39

Mar 082003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 7,000 miles
I have a Nissan 2003 350Z. At 7000 miles both front tires were feathered. At 8000 miles I took the car to the dealership. They aligned the tires and centered the steering. After the repair the handling was terrible. I was scared to drive over 60 mph fearing loss of control of the vehicle. At 12,500 miles Nissan replaced the both front tires. I had put 8,000 miles on the replacement tires when I had a recurence of the tire feathering. Nissan again replaced the front tires and centered the steering. I believe driving on the feathered tires is a saftey issue. The car handles terrible when driving on the feathered tires. The back tires never feathered. I had 28,000 on the back tires when I replaced them and the wear was perfect. The suspension is causing this problem with the front tires. I still have this issue with my vehicle. My front tires have been replaced 3 times total. Twice by Nissan and once by me. I would really like this issue fixed.

- Discovery Bay, CA, USA

problem #38

Feb 012003

350Z

  • miles
My front tires have been cupped and or feathered on the inside. It makes a very load roaring noise when coming to a stop. I don't feel safe about my car due to its handling. The tire wear is very uneven.

- Westlake Village, CA, USA

problem #37

Nov 122003

350Z 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
03 Nissan 350Z track edition. Front suspension issue causing very bad tire wear and very loud tire noise in front of car. Car has been aligned and still continues to wear tires unevenly. The car only has 3100 miles on it.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

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