2003 Nissan 350Z

I RECENTLY (9-13-03) PURCHASE A 2003 NISSAN 350Z TRACK EDITION WITH 2500 MILES. I PURCHASED IT AT DOBBS NISSAN IN MEMPHIS, TN 38115. IN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I NOTICE A LITTLE ROAD NOISE THAT I THOUGH WAS NORMAL COMING FROM A CAR WITH 18" WHEELS. IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM AT FIRST. AFTER MY FIRST SERVICE VISIT AT DOBBS NISSAN I NOTICE THE NOISE GETTING LOUDER, I ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM WITH TJ (SERVICE ADVISOR AT JIM KERAS NISSAN 2110 COVINGTON PIKE, MEMPHIS, TN 38128) ALONG WITH A LIST OF OTHER PROBLEMS. TJ DIAGNOSE THE NOISE AND SUGGESTED THAT I ROTATE THE TIRES, HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE TIRES ARE SCHEDULED TO BE ROTATED AT OR AROUND 5,000 MILES. MY RESPONSE WAS THAT THE CAR WAS MAKING THE NOISE WHEN I FIRST PURCHASE THE VEHICLE AND THAT IT PROGRESSIVLY GOT WORSE. AFTER COMING TO A DEAD END AT JIM KERAS NISSAN ABOUT REPLACING THE TIRES UNDER WARRANTY I PURSUED TO CONTACTING NISSAN USA REFERING TO THE ENTIRE SERVICE TICKET, BUT SPECIFICALLY THE TIRES. I WAS REFERED TO FIRESTONE IN WHICH REFERED ME TO A LOCAL DEALER (FIRESTONE 4035 AUSTIN-PEAY HWY, MEMPHIS, TN 38128). I WAS SCHEDULED TO BRING MY CAR IN THAT EVENING. I MEET WITH JESSE ( STORE MANAGER), HE EVALUATED ALL FOUR TIRES AND INFORM ME THAT THE FRONT TIRES WERE NOT DEFECTIVE BUT HAD UNEVEN WEAR, POSSIBLY DUE TO MISALINGMENT OR WORN SUSPENSION COMPONENTS. JESSE ALSO INFORM ME THAT HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THE TIRES BUT, HE WAS WILLING TO ABSORD 50% OF THE COST OF REPLACING THE TIRES PER FIRESTONE'S APPROVAL. HE MADE A CALL TO NISSAN USA (REP. ALEX MORGAN) TO GET THEM TO OK THE OTHER 50%. NISSAN DECLINED THAT RESOLUTION. THEY (NISSAN USA & FIRESTONE) ARE USING THE CONSUMER TO SLOVE ISSUES THAT SHOULD BE HANDLED BY THEIR COMPANIES. I WAS GIVEN THE RUN-AROUND FROM BOTH NISSAN AND FIRESTONE. GIVING THE NATURE OF ALL COMPLAINTS, I WONDER WHEN WILL NISSAN ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REPAIRING OR REPLACING WHATS WRONG? I HOPE NOT WHEN SOMEONE IS HURT OR KILLED!*AK

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". *AK

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!*AK

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.*JB