2005 Nissan 350Z

ENGINE QUITE ON HIGHWAY, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES, NEARLY CAUSING A CRASH ON A DANGEROUS MOUNTAIN ROAD (HIGHWAY 17 IN CALIFORNIA). THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE DEALER, SANTA CRUZ NISSAN DODGE (STATE REG. # AJ-35673-N) TRACED THE PROBLEM TO A FAULTY CRANK POSITION SENSOR WHICH WAS REPLACED ON 4/3/06 (REPAIR ORDER NO. 157547). A PROBLEM WITH FAILED CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSORS CAUSED A RECALL FOR 2003 350Z WITH VIN'S IN THE RANGE JN1AZ*4**3T 000001-100167. THE ENGINE PROBLEM RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER ON 4/5/06 AT AN ODOMETER MILEAGE OF 8,513, AGAIN CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BREAKS, AGAIN NEARLY LEADING TO A CRASH ON A FREEWAY. THIS TIME THE PROBLEM WAS DESCRIBED AS ENGINE CODE PO420, PO430 -LOW CATALYST EFFICIENCY. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER (REPAIR ORDER NO. 157686). SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD FOUR ADDITIONAL ENGINE FAILURES DURING FREEWAY DRIVING WITH SIMILAR SYMPTOMS BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT STAY ON AND THERE WAS NO CODE INDICATING A FAILURE WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALER AT 12,679 MILES ON 11/22/06. THE DEALER DID NOT SERVICE THE CAR AT THIS TIME (REPAIR ORDER NO. 165910). *JB

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN 350Z. IT ONLY HAS 10,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE A VIBRATING NOISE COMING FROM BEHIND MY FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WHEN THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL AND THE CLUTCH IS OUT. WHEN I PUSH THE CLUTCH IN THE NOISE GOES AWAY, WHEN I LET IT BACK OUT THE NOISE COMES BACK. MY PREVIOUS CAR WAS A 99 NISSAN SENTRA. I PUT OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES ON THAT CAR AND NEVER EVEN SAW A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. NOW I HAVE A $30,000 CAR WITH ONLY 10,000 MILES ON IT AND MY TRANNY IS GOING OUT AND I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM. *NM

CLUTCH/FLYWHEEL FAILURE ON 2005 NISSAN 350Z. WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC CLUTCH/FLYWHEEL FAILED LEAVING MINIMAL POWER TO DRIVE WHEELS CAUSING DANGEROUSLY SLOW ACCELERATION. TOOK CAR DIRECTLY TO NISSAN DEALER FOR REPAIR ($2178.00). RESEARCH ON INTERNET SHOWS OTHER OWNERS OF NEWER VEHICLES HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER SHOULD BEAR RESPONSIBILITY. *NM

ON TWO OCCASIONS MY 2005 NISSAN 350Z CAR DOORS WERE OPENED BY CLOCKWISE ROTATION BRUSHES IN A CAR WASH. THE FIRST OCCASION THE BRUSHES GRABBED THE PASSENGERS DOOR HANDLE AND THE DOOR FLEW OPEN , HITTING THE CAR WASH MACHINE, DOING $800. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. ALSO, SPRAYING THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WITH SOAPY WATER. THE SECOND THE BRUSHES GRABBED THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND IT OPENED. I WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE DOOR BEFORE DAMAGE OCCURRED. I CONTACTED NISSAN OF NORTH AMERICA AND THEY BASICALLY SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HAD THERE BEEN A SMALL CHILD IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME THEY COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED OR FALLEN OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE HANDLES ARE A POOR DESIGN.*AK

THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY 350 DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH AND IT JUST STOPS RUNNING I CAN PUSH THE PEDAL DOWN AND NOTHING HAPPENS. I HAD IT TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR. NO BIG DEAL RIGHT? WELL ABOUT 2000 MILES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN SAME EXACT THING. ON MY WAY TO WORK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC THE CAR JUST STOPPED AGAIN, AND I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED. AFTER SITTING IN THE FAST LANE FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES THE CAR FINALLY STARTED AGAIN AND I GOT OUT OF THE WAY AND THEY TOWED MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THE CALL CAME THAT FOR THE SECOND TIME THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR WAS BAD, IT WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON MY WAY HOME AND THE CAR STARTED DOING THE SAME THING. THIS TIME I SMELLED SMOKE LIKE SOMETHING WAS ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND THE CALL CAME THE NEXT DAY SAYING THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR WENT OUT AGAIN AND THAT THIS CAUSED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER TO BRAKE AND THE BEADS WERE SUCKED UP INTO THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *JB