Problems with 2003 Nissan 350Z SUSPENSION

Excessive road noise, growl with car.

Tires cupping on the inner edges. loud roar when you brake from about 30 mph to a complete stop. i think is a suspension problem because the 2004 cars don't have the problem.*ak

Horrible road noise, tire wear uneven "feathering" or scalloping on the insides of the front tires. car has been placed in shop for warranty repair five times and problem is still occurring. car is going back next week for a sixth attempt. *la

I have a recurring problem with feathering of the front tires and now the rear tires are cupped as well. first problem was noticed at 7,000 miles and nissan replaced the tires and realigned the suspension at around 12,000 miles. i noticed a lot of road noised and noticed feathering of the front tires at 19,500 miles and was confirmed all four tires cupped by my nissan dealer. claim was filed with nissan consumer affairs and was notified today that they would not do anything about this. *la

A defect exist in the 2003 nissan 350z which causes excessive 'cupping' or 'feathering' to occur to the tires of the vehicle. *la

Nissan's 350z's suspension causes front tires cupping on the inner edges of the tires. this is the source of that loud roar you hear when you brake from about 30 mph to a complete stop.*ak nissan only offer to realign the suspension and replace the cupped tires but not addressing the suspension issue. the problem is caused by a desgin flaw in the suspension of the z. it is not a problem with the tires as any tire you put on the z will eventually start to cup again.

Nissan 2003 z front end misalignment or production flaw causing extreme wear on front 2 tires. causes tires to wear in 4k-5k miles. dealer will only rotate tires and realign which is known not to fix the problem.*ak

Tire feathering, on front end seems to be non-correctable resulting in repetitive premature replacement of tires. i was told by service mgn. that caster adjustment is at full, and can not correct for the towin causing the tire wear.

Front tires on my vehicle are feathering due to suspension problems. manufacturer will not fix the mechanical problem. it is a nissan 350z 2003 under warranty with 7800 miles. i have had numerous tire inspections by different tire manufacturer's, all point toward suspension defect. traction is less then 100%. nissan is willing to replace tires but will not fix the actual problem caused by a suspension defect with this vehicle. tires need to be replaced every 6000-8000 miles due to extensive wear. car pulls to right excessively. car is loud when driving and braking. car is not safe to drive.*ak

I own a 2003 nissan 350z. i purchased the car on july 3rd, 2003. since that purchase, the front tires have been "feathering" and all nissan will do is pull the tires off and rotate the problem area to the outside of the wheel. now the inside will start to "feather" thus creating the ride even rougher and more unstable. not only is this causing excessive wear to the tires, but once rotated, it has increased the chance for a blowout even further. nissan continues to dodge my request for a suspension adjustment, as this is apparently the problem, by saying that it is not the suspension or the alignment, but the tires themselves (which is just not true. *ak

I took my car (2003 nissan 350z) to my nissan dealership on or around september 25 to have the nissan tire feathering/cupping/road noise technical service bulletin performed due to excessive road noise when braking, and visibly uneven wear on the inside tread on all four (4) tires. nissan's "fix" for this issues is to dismount the tires from the wheels and switch the tires left to right (because they are directional tires and cannot be "traditionally" rotated). feathering/cupping came back less than 2000 miles later. i have an appointment scheduled for 10/16/2003 to have the issue looked at again, and also filed a report with nissan north america. tons of other nissan 350z owners are having the same issue. this is not a fix for the huge problem nissan has with this car, and we need a final resolution! replacing the tires with new oem or other branded tires does not seem to rectify the issue either. i feel as though my safety, and the safety of others is jeopardized. the suspension or some other mechanical aspect is clearly not engineered correctly. *la

Tread on front tires was forming a feathered wear pattern at 6000 miles. dealer realigned but didn't produce a printout of results because "the printer was broken". they refused to replace the worn tires. at 16,000 miles all tread on the inside of the front tires was gone while the tread on the outer edge was normal. the dealer said that the factory rep would not repair car. this is an obvious design flaw because they did not allow for caster adjustment. i now hate nissan more than i love my car and will pursue a refund per lemon law.

My 350z had a terrible growl noise and vibrations coming from the front when braking. tires were very feathered on the inside of the front two tires. filed a complaint with nna and they had the dealer take the tires off the rims and swap the front tires. i don't think they fixed the issue just delayed the inevitable. *la

Experiencing an unresolved tire wear problem with 2003 350z that i purchase new in february 2003. the front tires have been replaced and alignment performed twice on the vehicle. when the tires are examined, they have an irregular wear pattern on the outside edges of the tread. although nissan has issued tsb ntb04-043 on 4/12/2004 and extended the original warranty to two year / 30k miles, i do not believe there is a long term solution that will result in front tires lasting significantly longer than the current unacceptable 10k to 12k miles. i view this issue as reducing the serviceability / reliability of my 350z and it may also pose a safety concern if the problem remains unresolved. *jb *sc

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. *ak

While driving 20-30 mph a rumbling noise came from the front. vehicle was taken to the dealer. dealer replaced two sets of front tires ,and the front control arm. however, the problem recurred. *ak

2003 nissan 350z has constant problem with front suspension which causes tire noise, improper tire wear, and premature replacement of tires. nissan is unable to align the car or fix the vehicle in any way that avoids the problem long-term. replacing or rotating tires does not solve the problem, neither do alignments or balancing. dealer gives the customer difficulties when servicing the suspension under the factory warranty, and is not addressing the issue with the consumer, safety, or customer service in mind.*ak

Vehicle was taken to dealer for the first 3000 miles regular inspection. technician stated that fronts tires needed to be replaced and front alignment done. *ak

I purchased a nissan 350z on 12/30/2002. i started complaining to the dealer about loud growling noise from the front end at about 5000 miles. the dealer stated that it was because of improper front end alignment. at 6000 miles the dealer performed a tsb which stated that the front end needed alignment an the front tires rotated (swapped from side to side). at that time they provided me with print outs of the vehicle alignment reports which shows that the vehicle was out of alignment and remains out of the nissan specifications in regard to the front caster which is causing the dangerous, abnormal and premature wear of the front tires. the dealer states that there is no way to correct this out-of-spec condition. the front tires are now wearing unevenly on the inside again so the re-alignment has not corrected the problem and the dealer says they can not do anything about it.

There is a problem with the suspension of my 2003 nissan 350z, nissan is not addressing or acknowledging the problem. *la

Suspension on the 2003 nissan 350z is very harsh and makes ride noticably bouncy. newer models of the car have the suspension fixed, but nissan refuses to change out suspension on my vehicle

Nissan 350z tire feathering problem believe to be related to a problem with the suspension.*ak

Suspension in car makes vehicle ride rougher than usual, making tires wear uneven. *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

I purchased a new nissan 350z in may of 2003. at approximately 7000 miles i noticed some strange noises coming from the tires. after inspection i realized there was very uneven tire wear on the front tires. i then began doing research as to why this was happening only to find out that nearly every new 350z is experiencing this problem. nissan's "fix" is to rotate the tires but anyone with a brain can figure out this does not resolve the problem, only gets rid of the noise for a few thousand miles. the wear on my tires was so bad they could not rotate them and were forced to replace the tires. after tire replacement, i noticed an immediate change in handling. i believe the strange tire wear is causing less than adequate performance/handling/traction and could eventually become dangerous if left unfixed. there are many speculations as to why this is occurring but all 350z owners tend to agree that the front suspension on the vehicle is causing the problems. nissan is trying to hide this issue from the broad public but more and more people are becoming aware of this. *la

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. *ak

Tire cupping and feathering due to faulty suspension on 2003 nissan 350z causing car to veer to the right.*ak

Consumer stated that while driving and without warning there having problems with the alignment wearing. dealer notified. *ak

Front tires feathering. return to dealer. dealer rotated tires and redid alignment. was told to go to a frame shop. they say it is so far out of alingment they cant fix. caused by pot hole? other z owners have the same problem of feathering.

Extreme irregular front tire wear (cupping) causing loud noise and vibration especially during braking. vehicle had approximately 4000 miles on it when first noticed. tires were replaced at 5000 miles and front end alignment checked (alignment was good). vehicle now has 9000 miles and the front tires are showing irregular wear again. manufacturer has no fix for the problem. *la

Suspension design flaw on my nissan 350z track is causing premature wear and a possibly dangerous condition.*ak

The tires began to feather and wear unevenly within the first 5000 miles of owning the car. the tires began to cup. the car now has extremely loud road noise. it is loader than any normal sports car should be and is horrible to drive. it is very nerve racking. the tire wear could be dangerous and result in a flat or blow out. the tire wear is probably due to a suspension issue with the car. nissan has service records issued. nissan told the dealer to swap my two front wheels, but this did nothing.*ak

Excessive tire wear and feathering on front tires resulting in excessive noise, reduced traction, and requiring premature replacement. *cb

Front tire feathering every 10-12k miles. the front tires have been replaced 4 times, this last time the tires only lasted 8k miles. something has to be wrong with the suspension.*ak

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. *la

I own a new nissan 350z, purchased in april/may 2003. the car came in misaligned and was aligned at 1700 miles. now at 9400 miles, the alignment is out again and the tires are feathering. dealership will replace tires under warranty, but admits the problem is wide spread with the 350 and there is no fix. something within the suspension/front end is faulty. the dealer has been very helpful. *la

I also own a 2003 nissan 350 z and have experienced the tire cupping/feathering. i have had the alignment at 4970 miles and tire replacement at 7500 miles due to the backorder of the tires because of so many others also having the realigning and tire replacement.*ak

Cupping and feathering of tires- causing road noise, poor traction, & handling. per owner forums, due to suspension issues which effect allignment. others have had problems recognized and fixed. my dealer and nissan say there is no problem.*ak

I am concerned about my nissan 350z suspension/tires. i have been reading a lot of bulletin board entries on www.my350z.com and www.zcar.com about vehicles manufactured before dec. of 2002. i also visited the nissan website and see that there is a tech bulletin posted about the wear on the tires. there appears to be an issue with the suspension set up on the 350z that is resulting in excessive wear on the tires or feathering. there are a lot of pictures on the www.my350z.com website of actual tires. the feathering seems to begin anywhere from 5000 to 10000 miles.*jb

Front tires on my vehicle are feathering due to suspension problems. manufacturer will not fix the mechanical problem. it is a nissan 350z 2003 under warranty with 6000 miles. have had 3 tire inspections by different tire manufacturer's, all point toward suspension defect. traction is way less then 100%. *nlm

Tires feathering very badly on all four tires. *jb

Front tires on my vehicle are feathering due to suspension problems. manufacturer will not fix the mechanical problem. it is a nissan 350z 2003 under warranty with 8000 miles. have had 3 tire inspections by different tire manufacturer's, all point toward suspension defect. traction is less then 100% *jb

My new nissan 2003 350z was delivered out of alignment. this has caused my tire to be severely worn on the in side edge of tire (both front tires). nissan's solution is to rotate front tires so that the worn/cupped portion of the tire is on the outside edge of tire. what kind of solution is this? the life expectancy of my tire has been greatly reduced and has jeopardized my safety!

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. *la

2003 nissan 350z has a defective suspension that causes the tires to wear unevenly (tire feathering) and also causes the vehicle to pull to the right which also causes the tires to wear unevenly. nissan dealership has had the vehicle in 6 times with no success. hundreds of other 350z owners have this same trouble, but may not know how to deal with it. *la

Front tires are cupping on the inside due to issue with car. i had the car with 7,000 miles on it when i notice problems with noise and handling. at 11,000 the deal said it need to be re-aligned which they did and flipped the tires. now at 16,000 miles i have cupping on the inside and outside, which causes noise issues and handling problems. i'm taking it back to the dealer i have had enough. *la

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. *la

Excessive tire noise was noticed, took to dealer and found inside of front tires had worn away. dealer re-aligned suspension and replaced front tires. later, tire noise was noticed again along with pulling to right. took to dealer and inside edge of front tires had worn away again, tires were replaced again and suspension re-aligned again. right front suspension "compression rod" replaced due to pull. tires continue to wear excessively along both inside and outside edges. tires wear out in less than 10,000 miles. once tire noise becomes severe, straight-line stability is affected at highway speeds. tires could fail due to premature wear if vehicle owner does not inspect tires for inside edge wear at abnormally frequent intervals.

The car has terrible feathering on the inside edges of the front tires. problem started after 7,500 miles. contact patches on the inside tire tread are wearing unevenly. i had the car aligned by nissan on 2-21-03 and the problem has gotten worse. this really scares me and could lead to unsafe driving due to poor design and uneven tread on the tires. the car is a nissan 350z. received in august 2002. *jb

Front end suspension problems is causing front tires to wear improperly(feathering) only after 4000 miles!*ak