2003 Nissan 350Z problems
Owners have filed 349 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Nissan 350Z. Suspension is the most reported problem area, at 32% of complaints. Next are tires (20%) and engine (18%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 349 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Suspension 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 1
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 13,000 miles 270 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 150 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 35 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 22 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 20 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 20 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 11 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 8 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 1 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 2 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 270 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 13,000 miles. For suspension specifically, the median reported mileage is about 7,000 miles (78 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 1 complaint mentions a fire; 3 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 91% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 1st most-complained-about out of 6 model years of the Nissan 350Z with enough data (266 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I hit another car on the highway(rear ended) my passenger side airbag deployed ,but my side (driver) did not deploy .
I was rearended at aproximatly 45 MPH. The driver's side airbag did not deploy. Also the driver's side seatbelt did not lock. The passenger side airbag deployed and the seatbelt locked. I obtained serious injuries to my back for which I am seeking physical therapy for right now.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 nissan 350z. While driving 25 MPH, a vehicle ran a stop sign which caused the contact to crash into another vehicle on the rear driver side. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained extreme injuries to the right eye and a fractured right arm, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 nissan 350z. The failure occurred in 2005 while driving 75 MPH the vehicle shut off without any warning. The vehicle restarted on its own in 3 to 5 seconds. The failure recurred 4 times during an 18 hour drive. The nissan dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. Three days after the vehicle was diagnosed, the failure recurred. The dealer later stated that the heat may have caused the vehicle to shut off.