Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Nissan 350Z owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Brembo aluminum calipers were used with steel bolts causing the breaks to get himot & seize the steel bolt in the calipers. 1 out of 2 brake jobs end up costing thousands & hours of work to get the seized bolts out, I have had a caliper fall off going 65 & got caught in between my tire & rear wheel arc.
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. …
I was driving the car in a rainy stormy night north bound hwy 101 on January 10th 2004 when my 2003 Nissan 350z stopped with a huge clunk in the motor compartment and came to a rolling stop to the side of the road where there was not much shoulder space and poor visibilty that night!apparently this vehicle has been burning oil 1qt pr thousand miles! I didnt know this from getting regular oil changes at aroung the 3K marker! Kept getting oil consumption test but no corrective action was taken by manufacturer until I went to the bbb! Then Nissan was forced to replace motor, clutch , tires which ive been having issues long before this ever occured along with the window motors in which the windows kept giving out also! My vehicle broke down again some 1000 miles after the new motor! My car kept stalling at a stop light! …
I have a 2003 Nissan 350z which I purchased new from selma Nissan in July 2003. The vehicle has had the front tires replaced by the dealer three (3) times, averaging 17,000 to 19,000 per set of tires. Each time the dealer has re-aligned the front end and assured me that the problem has been taken care of. Each time that the vehicle has gone in for this problem, the vehicle experiences severe front tire noise and steering wheel shake, especially during low speed and braking. Both front tires display excessive wear to the inner edge of the tires rendering them unserviceable. To nissans credit, they have acknowledged the problem and have re-aligned the front end and replaced the last three sets of tires at no cost to me. The car was taken to the dealer today (01-12-2007) with the same problem. …
Ongoing alignment / tire feathering issues with Nissan 350z I have had my tires swapped side to side several time + replacement tires and many alignments. The 350z will not stay in alignment and eats front tires every 7000-12000 miles. It wears the insides of the tires to the point of replacement with over 80% tread on the rest of the tire. They are now not performing alignments on my car even though their tsbs state that they will and will replace tires up to 30,000 miles. They stopped doing alignments and tire rotations/replacement before 20K miles in my situation. The stock tires are up to $400 a piece, so this is unacceptable. The dealers want $80 for an alignment every 4-6 months + tire purchase. This is a known issue and Nissan refuses to issue a real recall, even though every 03 350z has this issue. …
Front tire "feathering." there is a common front end suspension problem with many of the first year Nissan 350z's released that causes the front tires to wear unevenly and prematurely fail. It can first become noticeable at several thousand miles. The front tires make excessive noise under braking at speeds below 40 MPH. I have contacted Nissan north America on several occasions and had my vehicle in for service at the dealership, but to the best of my knowledge, a fix is not currently available. I replaced the original tires at 4000 miles because of the noise, then discovered at a chat room that many other 350z owners were having similar problems. Once removed, an inspection showed uneven wear on the inside edge of the tire that I was previously unaware of. …
My 2003 350z's tires were replaced by the dealer at 16,000 miles. I recognized the problem right before the recall. Now at 27,000 miles I have the same problem with the back tires/alignment. I've been told by the contracted tire dealer which my Nissan dealer sends it's work to that the problem is with the alignment on the 2003 model and the problem has since been corrected on the 2004 model. I'm told that to avoid the improper wear on the tires (cupping) that I should have the alignment checked every 3-6 months. I was told that other than the tire noise(which when noticeable means serious improper wear), another way to tell that this cupping is happening is to put the car up on the rack. Also, the car starts to have traction/handling problems. The problem cannot be seen in a visual check when the car is on the ground. …
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. …
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. …
My 2003 Nissan 350 z continues to "eat" front tires. I have replaced the front tires 4 times and aligned once in under 12 months. My last set lasted a whopping 2 months and two days! I notified Nissan of the problem in February-05, July-05 and twice in September-05 and have not received a return call as promised. Nissan said they had "no" recalls or complaints of front tire issues during the first two calls. In August-05, I received a letter from Nissan stating they were going to extend the warranty for front end alignment and possible replacing the tires for 03 & 04 350's. But as I was told in two earlier phone conversation, they knew of no problems. Apparently during the month of August they decided to check into the complaints since they knew of none earlier...right! The letter states "Nissan is truly dedicated to your satisfaction"! …
Suspension complaints in other 350Z years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2003 Nissan 350Z?
NHTSA has 110 complaints about the suspension of the 2003 Nissan 350Z, 40% of the model year's 275 complaints. The component named most often is front (76 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Nissan 350Z suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2003 Nissan 350Z, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Nissan 350Z suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 7,000 miles, and 92% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.