Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
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.
Driver side wheel chassis broke while backing out of the drive at 3 MPH. There was no steering, and the vehicle proceeded to strike a fence. Vehicle is still not drivable, and the manufacturer offers no assistance.
Vehicle experienced a defective material reaction to an altered road surface in front driver's side rim. A set of raised subway tracks ran parallel with the road I was traveling on. As the road forked, I was forced to traverse the tracks in order to follow the appropriate road. As soon as the inside edge of front driver's side rim came in contact with the subway rail, the vehicle immediately "bottomed out". After bringing the vehicle to the side of the road I investigated the tire and rim and found no apparent damage. After completely removing the rim from the vehicle it was immediately apparent that the inside edge of the rim had caved in. The outer edge of the rim was undamaged, as was the tire itself, but the outer edge of the rim seemed to have collapsed in on itself. …
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! …
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. …
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 received a notice in the mail from Nissan in the spring of 2004 concerning a toe out condition that could cause irregular tire wear on the inner edge of the front tires. I took my car in on 7/29/04 to the Nissan dealer & asked if this was going to be an ongoing problem with the z & was told,"no, once it is adjusted, it will repair the problem". Supposedly fixed, with new front tires and 1 year later, I returned to Nissan with the same issue. I questioned them about the previous year service & was told "I probably hit a pot hole and that I needed an alignment,which I was charged for, but my concerns about the tire feathering were ignored. After some research I found that the "03 z was manufactured with this factory defect which the newer models don't have. This tells me that this is fixable. …
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. …
I bought the car used in 5/05 with 15,000 miles. Tires appeared new when purchased. Car is only driven in the winter, I had the "roaring" noise and vehicle shaking effect roughly 5 months later. I brought the car to the dealer and told them about the issue. Their solution was to replace the front brakes and rotors for almost $400. I did not notice the problem again until a relative drove the car in the spring of 06 and thought I was crazy because I was apparently ignoring the roar and shake of the vehicle when traveling at speed under 40 MPH. I replaced the rear tires at the suggestion of my local garage for over $500 yet the problem persisted. I now have to replace the front tires for another $500 or so and the car only has 32000 miles. I have read the numerous (hundreds) complaints written about this problem and this is just ridiculous. …
Nissan 2003 350z - tire cupping, roaring and vibration. Nissan issued a bullitan to replace the original Bridgestone front tires and complete an alignment with 7000m due to a factory suspension/alignment problem. The Bridgestone replacement tires have 9000m and the problem is reoccuring - tire cupping, roaring and vibration. The car is unstable on curves and braking. Nissan will not replace the front tires a second time and refuses to acknowledge there is a factory defect with the suspension. This defect is noted to have been corrected on the 2004 350z. Nissan dealership is recommending a full tire replacement without any compensation on their part or correction to the suspension problem to see if the four tire replacement will correct the problem. …
Wheel & Tire complaints in other 350Z years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2003 Nissan 350Z?
NHTSA has 76 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2003 Nissan 350Z, 28% of the model year's 275 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Nissan 350Z wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires 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 wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 9,000 miles, and 87% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to wheels & tires 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.