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 2004 Nissan 350Z owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Front tires worn on inside due to faulty alignnment from factory. Car was purchased new in December 2003. During second service ( 7,400 miles) at purchasing dealership tires were balanced and inspected. Service department said nothing was abnormal with the tires. Now 5 months later ( 13,000 miles) purchasing dealer refused to even look at auto when I told them there was noise coming from front end and that tires were wearing on the inside. I was told by purchasing dealers service department to call Nissan north America or to call Bridgestone tire company to have it fixed. I in turn called Nissan north America and was told by them to take the car in to another dealership for inspection. I took the car in yesterday and was told I needed new tires for the front and that the alignment would be adjusted when the new tires were installed. …
At approximately 8,000 miles, the car started growling and vibrating during breaking. The Nissan service manager stated that the alignment had not been set correctly at the factory. The alignment was set correctly and I was given 4 new tires since the car was under warranty. The Nissan service manager stated that this had been as issue with the 2003 350z as well. Nissan had extended the warranty to 3 years or 36,000 miles for the 2003 models. At approximately 15,000 miles the car once again started to growl and vibrate during breaking. The car was taken into Nissan for service. The Nissan service manager stated that the tires are starting to cup. The Nissan service manager had the alignment checked and it is still set correctly. The Nissan service manager stated that this is a design flaw and nothing could be done to solve the problem. …
While making a normal left turn through an intersection my car began to spin. After a complete 360 degree spin and smack into a curb, there was slight damage to left rear exterior wheel well. This alignment issue and premature tire wear problem needs to be rectified. Someone has to do something. Under normal driving conditions to do a complete 360 spin out is ridiculous. I am lucky no one smacked into me after I stopped. I have had my tires replaced twice on the right rear and once on the left rear because of the inner tire wear. I have had an alignment done also. All this was prior to my spin out. Something is not right with this car. Any answers, solutions, recommendations? I have read numerous complaints on this site about the same problem I am having. Are you even doing anything with these complaints? From what everyone else has written, no one has done a thing. …
I purchased a 2004 Nissan 350z in septmeber of 2003. After about 12000 miles I complained of excessive road noise comming for the tires. I was informed by the dealer that the front tire were cupping and had to be replaced. This seems to be a known problem with this car and Nissan acknowledged it on their 2003 model but continues to ignore it on their 2004 model claining that it has been addressed although they are not clear on how they addressed it. I fear that this problem if not addressed by Nissan will result in an unfortunate accident for someone unaware of the problem. It is suprising to me that auto manufacturers are not obligated to disclose these kind of known issues with their products. It seems that the dealers are notified but not the consumers who have bought their products.
I purchased a 2004 Nissan 350z in August of 2003. After about 24000 miles I complained of excessive road noise comming for the tires. I was informed by the dealer that the front tire were cupping and had to be replaced. This seems to be a known problem with this car and Nissan acknowledged it on their 2003 model but continues to ignore it on their 2004 model claining that it has been addressed although they are not clear on how they addressed it. I fear that this problem if not addressed by Nissan will result in an unfortunate accident for someone unaware of the problem. It is suprising to me that auto manufacturers are not obligated to disclose these kind of known issues with their products. It seems that the dealers are notified but not the consumers who have bought their products.
First noticed by vehicle owner at approximately 10000 miles, dealer confirmed at 12000 miles, my 2004 Nissan 350z touring model has developed abnormal wear of inner edges of front tires--front tires forming a cupping shape. The result of this abnormal wear has created unstable handling and ride, but most importantly a safety concern with regard to tire performance and handling. Nissan has issued a service advisory bulletin acknowledging this very problem for the 2003 350z mode, but not for the 2004 model. Nissan has indicated that the suspension is the primary problem for causing the abnormal tire wear and has authorized a partial fix to the problem. Nissan refuses to acknowledge this problem with the 2004 model--request investigation for safety concerns and consumer protection.
Car has progressively gotten worse, first starting having tire noise at 10,000 miles finally was able to take to dealer around 14,000 mile and dealer stated that it was just needing an alignment and tire rotation, dealer performed repair and the noise was a little better, after 1000 more miles noise got louder than before and dealer says there is nothing else they can do. There are reports of this problem everywhere yet Nissan chooses to ignore it, what am I able to do to get this fixed, it is not right that I buy a 30,000 dollar car and have to live with a problem like this. The vibrations from the tires are causing the dash and door to rattle now.
Dt: contact states for the last 4 months the front end became very loud. It has a roaring noise in the front tire area. He talked to the dealer, and they told him the front end needed to be aligned, and he needed 2 new front tires because the inside of the tire was worn out. There were 11, 961 miles on the two front tires. Contact found a TSB on 4-04 about this problem. He did not consult the manufacturer. The dealer did not give consumer any idea why he was having this problem. It was a 2004 350z convertible Nissan.
Consumer complained about front end noise. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told that it was a tire defect. Front tires feathered from the inside relating to irregular tire wear. Dealer stated that they were replacing so many tires that the ones needed were back ordered. This started on September 18, 2004. The consumer stated that the problem lies with the suspension not the tire. The back tire of the vehicle is starting to feather.
OEM tires (Bridgestone potenza re040) on my Nissan 350z started feathering on the inside of both front tires around 6000 miles. Noticed the sound had gotten more noticable around 11000 miles. Took vehicle into Nissan at 12548 miles and was told that Nissan had a problem with the front end on the 2003 model, but that it had been corrected. Heard from another source that there were several 2004 350z cars that had the same problem.
Suspension complaints in other 350Z years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2004 Nissan 350Z?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the suspension of the 2004 Nissan 350Z, 22% of the model year's 144 complaints. The component named most often is front (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan 350Z suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2004 Nissan 350Z, though it has 1 recall 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 2004 Nissan 350Z suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 92% before 25,000 miles.
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.