Suspension complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Test drove this car at Toyota of rock hill. Sales manager did not want me to take it on the interstate. I refused to buy it unless I could take it there. Went approximately 1 mile. With flow of traffic in right lane, being passed on left. Not speeding. Car started fishtailing. Slid sideways to the right and off road. I was going straight when car malfunctioned. This seems to be a more prevalent issue with the 04 model.
I bought my car new. At 13K miles, the crankshaft position went out and there was a rattle in the rearend. The dealer fixed both problems. But now at 26K miles, the engine is knocking hard and it turned out my engine is burning oil. Btw, the rattle in the rearend is back again. I bought my car for a total of $32,000 and I don't deserve to make a few trips to the dealership for repairs already when I've only had my car for 3 years with under 30K miles only!
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. …
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. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan 350Z years have suspension problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (110) and 2004 (32) model years. Suspension complaints make up 40% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Nissan 350Z suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for any Nissan 350Z model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Nissan 350Z suspension problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 9,000 miles; 98% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the front (97 mentions), followed by the rear (2).
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.