350z years

[GetFit13]

ive been looking at z's for awhile now, and am planning on picking one up within the next 2 weeks if i find a winner. i have found a lot of good deals for like 03's and 04's...from what i hear there are some problems with the 03's? is this true..something about the tires. any input would be great..thanks

[Trey Fifty Z]

ive been looking at z's for awhile now, and am planning on picking one up within the next 2 weeks if i find a winner. i have found a lot of good deals for like 03's and 04's...from what i hear there are some problems with the 03's? is this true..something about the tires. any input would be great..thanks

yes i have heard this too...ive heard that the 03's have a suspension problem which causes the tires to wear down much quicker than they should

[GetFit13]

is this something that i should really let bother me when it comes to buying the car? is the suspension alot worse when it comes to handeling? or does it just cause the tires to wear a little faster?

[IndyZed]

The best rule of thumb in buying any used car is to buy the newest you can afford. I usually always avoid the first year of a new model. They are usually gremlin ridden.

I'd go with at least a 2004.

[GetFit13]

yeah, i get ya. i really want an 04, and if possible 05, the problem is, i have buget and don't plan on spending over 20k. i have found 03's with under 20k miles for like 18k. i have found some o4's for 19 but not as good of mileage as some of the 03s. i really want to keep this car for like 3-5 years, i'm 18 and buying it myself. i don't want to buy a car with 50k miles on it, and keep it for 5 years, and have to sell it with over 100k on it, and make nothing back. is this stupid of me? i don't care if you criticize me, any input will help me out. i have my mind set on this car though, i just want the best i can for my money.

[sawasan]

ive been looking at z's for awhile now, and am planning on picking one up within the next 2 weeks if i find a winner. i have found a lot of good deals for like 03's and 04's...from what i hear there are some problems with the 03's? is this true..something about the tires. any input would be great..thanks

Until May I had a '03 Touring 6 spd (RIP). I now have a '07 Touring 6 spd. The '03 being the first year had a number of problems, some minor and some annoying.

1. Front tire cupping or feathering due to a design flaw. A change to the alignment specs ( after three free new sets of tires) seems to have helped.2. throttle body replacement3. Window motor replacement4. Really bad bose system.5. choppy ride (fixed w/ Tein S tech springs6. weak paint prone to chipping7. Other problems

However, I still loved it and as you can see I bought an '07 which is 1000 times better than the '03. Bottom line I would get at least an '05 or at the oldest '04 tho it had most of the same '03 problems. Hope this helps.

ive been looking at z's for awhile now, and am planning on picking one up within the next 2 weeks if i find a winner. i have found a lot of good deals for like 03's and 04's...from what i hear there are some problems with the 03's? is this true..something about the tires. any input would be great..thanks

[NSRsheets]

I have an 03 and I have the wnidow problem and the tire problem, but nothing a realignment and a resetting of the limit switch won't fix.

[IndyZed]

yeah, i get ya. i really want an 04, and if possible 05, the problem is, i have buget and don't plan on spending over 20k. i have found 03's with under 20k miles for like 18k. i have found some o4's for 19 but not as good of mileage as some of the 03s. i really want to keep this car for like 3-5 years, i'm 18 and buying it myself. i don't want to buy a car with 50k miles on it, and keep it for 5 years, and have to sell it with over 100k on it, and make nothing back. is this stupid of me? i don't care if you criticize me, any input will help me out. i have my mind set on this car though, i just want the best i can for my money.

I totally understand. I too usually have one car I set my mind on when it's time to buy. You've made it clear this is the car you want so again I'll say buy the newest you can afford. It may be an '03 with 25,000 miles or a pristine '04 with 35,000 miles. Sometimes mileage isn't the only thing to look at. An '03 with ultra low mileage means it has sat around and that's not good.

Just don't settle. Take your time. Ask the owner lots of questions and make sure it has never been wrecked.
Modified by IndyZed at 10:24 AM 10/1/2007

[flyguy2618]

yeah, i get ya. i really want an 04, and if possible 05, the problem is, i have buget and don't plan on spending over 20k. i have found 03's with under 20k miles for like 18k. i have found some o4's for 19 but not as good of mileage as some of the 03s. i really want to keep this car for like 3-5 years, i'm 18 and buying it myself. i don't want to buy a car with 50k miles on it, and keep it for 5 years, and have to sell it with over 100k on it, and make nothing back. is this stupid of me? i don't care if you criticize me, any input will help me out. i have my mind set on this car though, i just want the best i can for my money.

No not at all stupid i totaly know were your commin from and thats actaully probably the better way to go, Because you know even if it is a Z with that many miles on it the re-sale isnt going to be that great, but i also dont think your gonna want to put all your money into the first model made (the 2003) if its going to end up costing you alot more to fix all the time and not be a great car for as long as you want it? I think if in the 04 all those problems are fixed for 1000 more you might want to go with it or maybe talk the seller down a little, im just not really sure what an extra 15,000 miles means in terms of future problems and all but if you figure that one out go for whats gonna be the best Z for the least hassle in the future if that all makes sence?

[IndyZed]

One more thing. Kudos to you for using the budget word and sticking to it. So many people your age get into trouble with car loans because they wouldn't deny themselves their every desire.

You are showing maturity and it will pay off!

[GetFit13]

thanks alot everyone, i appreciate all the input, and will keep you guys updated..going to shop around for a couple i have found tomorrow. Most likely going to go for an 04..if possible and somehow can find a nice 05 in my price range, of course ill grab it, but focusing on atleast an 04. i guess if the right 03 comes around and i check everything out, then yeah that'll make me happy too, but i'm definitely going to shop around and see what i can get for my money...i can't wait! thanks again...-any other suggestions or anything i should watch for?