Nissan 350Z reliability: which years and what breaks

The 350Z is reliable by sports car standards, with two caveats. The 2005–2006 manual cars can burn oil, and the clutch and gearbox take most of the complaints across all years.

If you want the safest buy, get a 2007 or 2008 with the VQ35HR engine. If you're buying an earlier car, the checks below matter more than the year.

350Z engines by year

The 350Z had three versions of Nissan's 3.5-liter V6 in the US. Which one you get decides most of the reliability story.

Years	Engine	Power and torque	Notes
2003–2004	VQ35DE	287 hp, 274 lb-ft	Most complaints by count, mainly clutch and gears
2005–2006 manual	VQ35DE "Rev-up"	300 hp, 260 lb-ft	Oil consumption complaints
2005–2006 automatic	VQ35DE	287 hp, 274 lb-ft	Rev-up engine not fitted
2007–2008	VQ35HR	306 hp, 268 lb-ft	About 80% of major parts redesigned; 7,500 rpm redline

Power figures are from Wikipedia's 350Z entry and Nissan's 2007 press kit. Nissan says the HR got a stiffer ladder-frame block, larger crank journals, a taller deck to cut piston side force and twin knock sensors.

Which 350Z years to avoid

The 2006 is the year to be most careful with. CarComplaints rates it the worst 350Z year, even though the 2003 has far more complaints, because 2006 problems cost more and show up at lower mileage.

Its listed 2006 problems are gears grinding (about $3,000 average, around 30,000 miles), an airbag module fault and excessive oil consumption.

The 2003 has the most complaints: 365 in total on CarComplaints. The top three are grinding between gears, a clutch that doesn't work properly (about $2,000, around 32,000 miles) and premature tire wear (about $1,000).

Later years draw far fewer reports. The 2006 page, for comparison, lists 72 complaints in total.

What breaks on a 350Z

Oil consumption on the Rev-up engine

The 2005–2006 manual cars are the ones people warn about. On my350z, one 2006 owner said their car "burned a quart in 2000 miles," and several owners sold their 2006s over it. Another owner said the problem hit manuals, not automatics, since the Rev-up engine was manual-only.

HR owners in the same thread mostly report little or no oil loss between changes. I couldn't find a Nissan bulletin confirming a fix, so treat any 2005–2006 manual as a car to oil-check yourself.

Clutch and gearbox

This is the most common complaint across all years. Grinding between gears tops the 2003 list and the 2006 list. CarComplaints also lists a sticking clutch on the 2007 at about $2,200 and a damaged gearbox on the 2008 at about $7,700. Those are averages from a small number of owner reports, so use them as a warning, not a quote.

Crank and cam position sensors

Early cars could stall. NHTSA recall 03V455 covers 2003 models whose crank or cam position sensor circuit board may have a bad solder joint that can stall the engine. A second recall, 05V555, covers a fuel filler hose that can crack and leak while refueling. Check both are done.

Tires and alignment

Premature tire wear is the third most common 2003 complaint on CarComplaints, at about $1,000. Check inner tire edges and ask about alignment. Our wheel alignment cost guide covers what that runs.

What it costs

Problem	Symptom	Typical cost
Gears grinding	Grinding going into gear	About $3,000 average (CarComplaints, 2006)
Clutch problems	Pedal sticks, slips or won't disengage	About $2,000 to $2,200 average (CarComplaints, 2003 and 2007)
Gearbox damage	Noise, hard shifting	About $7,700 average (CarComplaints, 2008)
Oil consumption	Low dipstick between changes	No verified repair price; engine replacement if ignored
Uneven tire wear	Worn inner edges	About $1,000 average (CarComplaints, 2003)
Position sensor stall	Stalling, no restart	Free under recall 03V455

RepairPal doesn't publish a 350Z rating, citing too little data, so there's no reliable yearly cost figure to quote.

Buyer checklist

Check the oil level before the engine is started, and ask how often it's topped up. On a 2005–2006 manual, ask for oil change records.
On the test drive, shift into every gear slowly and quickly. Grinding points to synchro or clutch work.
Check where the clutch engages and that the pedal returns cleanly.
Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for 03V455 and 05V555.
Look at the tires for inner-edge wear.
Get a pre-purchase inspection and a compression or leak-down test on any 2005–2006 manual.

If the oil does drop between changes, our guide to why a car burns oil explains what's acceptable and how to test it.

Common questions

What is the most reliable 350Z year?

The 2007 and 2008 cars with the VQ35HR. They draw few complaints on CarComplaints, and owners report little oil use. They also cost more.

Do all 350Zs burn oil?

No. The complaints center on 2005–2006 manual cars with the Rev-up engine. Owners of 2007–2008 HR cars mostly report little or no use between changes.

Is the 350Z expensive to fix?

Most of it isn't, but a clutch or gearbox job can run $2,000 to $7,700 based on CarComplaints owner reports. Budget for that on a high-mileage manual.

Was the 350Z sold in 2009?

Not as a US coupe. Wikipedia's sales table shows US 350Z sales ending in 2008, when the 370Z replaced it.

Sources

Featured image: Nissan 350Z by crash71100 (CC0). Source