NHTSA Complaint #10178608 — 2003 NISSAN 350Z

I HAVE A 2003 NISSAN 350Z WHICH I PURCHASED NEW FROM SELMA NISSAN IN JULY 2003. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD THE FRONT TIRES REPLACED BY THE DEALER THREE (3) TIMES, AVERAGING 17,000 TO 19,000 PER SET OF TIRES. EACH TIME THE DEALER HAS RE-ALIGNED THE FRONT END AND ASSURED ME THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. EACH TIME THAT THE VEHICLE HAS GONE IN FOR THIS PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERE FRONT TIRE NOISE AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKE, ESPECIALLY DURING LOW SPEED AND BRAKING. BOTH FRONT TIRES DISPLAY EXCESSIVE WEAR TO THE INNER EDGE OF THE TIRES RENDERING THEM UNSERVICEABLE. TO NISSANS CREDIT, THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND HAVE RE-ALIGNED THE FRONT END AND REPLACED THE LAST THREE SETS OF TIRES AT NO COST TO ME. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TODAY (01-12-2007) WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER SAID THEY WILL CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF REPLACEMENT WILL AGAIN BE AUTHORIZED. WHETHER OR NOT NISSAN COVERS THE REPLACEMENT ISN'T REALLY THE ISSUE. A MODERN VEHICLE THAT WEARS OUT FOUR SETS OF $600 TIRES AT UNDER 20,000 MILES EACH OBVIOUSLY HAS A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD RESULT IN A RECALL. NISSAN IS APPARENTLY UNABLE TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT, AND THE CAR IS NOT ONLY UNSAFE, BUT HAS A VERY LOW RESALE VALUE. *NM