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Here is the first post made by Tere of Zchickz
This is for folks with over 13,000 miles on their 350 coupe. AND if you've routinely driven her harder than 30 mph over smooth roads, particularly high speed cornering and bumpy roads. What we're looking for is conditions that put torsional (twisting) loads on the frame.
Here's what to look for: On the panel that runs from the A pillar to B pillar, just above the door windows, look for any signs of waviness. It's probably easier to see on darker colored 350s, and you have to look at it from just the right angle in the right light.
This is what I noticed last night when I happened to glance at the passenger side panel: Just in front of the B pillar there was crack-like indentation about 1.5" long running perpendicular to the panel, and some waviness in the panel in front of that. Then I looked carefully at the panel on the driver's side -- sure enough, no crack, but the panel was a little wavy in front of the B pillar. It'll be tough, but I'll see if I can get a photo that shows it this weekend.
I'm thinking that frequent frame twisting loads are causing the panel to flex and buckle. At this point, it's just a theory, but I'd like to know if anyone else can spot any waviness in the suspect panels on their 350 coupe.
Entire thread so far here:
thread
Please read the entire thread ( cannot possibly tell what has enveloped as precisely as the thread can), as it seems that there are some 04' showing these "dimples" as we are calling it--Lucy has it--. There are pictures to show what you are looking for. Tere has had her Z in to her hella-service department, (they are VERY accomodating and mod friendly) and Nissan is sending out a rep in the next 2 weeks to inspect it. They are supposing that it is an issue w/ frame flex and the point of attachment of the panel. <yes you have to sign up for zchickz but it aint that bad! LOL>
Here is the post that Tere put up after visiting her service dept:
In a couple weeks a Nissan engineer is gonna be coming in to look at Black Cherry. This is the first report NNA has had on this issue and it looks to me like they're seriously interested in getting to the bottom of it. The Service Manager at Gunn agrees on the preliminary assessment of frame flex combined with the mounting of the trim panel.
So now we've got it confirmed on 11 350s. My bet is that we'll see a TSB once NNA figures out the problem and the solution.
To be sure it isn't a common factory defect, I looked at all the new 350s on the lot -- none had the dimples. Then I looked at an SB in for a checkup. Sure enough -- dimples, although not as pronounced as on Black Cherry. The Service Manager checked it out with me and verified.
This is for folks with over 13,000 miles on their 350 coupe. AND if you've routinely driven her harder than 30 mph over smooth roads, particularly high speed cornering and bumpy roads. What we're looking for is conditions that put torsional (twisting) loads on the frame.
Here's what to look for: On the panel that runs from the A pillar to B pillar, just above the door windows, look for any signs of waviness. It's probably easier to see on darker colored 350s, and you have to look at it from just the right angle in the right light.
This is what I noticed last night when I happened to glance at the passenger side panel: Just in front of the B pillar there was crack-like indentation about 1.5" long running perpendicular to the panel, and some waviness in the panel in front of that. Then I looked carefully at the panel on the driver's side -- sure enough, no crack, but the panel was a little wavy in front of the B pillar. It'll be tough, but I'll see if I can get a photo that shows it this weekend.
I'm thinking that frequent frame twisting loads are causing the panel to flex and buckle. At this point, it's just a theory, but I'd like to know if anyone else can spot any waviness in the suspect panels on their 350 coupe.
Entire thread so far here:
thread
Please read the entire thread ( cannot possibly tell what has enveloped as precisely as the thread can), as it seems that there are some 04' showing these "dimples" as we are calling it--Lucy has it--. There are pictures to show what you are looking for. Tere has had her Z in to her hella-service department, (they are VERY accomodating and mod friendly) and Nissan is sending out a rep in the next 2 weeks to inspect it. They are supposing that it is an issue w/ frame flex and the point of attachment of the panel. <yes you have to sign up for zchickz but it aint that bad! LOL>
Here is the post that Tere put up after visiting her service dept:
In a couple weeks a Nissan engineer is gonna be coming in to look at Black Cherry. This is the first report NNA has had on this issue and it looks to me like they're seriously interested in getting to the bottom of it. The Service Manager at Gunn agrees on the preliminary assessment of frame flex combined with the mounting of the trim panel.
So now we've got it confirmed on 11 350s. My bet is that we'll see a TSB once NNA figures out the problem and the solution.
To be sure it isn't a common factory defect, I looked at all the new 350s on the lot -- none had the dimples. Then I looked at an SB in for a checkup. Sure enough -- dimples, although not as pronounced as on Black Cherry. The Service Manager checked it out with me and verified.
