SO Just How Reliable Are The 370's....Looking at Buying Used
 

I understand that every problem is discussed on forums and you can get freaked out by just about any car by reading about these problems on forums.

But all in all, how reliable are the 370's? My assumption would be they are pretty reliable - most Japanese cars are far more reliable than American or European cars. This is the main reason I'm looking at the 370. Would definitely get a manual transmission.

I have read about the CSC (Concentric Slave Cylinder) which seems to pop up a lot. What % of 370's encounter this problem? Are there any other big issues I should know about? I have had pain the rear cars before due to unreliability and really don't want to go back. Frequent repairs saps the fun out of owning any car.

Also looking at C5 Z06's, Audi S4's, and BMW 335i's. This is going to be a long-term car for me. I want to find something I love and keep it for a long time, which will be a new experience for me!

Had an RX8 R3 before my current Maxima. It was surprisingly reliable. If it had more horsepower I'd be tempted to go back.

Any information and/or opinions and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I bought my 09 used and havent had any problems that others have claimed at all. It is really hit and miss, just check the car over and get info from the dealer

I got an '09 with 25k on it 2 years ago-
Only issues have been steering lock (left me stranded with a $175 tow).

"Also looking at C5 Z06's, Audi S4's, and BMW 335i's. This is going to be a long-term car for me. I want to find something I love and keep it for a long time, which will be a new experience for me!"

z06 will be much faster - less quality interior by a long shot, maybe more mechanical issues.
s4 - older gen has around the same hp as the 370z, except its AWD. Interior is better. Worse MPG. EXPENSIVE Maintenance. EXPENSIVE Parts.
335i - Nicest interior IMO. Fast, but around the same as 370z without bolt ons. Parts are expensive. Service is expensive. Itll last a long time (probably til turbos go or another part breaks).

The CSC failure is pretty common. Just plan for it. Buy the HD replacement and have it handy when the OEM fails. The rest of the issues are the same as any other used car. It'll be far better than a used BMW or Audi.

buying used is buying someone else's problem.

i sound like a fortune cookie... :ugh:

Thats why you stick to the virgins right? hahaha :happydance:

:tup:

wait, wat are we talking about here again?

115k on my odo (bought new) and had the steering lock fail, which was fixed via recall. other than that no issues. just do your research into the history of the vehicle, service, repairs, etc... and you should be ok. don't get yellow, it gets tickets lol

It really is hit or miss. I would personally suggest to say away from 09's. While the CSC is a known issue, there are aftermarket solutions available.

The S4 isn't bad, but I wouldn't consider it to be in the same category as this vehicle. The Z06 is a monster but, as you mentioned, the interior isn't as refined.

The 335i is a great car (especially with the N54), but as you mentioned, the maintenance is FAR beyond what you would ever pay on the Z. The reliability on the block is great but the rest of the car is not.

If you're looking for a reliable ride, get a Z and expect to get the CSC fixed at some point. If you're into HPDE's, expect to put in a moderate amount of work to not have to deal with a decent amount of downtime between groups of laps.

Thanks guys. So what is the cost to fix the CSC? Is it a one time fix? At what mileage does that usually hit?

It seems that's the main problem, am I correct?

It can happen at any time. The HD part is around $300 if I remember correctly. The catch is the labor to drop the tranny.

There are always issues. All cars have them. But the Z is very reliable: Consumer Reports names most reliable cars - Sporty car - Nissan 370Z (13) - CNNMoney

It's probably the most reliable in it's class. Anything more reliable is either going to cost more or have a lot less power.

While this can often be true with modded cars, if you shop around & really keep a close eye on what you are buying you can find some very nice used cars that have been well taken care of. So don't let used scare you, just look for obvious signs of abuse. Sloppy mod work, poorly maintained lack of care for the interior ect ;)