Storage lid rubs the fifth bow when opening the soft top
 

So last year I bought a used 2014 Nissan 370z touring convertible (30k miles). After about 2 months of using the top something made a loud cracking sound one morning when opening roof. Got to work closed the roof. Later that day tried opening the roof and it opened 3/4 of the way, wouldn't go in all the way. Drove to dealer, dealer said the hinge broke. They ordered the hinge. After replacing they said they noticed that there was some trim that was getting caught and caused the hinge to break. So they ordered the trim. After replacing the trim they said the car is ready to come pick up. While in their parking lot I tried to lower the roof and it made some noise. I then closed it and tried opening again. But when opening the lid couldn’t go down as it was hitting the roof. I called the technicians to look. They couldn’t believe it. The tech even said he tried opening and closing like 10 times to make sure it worked before giving back to me. At that point we had to get the lid to go in, so the techs just grabbed the lid and pulled it back a little (I think the tech didn’t have the lid bolts adjusted correctly so the lid was sticking out too much). The lid was now able to go down. I left the dealership without the car. I then get a call from the dealer saying the hydraulic system exploded. How the heck that happened I don’t know since the hydraulics were working fine when I was there. Dealer blamed it on some duct tape that was holding wires in place (I think they broke it but were making up stories so they didn’t have to pay). So now they're telling me I need to replace the hydraulic system for 8k. Since I bought extended warranty and was 2 weeks into it, Nissan had to send their master tech to approve. When the tech came he noticed there is an issues with the roof itself as well, so now they said the entire roof had to get replaced at $19,800k warranty cost. The warranty department said that since my car is only worth 24k I've pretty much used up my extended warranty since the nissan warranty cannot pay out more than car is worth. They ordered the roof from Japan I think. They put the new roof in and told me not to open it for a week until the new material gets set in. After using the roof a few times I started noticing the storage lid rubbing the fifth bow when opening and closing.

The dealership ordered and installed new bungee cords per the nissan bulletin below. Go
Nissan TSB Bulletin: NTB14-063
370Z ROADSTER; STORAGE LID RUBS THE FIFTH BOW WHEN OPENING THE SOFT TOP

After getting the car back with the new bungee cords installed the sides and middle are hitting each other (lid hitting roof). See videos below.

2014 nissan 370z roadster convertible top problems - opening top (NTB14-063)
https://youtu.be/UC9k-5qa1Vo

2014 nissan 370z roadster convertible top problems - closing top (NTB14-063)
https://youtu.be/SsnyQJviv5c

Went back to dealership, they said they tried everything and don’t know what else to do. Nissan sent their engineer and few weeks of sitting at the dealer Nissan said they found multiple z's in united states with this same exact problem. Nissan Corporate called me and said that Nissan engineers are working on designing a fix for this. This will take a few months since they will need to pass inspection and get approvals. Told me not to open my roof until this is fixed. They said since it's winter in Ohio I shouldn’t be opening roof anyway and to wait until Spring of 2019 at which point they hope to have found a resolution for this. So my baby is stored away in the garage for the winter. Really hope they can figure out a fix this spring :).

Another thing I noticed that after them installing the bungee cords, the roof is somewhat lopsided now. Passenger roof covers the window (top of window hides underneath the roof). But driver side window closes next to the roof meaning the top of the window doesn’t go under the roof but outside of the roof. Luckily seems there is enough pressure that there shouldn’t be any leaks between window and roof but still looks very weird.

Let me know if anyone has come across a similar issues with their roof. The sad part is that I got a new $20k roof that doesn’t work right.

This has happened to me 3 times......all covered under my extended service contract (SecurityPlus Gold)

Let me know if they find an "engineering fix".........I have been waiting 3 years for the so called fix they are telling you about. Nissan also doesn't fly out engineers for this issue. It is a BS lie that the dealership is feeding you (I confirmed this with another dealer after the first dealer installed my straps backwards causing top replacement #2).

yep me too. right before my original warranty ran out i bought the "nissan security plus gold preferred 96 month 100,000 mile coverage with $100 deductible" from santa rosa.

so what have you been doing for the last 3 years - not lowering your top?

Did Nissan try to buy it from you? I heard if there are unfixable problems customers can ask Nissan corporate to buy it out from them.

I use the top daily and we play this cat and mouse game where it breaks after about a year and then they fix it, rinse wash and repeat.

I sued Nissan under the California lemon law and we settled for an undisclosed sum that I am happy with.

so when the roof keeps breaking do you keep paying each time? Or is it all pretty much covered forever :) since they gave you a new roof under warranty?

They told me that after my roof replacement the extended warranty is used up and won't pay for anything else. But the roof is under a 1 year nissan warranty itself, so they will keep trying to get it fixed. Just sucks if something else breaks.

It keeps happening under the 12 month period so I assume they are doing the work under the parts and labor warranty??

This all sounds like a lot of crap. Please keep us all informed as you go along. really sorry to hear of all the problems.

Vman12, do you have a copy/link of the actual service bulletin NTB14-063? I tried finding it online and was not getting anywhere.

1um7 NTB14-063 bulletin
 

370Z ROADSTER; STORAGE LID RUBS THE FIFTH BOW WHEN OPENING THE SOFT TOP
APPLIED VEHICLE: 2010-2014 370Z Roadster(Z34)

BT14-016
NTB14-063
July 8, 2014

see bulletin attached

370z roadster; soft top will not fully close ntb14-064
 

370Z ROADSTER; SOFT TOP WILL NOT FULLY CLOSE
APPLIED VEHICLE: 2010-2014 370Z Roadster(Z34)

BT14-017
NTB14-064
July 8, 2014

see attached

Soft top replacement service information ntb14-025
 

370Z ROADSTER;
SOFT TOP REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION
APPLIED VEHICLE: 2010-2014 370Z Roadster (Z34)

BT14-010
NTB14-025
April 9, 2014

see attached

Convertible top parts service information ntb14-007
 

370Z ROADSTER AND MURANO CROSSCABRIOLET;
CONVERTIBLE TOP PARTS SERVICE INFORMATION
APPLIED VEHICLES: 2010-2014 370Z Roadster (Z34)
2011-2014 Murano CrossCabriolet (Z51)

BT14-001
NTB14-007
February 12, 2014

see attached

Thank you!!

vman12

That's lots of good info, thanks for sharing.

For what it's worth:
I've had the "fifth bow rubbing" issue since day 1 of my 2017 touring roadster. I did have the dealer replace the bungees within the first couple of months, and it "fixed" the problem for like 3 times of opening the top. Then the top starting hitting the tonneau cover again. I have tried the adjustments described in the manual, but the problem persists. I finally gave up, and just live with the extra noise and clunkiness.
As you'll see from searching this forum, it's a very, very common problem, and most dealerships have so little experience with the roadster that they really lack the skills to work on the top mechanism.
I hope your dealer is correct in claiming that Nissan engineers are designing a fix, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The earlier "fix" of new bungees certainly hasn't helped, in my experience.

I noticed the lid scratches the roof cover material when opening/closing. The dealer told me not to open the roof until it's fixed.

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That's a good point. I may take the car in again, and have them change out the bungees again. At least then if the roof fails, I have a record of having brought the issue to their attention more than once.

vm an12,

Use your left hand to hold the door unlock button down to open the roof, and when the 5th bow unlocks and moves up, use your other hand to swing the 5th bow up towards the front of the car. The top will clear the storage compartment.

Yes, it shouldn't be necessary to do this, but until the top is fixed by a tech who knows what he's doing, its your best recourse for not doing any more damage.

I've been using this method for some time now and it works very well. When my toy comes out of winter storage I'll try the TSB solution to see if it corrects the issue on my car.

The video is new roof and a new bungee. So the new bungee isn't working on my car...

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Hi All, I have been following your forum since I bought a 2012 Roadster here in Australia a few months ago and I have just joined up. Excellent forum, so much great info so thank you all. Sound like a broken record I guess but i to am having the same problem of deck lid hitting the 5th bow. I just read the Nissan NTB14-063 and this fix looks reasonably straight forward,adjust coupling nut/move lid hinge forward a bit etc, probably prefer to do this myself than go to Nissan. My question is has anybody actually tried this fix, yourselves or at Nissan and has it fixed the problem.
Thank you

Rodd

My dealer mechanic told me he followed the tsb bulleting moved the lid as far back as possible and put new bungee cords in, and it only worked for a few times. After which he contacted nissan engineers. waiting till this spring to take it back in. What's worse after he moved the lid back i started getting rattling noises (metal against metal - lock against - striker) from the lid locking system. But the lid was still hitting the roof. he moved the lid forward again to at least get the rattling noise out.

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Hi Vman, make sure to pay very close attention to stay within either the extended warranty (CPO/VSC) or within the 12 months parts/labor warranty on these top issues. My local dealers love to promise that there is a fix coming in the hopes that I will slide past the warranty expiration period. Unluckily for them, I will sit in their lobby and demand that they take the car in for repairs so that we stay in compliance. Pretty sure I must be on some sort of "black list" by now hahaha

Hi Rodd- I can confirm that my vehicle has been in the dealer multiple times to follow the exact procedure outlined in NTB14-063. Your results may vary but this had absolutely no positive impact in fixing my issues. I also tried adjusting the "coupling nuts" outlined in figure 3 to confirm that they were in the "fully tightened position" and they were. Despite this, the bungees are still too loose which appears to cause the impact between 5th bow and deck lid. I have called a few local top specialists and they all seem to be in agreement that Nissan uses a very cheap bungee strap and that an aftermarket replacement would fix this issue at minimal cost. Putting the Nissan bungee straps in as a replacement would be a complete waste of time and $$$

Thank you very much for the reply. Just back from holidays so i will take a closer look at this issue as I have not even looked at this closely it so far. If I find anything useful I will be sure to let you know.

Cheers,
Rodd

Are you all ready to SCREAM yet!!!! A few facts to contribute - purchased a mint 2016 in 2018 with a few months of warranty left and took it to a dealer in Indianapolis for all the above issues. they had it 48-days straight attempting to fix. To sum your experiences up, they've had it 68 days total in the shop after 8 trips and a new top, etc.

It's been in storage with the same lip service that, "we are working on a fix". I've asked twice for them to buy it back, (declined) and I can't sell it in the current condition. In the meanwhile, we are all paying a high insurance premium for a go-cart sedan convertible - I will keep you all posted too.

Ok, thanks for that. You are having a bad run and I do feel bad for you. I really hope something is resolved for you soon. Even if it does I am sure the whole experience will leave a really bad taste in your mouth for these cars and no one could blame you.
My issue is fortunately no real problem at the moment, still loving my car etc but I am concerned of what may eventuate. I'm sure if the hitting gets worse it will put more loads/pressure on the whole system etc. Anyway, taking a look at it shortly to see what i can do.
Cheers,
Rodd

Have you tried asking nissan corporate to buy it back? Here is the number.

1-800-647-7261

Option 7 - consumer affairs specialist

I opened a case with them to get the new roof approved quicker; which worked. The dealer thought maybe they would buy the car out from me because the roof costs almost as much as the whole car. But when i asked the nissan consumer affairs person i was told nissan corporate doesn't initiate a buyback offer, this is only done when a customer requests it.

So if you call them and ask for it they might do it.

If my roof isn't fixed this spring i will do just that and ask them to but it from me.


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Has anyone tried the smarttop mod? Per the youtube video it allows you to open/close the roof with a press of a button (no need to hold). I was thinking what if i got the mod and would hold/move the 5th bow out of the way when lid opens/closes. I know that currently i can hold the outside door button to open the roof but have to be inside and hold the switch to close the roof.

https://youtu.be/2BsM2C69lfg

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Yes, I purchased the SmartTop a few weeks after I bought my 2017 touring roadster. It was hands down the best investment I could make in that car. Seriously. If you're going to get the roadster, spend a little extra dough and make the top much more functional. You can open and close it with just a momentary push of the dash switch (no need to keep holding down the button), and you can open and close it with the keyfob. And you can even start driving/backing out of your garage while the top is still in motion. Plus, you can defeat several of the ridiculous "lockout" features on the A/V system while the car is in motion.
I don't think any of this makes the "5th bow rubbing" issue any better, but I'd heartily advise every roadster owner to buy this inexpensive mod.

That is a very good point VMAN. I forgot about the option of opening the roof with the little door button and my problem, which seams to be the most common one is the lid striking only during the opening process.(correct me if I'm wrong) Service manual recommends not doing this though ,ie should have car running. I assume this is to preserve life of battery however I think with cost in mind I would rather preserve cost of roof replacement!
I just went to my car to test this and it works a treat, a little pressure on 5th bow in the forward direction and it cleared the opening lid easily.
Still might consider the smartop mod though.

Cheers,
Rodd

Hello. I'm here to commiserate with you all on this issue. I had a 2012 roadster which I loved, minus the top issues. Long story, but basically, the entire top was replaced under warranty for a slight tearing issue and rub guards that kept falling out. Even since the replacement, nothing but problems. Leaking water on the passenger side multiple times, weather stripping coming off, lid hitting top when opening, top stopping in the middle of opening. The dealership recommended another entire new top to the tune of 20k stating that some part of the frame must be bent. They couldn't tell us which part. They also stated that they could not get individual parts for the top, motors or anything, but only entire top replacement. Since it was past the one year warranty for the top replacement. They suggested we call Nissan and file a claim. We did. Nissan was willing to pay 70% of a new top replacement. That still meant us dishing out 7k for a new top that may or may not fix these issues. Hubby and I also felt that the top may not have been put on right in the first place and felt that the fact that a Nissan dealership couldn't get individual parts for the top was bs. We took it to another dealership that had a guy that works on thier tops thinking it was probably a 5th bow from reading the forums. The new dealership said it was in fact the first bow causing the issue of the top not retracting fully. That was replaced for $850 and the top was functioning properly. Incidentally, some clips were also replaced and the tech who worked on the top also noticed that another set of bungees had been installed wrong at the first dealership. I thought problem solved. Nope. Next few days, water was now coming in on the driver's side behind the seat was a pool of water and the stitching was coming undone on the passengerside window as well as small tears in the rear again. They recommended canvas replacement. 3k estimate. We had enough and traded it in for a new one on the lot. Stupid me never checked the top at the dealership thinking it was a 2019 and would have no issues. Second day I had it home, clunk, lid hitting top, and has already chipped the paint off both sides of the lid. Took it to the dealership. They made some adjustments. It was better, but now is audibley hitting the lid again with force. Taking it back in tomorrow to the dealership. I love this car, but they really need to fix this problem. I'll keep you guys posted.

Yikes! It sucks that the weakest link in the roadster is the main reason why we went with the roadster in the first place! Theres a DIY on here to replace the 5th bow bungie if you or your husband are so inclined to do so. I even saw someone post a link to some inexpensive ones. Keep us posted!

That's crazy since roadsters can easily cost 50+ grand.

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Well, nothing was done at the dealership today because a tech stated that a fix with parts was due tentatively from Nissan in mid-March. He made a phone call right in front of me and spoke with the guy from Nissan to confirm that mid March is still the tentative date for avalibility of parts and the tsb. They know this is an issue with many roadsters. I'm waiting until this fix comes out to rectify the problem. No sense in fooling with it until then. Once the fix comes out, then they will address the paint chipping and fix that. No sense in repainting it now while the lid is still hitting the top. It will only chip again. The dealership has been great to work with and I have confidence that they are going to do what they can to rectify this. I'm sure they are frustrated at the issue as well. Anyhow, I'll keep updating as things progress and when I hear official word about the parts and fix release for this issue.

Dramagodes - Thanks for confirming. Nissan corporate and dealer told me same few months ago - tsb and new fix will be ready this spring. Can't wait.

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My 17 Sport Touring Roadster has same issue described in this thread. I do reach back pull the fifth bow forward when I am putting the top down. I have noticed that if I leave the top down for a while in the garage (maybe a few days), when I put the top up and then back down, the cover does not hit the top during the next round. To me this just confirms to me that the bungies are weak and ineffective after they have been stretched for a prolonged period of time. Seems like cheap material and hopefully any replacement for them would be made of a more durably elastic material.

Just as a side not. This is my second 370 roadster - third 370Z overall. My 2014 Touring Roadster did not do this at all. Not sure why - I think I was just lucky. I love this 2017 Spot Touring Roadster, but I am starting to miss my 15 Nismo Tech even with the leaky windows and hatch issues.

here is the screenshot of the invoice with notes from my last visit to the dealer.