Hi guys,

I am new to this forum. I have admired and lusted after the G35 coupes since 2003. I presently own an older Cadillac which is having electrical/electronic issues at the current time. I am sick of messing with it so I decided it was probably a good time for me to realize my dream of owning a G35 coupe. I can probably only afford a 2003 or 2004. That is the reason I joined this forum. I wanted to lurk a while and see what owners had to say about their cars.
And I must be honest with you guys. I am shocked to read some of the things I have about these cars. The things that most concern me about them would be oil consumption, squeaks and rattles, soft paint and various electrical issues. And I must say these things are making me have second thoughts about buying a G35 coupe.
I have enough problems now with my current car. I don't need to replace it with a similar situation.
Please, somebody tell me I'm reading more into this than there really is to it. Or should I just look for another car altogether?

 

I had a 04 no oil consumptions some squeaks and rattles but what do you expect from a car that was 7 years old. Never had any electrical issues though or soft paint. Glad I sold it since i HATE the 03-04 interiors.

 

oil consumption issues are primarily with the rev up engine, which is 2005-07. 03-04 should be good. the power window motors always seem to die though, mine died within a few weeks of owning it.

 

I currently have an 04 coupe with no electronic probs, or oil consumption problems. Their are very FEW sqeaks or rattles but in overall im very happy with my purchase. Just a word of advice. IF you plan on getting a used G like i did take your time and make sure you get an unmolested one. I spent over 8-9 months looking for mine. (other reasons also) but you will not be dissapointed with your decision. GL

 

mine is half molested 03 6mt with brembos and it is perfect mechanically.

 

First off: I don't own a G35 coupe... yet (hopefully will be picking one up this weekend). However, I have done a good amount of research on the car, so I hope my contribution to this thread will be fairly accurate.

Now, as for oil consumption I have only really heard of that being an issue on the 2005-2007 engines. If you are looking for an '03-'04 (as I am), I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Asides from oil consumption on the newer models, these engines are supposed to be bulletproof. Now I know these are supposed to be "luxury" cars, but if you are looking for a car with a great interior, you may want to look elsewhere. Performance is supposed to be pretty damn good, and the exterior is beautiful. The interiors are nice-ish, but rattles can be common. If that's something that really bothers you, maybe a G35 isn't right for you.

Honestly though, every "issue" I have read about for G35s have been pretty minor. Something like the window motors or door locks dying sucks, but shouldn't be too costly to fix (and can be done yourself relatively easily). And those things don't necessarily happen on every car. Some people say their window motors have died 2-3 times, others have never seen that issue.

As with any used car, care and regular maintenance is key. Make sure that the car you're looking for hasn't been abused or neglected.

In the end, if you are looking for a cheap daily driver that will simply get you from point A to B without ever having any issues, maybe something like a boring-*** Honda Civic would be your car. However, if you want to look damn fine in a fun car, but actually have to take care of your car, a G35 is the way to go.

 

First things first, this is not the car to get if you are worried about gas. I left my F150 with a V8 because it was bad on gas and 2) I didn't really have any need for a truck. I wanted a small nice car, preferably luxury car, so I wouldn't be burning as much gas as I was. Well, I didn't really research the g35s at all but I figured it would be Ok. It's almost as bad as the truck. I avg about 16mpg but I drive a lot of city. On the freeway I got maybe 22mpg at best on my way to Los Angeles.

Second, I had a few rattles, mostly from the bass and loud music, but I fixed them with double sided foam tape or just foam padding. Other than that I don't have any other sounds other than the seat kind of squeaking sometimes when shifting weight in it.

 

I purchased my 2003 coupe about 3 weeks ago and haven't looked back. Mine had 88k miles on it and it rides like a new car. The interior as people have said does have some minor rattles and creeks but the car is 8 years old and I kind of expect it. i do however think the interior is sharp and is what it is. The car has great performance and mechanically I've yet to find out how reliable they are but from what I've read there are people with 150k plus miles on their car and haven't experienced a problem yet. The engines and transmissions in these cars are very reliable and as long as the car was maintained you should be safe. Problem is when buying an 8 year old car you don't always know how the previous owner(or several) treated the car.

Good luck man, I love my coupe

 

Get a Civic, they rock. If you buy an 03' coupe, it'll be a nine year old car that, god only knows how much it has been beat up. It'll probably have at least 100k, wooooo, half way done on a 200k engine. Originally, m.s.r.p. was close to 40K, they're not cheap to maintain. Also, not good on gas. Please post pics of the Civic when you get it.

 

mostly revups have oil consumption even tho a few nonrevups have gotten it too. i dont have the OC problem. my window motor isn't broken. and the only squeak i have is the rear axle click. soft paint is an issue tho.

 

Keep in mind, the Civic will be slow compared to these cars. Might cause a lot of disappointment. Especially if it's a civic with the 1.7L Vtec

 

I purchases an 04 with 72k miles on it in january. Runs great. No electronic issues no sounds or clanking, i have a bit a fly wheel chatter but its expected with a lightweight fly wheel. And as stated many times above, the oil consumptions issues are for the later models. Also i would steer clear of the 03's they have some transmission issues. But trust me you will not be dissapointed if you buy one, and if you dont you'll always wonder if you should have. look at it this way, any car you buy can have a problem with it, some last longer than others, and some are prone to certain issues but no car is bullitproof. If you get a car in decent condition and take care of it, it will last you. If you beat on it, dont maintain it, and dont care about it youll probably experience problems. The car looks great, it sounds amazing, and i love the gearbox. i couldnt be happier.

 

Bought my G in 2004 brand new and have had two issues with it:

1 - axle click which was fixed under warranty

2 - constant problems with the throttle getting stuck to the floor.

Unfortunately the second problem is self-induced. Sometimes I can't control myself.

You're probably familiar with forums but keep this in mind:

In most forums you'll find only a tiny fraction of all the actual brand owners - there are tens and tend of thousands of G owners that haven't posted about their cars. People also tend to post about problems with their car to both learn how to fix it and to see if anyone else has the same issue - it often gives a car a negative impression.

This car is probably the most reliable car in its price niche. All cars develop problems as they age - they're machines and it's to be expected. Things wear and $hit breaks.

$hit breaks less on this car than its German counterparts.

Find one that's been well maintained and not flogged and you should be fine.

 

What personal experience makes you say this?

My G has cost me nothing in coming up on 7 years except the tires I chose to put on it... 30K service was reasonable...

 

Mines 8 years old and I got it a month ago with 50k miles. Age means nothing, the previous owners' lack of love and care they put into the car is what causes problems.

And theyre really not that much to maintain compared to some other brands. Where is this coming from?