What to Know About the Nissan 350Z Engine

S.D. Grady
Mar 4, 2021

3.5L V6 in Nissan 350Z - Vehicle History

One of the most popular two-door sports cars on the classic car market remains the Nissan 350Z.  Its compact design is powered by an impressive 3.5L V6 engine. What makes this particular motor so exciting?

What are the specs for the Nissan 350Z engine?

The Nissan 350Z used two different engines over its seven-year run. The VQ35DE V6 was used for model years 2003 to 2006 and produced 287 to 300 horsepower. The VQ35HR V6 engine appeared on the 2007 and 2008 350Z and upped the horsepower to 306. Both engines have a 3498cc displacement, 81.4mm-stroke and 95.5cc bore.

There is no disputing that when you bring 300 horsepower to a small car, the driver is treated to a thrilling and fun afternoon of working the gears and smashing the accelerator. What makes the 350Z engine so special? We have all the FAQ in one complete article.

The History of the Nissan 350Z Engine

The VQ35DE is the result of extensive research and development at Nissan. As the automotive market continued to demand performance even with improved fuel economy ratings at the turn of the millennium, the 3.5L V6 engine used an aluminum block that lowered its weight compared to the old 3.0L V6. This in turn improves fuel economy and power.

Nissan first introduced the engine in the 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. When the 350Z was finally ready to make its debut at international car shows that same year, industry experts started chatting about a well-balanced coupe boasting sleek styling and sweet performance.

The beefy engine enabled the compact two-seater to make some noise while accelerating through traffic and leaping off the line at the lights.

Its durability even impressed the sports world when the Nissan and Renault racing teams used a modified version in their Dallara T12. The performance shops massaged an impressive 480 horsepower out of the aluminum block.

In 2007, the 350Z received the upgraded VQ35HR.  A slightly different configuration included new lighter pistons, longer connecting rods, and an asymmetrical intake. A continuously-variable transmission further improved gas mileage while upping the numbers for horsepower. This engine remains in use on a multitude of Nissan family vehicles.

Which other Models Use the Nissan 350Z Engine?

You will find both the VQ35DE and the VQ35HR in a multitude of Nissan-based cars, many which are significantly larger than the Nissan 350Z.

The VQ35DE is stock in the:

  • Nissan Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, Quest, and Murano Z50
  • Infiniti FX35, G35, I35, JX35, M35, and QX4

The VQ35HR may be spotted after 2007 in the:

  • Infiniti G35, EX35, FX35, M35, M35h, Q50, and Q70

Nissan only used the HR in the 350Z and a few foreign market vehicles.

How Long Will the Engine in a Nissan 350Z Last?

The VQ35DE V6 engine is considered a highly reliable engine, with many of them lasting up to 250,000 miles when properly maintained. However, if you are hunting for a 350Z in 2020, you should expect that the engine seals, gaskets, and the valves may need repair or replacement even on lower mileage vehicles.

Is a Turbo Included on the Nissan 350Z Engine?

The Nissan 350Z engine did not feature a turbo as a stock option. There is a popular R-Tune exhaust package produced by NISMO that gives you a throatier rumble and adds a few extra horsepower. The NISMO S-Tune GT in 2005 added performance suspension and brakes to the 350Z.

How Fast is the Nissan 350Z Engine?

As it rolled off the factory floor, the 2005 Nissan 350Z is able to achieve a top speed of 155 mph. It accelerates up to 60 mph from a dead stop in 6.2 seconds.

How Expensive is it to Replace the Nissan 350Z Engine?

A rebuilt 350Z engine will run about $2,000.  An aftermarket new engine that matches the VQ35DE specs may cost up to $4,500 plus the cost of labor for installation.

Which is the Best Year for the Nissan 350Z?

Edmunds suggests that the 2009 Nissan 350Z Roadster offers you the best return on your investment dollar in the sports car segment. This is based on average repair costs, resale value, and owner reviews.

Should I Add a Twin-Turbo to My Nissan 350Z Engine?

Many sports car enthusiasts love their boosted Nissan 350Z with a twin-turbo under the hood. Some of these rides pump out an insane 650 horsepower, turning the little two-door into a serious contender at your local track.

Spend Wisely When Shopping for a Classic Performance Car

If you are hunting down a new coupe to sate your inner race car driver, it is always important to make sure you get the real history of the car. VehicleHistory.com delivers all the background on the make and model along with access to a detailed maintenance history for the particular coupe on the block.

Owner Reviews

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accountCircle Dan Hodge on March 10, 2023
Read all the "check for" stuff online before buying but oh boy what a car.
It's March 2023, my Z has just passed it's second MOT in a row needing only tyres which I knew anyway. I have a 2002 Fairlady Z Cabrio GT Pack. (Still a 350z just the import version name) Imported to UK in '03 6 months old, im the 11th Owner now owning the car for 6 years. I took a chance on the car for £5800 as it seemed ok just a lot of owners and im assuming just cost of running as WOW. My car was still restricted to 108MPH with a lower accel band on an auto box and had 95,000 miles. When I remapped the engine it was like a dream for me and the car! I run Michelin Pilot Sport 5's up front, Pilot Sport N1's at the rear, K&N induction, full Miltek exhaust system and love the 376 torques and 335 bhp im getting! My year has a "snow" button that limits the car to 3rd and drops the tops end revs, I have the early launch control/preload front tyres that a lot of Z owners I bet don't even know they have, Neutral, foot on brake, rev it a bit, keep foot on brake, put into gear, rev again, brake pedal depresses a bit more and basically gives 90% front braking so you can preload the car for launch ... Go on .. Try it .... Then turn traction control off and try it again and laugh as you burn off £50 of tyres by accident ..... ;-) I have to full BOSE sound system and yes I too had the subwooferstart to cut out so I went online and tried the "place a folded bit of cardboard in between these two bits trick ..." 5 years later that bit of cardboard is now a part of the system clearly as its perfect now lol! I have the petrol catch release issue but solve this by trying to open it, oh, not working, close it firmly, press button again, works now! Costs me 20 sec in a petrol station so no biggie. I did get a radiator blockage and it cost me £900 quid for a new rad, thermo and fitting but it was the orig rad so hey h*, same with the transmission, I have the auto/knockover to semi-manual version which suits me as im partially disabled due to nerve damage and the car is so low and my legs go so far in front that its really comfy! I had an oil feed pipe perish so gearbox went dry = dead box. £1200 got me a recon box with guarantee and it was back to a beauty again. These two issues have been it in the 6 years i've owned the car, yes the arches are showing signs of rust coming now at 20-21 yo old but I cover it every night, clean it reg, service it often and drive it like a bat out of hell, sometimes, legally ofc lol. There are issues with these cars but if you take car of them they will reward you, mine has, or maybe she was just glad to be in the hands of a driver over a hairdresser who mistook this car for a BMW. If you can drive and understand driving this car will REWARD you, it has a F/MR engine remember, the baby sister of the GT-R shows here, the engine is too heavy ip front and we cant get it any further back for 50/50 weight distb say the bods as Nissan, so the other bods say well how about we design it so that when you brake into a corner the weight shifts further forward so you get more grip but when you go back on the power half way through the weight shifts to 50/50 then to give you the most grip when you need it? Great idea say the other bods :-) 3.5 award winning V6, wonderful balance, google "top ten future classics"..... I bet its still in all the lists lol. Im so sorry to the people who have had problem Z's, I've thrashed mine, cruised in mine, toured in it, and she's still passing MOT's at 130,000 miles. Get one, no you cant have mine :-)
accountCircle James on April 20, 2021
Many problems with my 2003 350Z
I have about 118,000 miles on my car and I've had about every problem you can think of and a few you've never heard of. I am the original owner. Like many Z cars in 2003, mine had front end issues. It turns out the alignment specs were off, or so they said. My car would not track straight. Nissan studied my car for a month and gave me the extended bumper to bumper warranty in exchange. Wow, did I ever use that. Both window motors broke. The electronic accelerator broke. The hatch struts gave out. Lower control arm bushings tore and leaked, over and over and over. The radiator broke. The rear sub-frame bushings gave out, and I had to replace the whole thing. The transmission broke, they repaired it, and then it broke again. They gave me a "new" one. The water bump broke. Front and rear shocks have been replaced. The driver side a/c vent broke. The little dash storage door broke. The upholstery on driver side is a mess, from getting in and out. The valve cover gasket is leaking on one side. I had a leak at the oil pan.
accountCircle What a great car! on January 23, 2022
2003 350Z Touring 6MT
I have a 350Z purchased new in January of 2003 late 2002 production model. I have 83,000 miles on the odometer. Full dealer serviced. Issues: 1. Drive by wire accelerator went into limp mode soon after purchase and was covered by warranty. 2. Right side (passenger) side window actuator/window alignment motor repair out of warranty. 3. All other costs were maintenance related. 4. In 2020 a new audiovisual system was installed by me. This included Apple CarPlay (wireless) and all the features that come with CarPlay, Garmin GPS, integrated front dashcam, back up camera, guest USB charging port, DVD/CD, Blue Tooth voice/phone, 12 volt outlet in passenger side footwell, and more. This install brought this car into the 2020s with ease. 5. Replace your tires every 25,000 miles and choose your tires depending on the style of driving you do. 6.Don’t forget to get a new mini spare….it is time if you have owned the car for any period of time.
accountCircle S Acott on January 27, 2023
An absolute pleasure to own 2008 GT VQ35HR V6 engine in Black
I bought this car in 2021. I searched high and low for a 350z that had few owners (2) and fairly low mileage (75,000), many minor common issues rectified put the standard car back on track - and then without going overboard i now have a Scorpion Sports Exhaust fitted which sounds amazing. Up graded the break discs keeping the Brembo callipers, resprayed the front bumper, re-upholstered the seats. The Z is now in a fine condition that sounds, looks and handles superb (top grade Michelin tyres fitted on all 4 quarters). Regular engine oil servicing and normal yearly service keeps the Z happy and very much alive. Better than my STI by the way! Real head turner. Thank you Nissan !!
accountCircle Brian S on June 15, 2021
My 2004 Nissan 350z is a blast!
I haven't had any real problems with my vehicle outside of normal wear and tear and routine maintenance. I love the performance, styling, and reliability of my Nissan. Very invigorating car to drive and turns heads whenever people see it. Pricing for parts and maintenance is reasonable and haven't had any problems with getting my vehicle repaired on the rare occasion when I did have to have it taken in for servicing. My 350z is comfortable and an absolute blast to drive, very quick throttle response and on the highway is in no way lacking for power/
accountCircle Matthew T on April 8, 2021
2003 Nissan 350Z. Nothing other than decent looks and decent performance.
The Nissan 350z is becoming a cult classic vehicle just like its predecessors before it. The vehicle drives great, looks great for its age, and even has one of the best aftermarkets out there. Minor issues with this vehicle have been easy to fix, but my biggest issue is honestly how small it still is compared to most other sports cars in its time, as well as just how cheap the interior was made. Everything about this car is plastic. But hey, it looks good, and drives good. So I can't complain too much.
accountCircle Yvette Johnson on July 12, 2021
2003 350Z - Loving it!
I bought my 350Z the first year it hit the market, and I'm saying it LOUD and CLEAR is that the car is as VALUABLE as the owner of car keep up the scheduled maintenance on the car. I am HAPPY-GLAD to say that my 'BABY' as I call it, exceeded 200,000 MILEAGE two weeks ago! To be precise my 03 Nissan Touring 350 Z is now @200,103 miles as of this date, August 2019, and is STILL rolling on like a well-oiled garage kept car!
accountCircle Stefano G on September 27, 2021
Great Drive 2005 Nissan 350Z
I bought this car used 7 years ago at 30k miles and have since put on an additional 110+k miles. It is a great drive, though the touring version is low to the ground and a little stiff but it is awesome if you love sports cars! I certainly do. I have had to replace the battery once and the rubber trim on the undercarriage takes a beating if you do a lot of freeway driving. Overall, I highly recommend it.
accountCircle Jordan A on March 19, 2021
The 2004 Nissan 350Z has built in navigation and heated leather seats and Bose speakers
Car is very reliable owned for about 4 years no issues it's is a coupe so not to much trunk space but very comfortable leather seats the handling is the best part I feel very connected to the road and feel in full control of my car. Little over 100,000 miles and only issue is dead battery other than that no problems high recommend this affordable luxury car .
accountCircle April L on October 4, 2021
2004 350Z
Since my car was produced in 2003, I thought by giving it a year for the 'bugs' to be worked out would be long enough but it wasn't. I've had a few recalls on alignments and some small issues. But, it has been a great car. The only other downside is that it's a two seater and it is very low profile. The performance and reliability have been great.
accountCircle Kayla R on May 23, 2021
2003 350Z high beams are extremely bright which is convenient
It's a small yet reliable car and it runs well. It has pretty good mileage and runs pretty good on gas. It has a build in stereo system that fits an aux cord and the speakers have excellent audio. The gear shift is pretty stable, it's easy to maneuver it. With a lot of cars, the shift tends to lock up but on this one it doesn't
accountCircle Andrew S on August 12, 2021
2006 Nissan 350Z: Enjoy the Road
Fun and decently powerful rear wheel drive car. Very comfortable and enjoyable. Safety and comfort are both focuses for Nissan. The 350Z doesn't disappoint. Also, for enthusiasts like me who like to work on their vehicles, the 350Z is a great build as well with many additional features that are available on the market.
accountCircle Ian B on March 16, 2021
2003 Nissan performance to today’s performance.
Had the car for 4 years now and I have had several issues with the calipers seizing up but car has about 8k in upgrades. 350z has moderate power good for the year of 2003 but cars are getting more and more advanced and getting quicker so it is beginning to be more moderate in performance.
accountCircle Virginia V on August 24, 2021
Perfect beginners enthusiasts car. 2004 350Z
The Nissan 350z is a great entry level sports car. It is perfect for an enthusiast looking for something more exciting for everyday driving. But there are some drawback, such as only having two seats, blind spots, and not-so-great fuel economy. Overall the benefits outweigh the negatives.
accountCircle Brian H on April 8, 2021
2003 350Z is my favorite car I have owned.
I really enjoy my car. It has great performance and is very quick. The only problem I ran into was occasionally engine problems due to its age. My spark plugs stopped working and my electronic pedal gauge also stopped working. Besides those two problems I would really recommend this car!
accountCircle Harrison H on August 18, 2021
2004 350Z - Fun experience with lots of "get-up and go"!
I have driven my 350z for the past five years, and I have enjoyed it more often than not. Like many cars, as they near over 150, 000 miles, they tend to start costing more and more for upkeep but engine wise, I have no complaints and I think that it's an all around solid car.
accountCircle Sherry L on July 17, 2021
The super amazing 2006 350z car.
I just recently got my 350z I absolutely love it so far no problem. It's a well maintained car it has over 240 thousand miles and purrs like a kitten. Its real comfy has all the extras. The only problem is the wiring sometimes when you turn car it changes channels.
accountCircle Allan L on August 12, 2021
Why I love my 2003 Nissan 350z.
My 350z performance model is great in all honesty. It's a 6-speed manual so it's basically bullet proof. I've never had any problems with reliability whatsoever. It is a performance car so it's not that practical for everyday use but it fits my everyday needs.
accountCircle Jim Ruddell on December 15, 2021
2009 350 z Roadster
Bought this convertible last year 82 K on it works great no issues and looks better especially the way the top folds away under a hard top not like comparable brands . Great on gas if you drive it nice goes like stink too !!
accountCircle Gregory T on June 25, 2021
The 2006 350z is a nice car for the price.
It is a nice medium horse power car. It is quite reliable but it does burn oil like most of them do. The differential bushing need to be replaced like every 50k miles. Other than that it is a perfect car.
accountCircle Alan F on July 16, 2021
If you plan to leave the 2006 350z stock and just enjoy it for what it is, it's an absolute blast to drive.
08-09 most reliable engine. 06+ better of the CD trans. Handles really well on hard cornering while still having a bit of zip to get around town. Highway speed and up is lacking in power.
accountCircle Bethann B on August 15, 2021
2005 350z is very reliable and actually very comfortable.
My 350z runs great and I have had no major engine problems. I love the looks of it and the convertible top is awesome. . It is also a very fast sports car which I love.
accountCircle James Gunn on September 24, 2021
Very fast 2005 Nissan 350Z
I love how fast the Z is, handles like a true sports car. Hugs the corners, great acceleration, neutral balance. Throttle response is excellent. Brakes are fantastic.
accountCircle Brandon M on May 17, 2021
I own a 2004 Nissan 350z
From the day I have bought it I have had slim to none repairs . When you sit in the car you get a very luxurious, sporty feeling that just makes you want to drive!
accountCircle Nate on April 7, 2021
Custom 2003 350z wide body
It’s the perfect 2 seater. The car hugs you & hugs the road. You feel in control of the car. The handling is top notch. You feel like tour in a go cart
accountCircle Yuri K on September 16, 2021
My 2004 Nissan 350z has some blind spots that can be a little uncomforting.
Sports Car, sticks to the ground when driving fast, corners like it's on rails, engine sounds great. More spacious than it looks.
accountCircle Nicholas M on July 21, 2021
2003 350z is reliable and its has a simple design.
My car does not waste gas like other cars. It is very fast and is able to past cars like nothing. It has no problems.
accountCircle Mikey B on June 26, 2021
2003 350z is quick
My 350z is quick has about 400 hp. It is 6-speed which I have always wanted and the color looks beautiful.
accountCircle Mike Nogueras on April 11, 2021
2005 Nissan 350 Z Is An Awesome Car
Love my 350z its fun to drive and its fast.
avatar S.D. Grady
Sonya is a vastly experienced journalist who loves to share her passion for everything automotive. You can usually find her at the track covering NASCAR, taking a test drive, or drooling over the latest models at the local auto show.
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