What breaks most · 1990 to 1996 model years
Nissan 300ZX problems by year
Owners have filed 56 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan 300ZX across model years 1990 to 1996. Three years stand out: 1990 for engine and cooling complaints, 1991 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 1993 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1992 and 1994.
- Years to check closely: 1990, 1991, 1993
- Fewest complaints: 1992, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 561990 to 1996, all trims
- Worst year
- 199019 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 93 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 98kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 0Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 3 | 0 | Engine and cooling (6) | |
| 12 | 1 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (6) | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 12 | 2 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Steering (1) |
What fails on the 1990 Nissan 300ZX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 32% |
6 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 26% |
5 | 1 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 21% |
4 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 11% |
2 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 5% |
1 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 5% |
1 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX |
| Service Brakes, AIR | 5% |
1 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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At 63000 miles veh developed unexplained oil leaks resulting in replacement of engine. Less than 15000 miles later while driving on a straight road, transmission failed to change from second to third gear on automatic transmission. *ak
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Fuel injectors leak fuel into the engine compartment. It's an on going problem. Dealer fixed vehicle at 40 thousand miles under warranty. But at 80 thousand miles it is happened again. *ak
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Three fuel injectors failed on two separate occasions. Transmission failed for no know reason at 72000 miles, purchases car w/56000 miles. It is an automatic transmission and i take great care of this car. I purchased car at this dealership and my confidence is low with them. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan 300ZX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1990, 1991, 1993 carry the most filings on the Nissan 300ZX. The 1990 alone has 19 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Nissan 300ZX problem?
On the 1990 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan 300ZX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan 300ZX complaints that include mileage is about 98,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.