1989 Nissan 300ZX Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1989 Nissan 300ZX, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system763.6%
- Driver assistance19.1%
- Engine19.1%
- Other / unspecified19.1%
- Powertrain (other)19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE OWNER OF A 1989 300ZX THAT I PURCHASED USED IN 2013. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES ON IT. APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED A FUEL ODOR AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH DETERMINED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE IN 1996 FOR DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTORS. THAT RECALL IS ATTACHED, I ALSO HAVE COPIES OF THE TSBS (10 DOCUMENTS TOTAL). A FEW DAYS AFTER NOTICING THE FUEL SMELL (WHICH I COULD NOT LOCATE THE SOURCE) THE CAR SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A FUEL RICH CONDITION AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO IDLE POORLY. FOR BACKGROUND, THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND AFTER LEAVING A RESTAURANT, THE ISSUE APPEARED SUDDENLY. I CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF THE RECALL OR ANY REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER (DICK SMITH IN COLUMBIA SC) AND THEY TELL ME THE SAME. THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS THAT MY RACK AND PINION ARE LEAKING. I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH THEIR DIAGNOSIS, BUT I DOUBT IT IS LEAKING FUEL. BASED ON THEIR TSB, IT APPEARS THAT THE REPAIR WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE AND SINCE THE RECALL WAS ISSUED MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE BUILD DATE, THAT OWNER AND SUBSEQUENT OWNERS WERE LIKELY NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO PERFORM THE RECALL WORK PER THE TSB INSTRUCTIONS BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE REFUSED.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 NISSAN 300ZX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL HOSES WERE LEAKING ALONG WITH OTHER FUEL COMPONENTS. THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 95I006000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM). THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 202,262 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 202,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE CHANGING GEARS THE ENGINE TOOK OFF AT 40 TO 45MPH WITHOUT APPLICATION OF ACCELERATOR. DLR HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE OWNER OF A 1989 300ZX THAT I PURCHASED USED IN 2013. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES ON IT. APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED A FUEL ODOR AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH DETERMINED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE IN 1996 FOR DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTORS. THAT RECALL IS ATTACHED, I ALSO HAVE COPIES OF THE TSBS (10 DOCUMENTS TOTAL). A FEW DAYS AFTER NOTICING THE FUEL SMELL (WHICH I COULD NOT LOCATE THE SOURCE) THE CAR SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A FUEL RICH CONDITION AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO IDLE POORLY. FOR BACKGROUND, THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND AFTER LEAVING A RESTAURANT, THE ISSUE APPEARED SUDDENLY. I CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF THE RECALL OR ANY REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER (DICK SMITH IN COLUMBIA SC) AND THEY TELL ME THE SAME. THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS THAT MY RACK AND PINION ARE LEAKING. I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH THEIR DIAGNOSIS, BUT I DOUBT IT IS LEAKING FUEL. BASED ON THEIR TSB, IT APPEARS THAT THE REPAIR WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE AND SINCE THE RECALL WAS ISSUED MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE BUILD DATE, THAT OWNER AND SUBSEQUENT OWNERS WERE LIKELY NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO PERFORM THE RECALL WORK PER THE TSB INSTRUCTIONS BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE REFUSED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a Pittsburgh automotive jack stand set, Model Number: 91760, Model Type: 3 Ton aluminum racing, Serial Number: 352351424. The contact stated that his 1989 Nissan 300ZX was lifted onto the jack stands and after sliding from under the vehicle grabbing the frame of the vehicle to lift up both the jack stands positioned on the front driver’s side and front passenger’s side suddenly failed to cause the vehicle to crash to the ground nearly landing on top to the contact. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the car jack stands were purchased at Harbor Freight but were not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 20E046000 (Equipment).
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I AM THE OWNER OF A 1989 300ZX THAT I PURCHASED USED IN 2013. THE CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 160,000 MILES ON IT. APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS AGO, I NOTICED A FUEL ODOR AND AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH DETERMINED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE IN 1996 FOR DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTORS. THAT RECALL IS ATTACHED, I ALSO HAVE COPIES OF THE TSBS (10 DOCUMENTS TOTAL). A FEW DAYS AFTER NOTICING THE FUEL SMELL (WHICH I COULD NOT LOCATE THE SOURCE) THE CAR SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A FUEL RICH CONDITION AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO IDLE POORLY. FOR BACKGROUND, THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND AFTER LEAVING A RESTAURANT, THE ISSUE APPEARED SUDDENLY. I CONTACTED NISSAN AND THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF THE RECALL OR ANY REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER (DICK SMITH IN COLUMBIA SC) AND THEY TELL ME THE SAME. THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS THAT MY RACK AND PINION ARE LEAKING. I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH THEIR DIAGNOSIS, BUT I DOUBT IT IS LEAKING FUEL. BASED ON THEIR TSB, IT APPEARS THAT THE REPAIR WORK WAS NEVER PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE AND SINCE THE RECALL WAS ISSUED MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE BUILD DATE, THAT OWNER AND SUBSEQUENT OWNERS WERE LIKELY NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. I HAVE ASKED THEM TO PERFORM THE RECALL WORK PER THE TSB INSTRUCTIONS BUT SO FAR THEY HAVE REFUSED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .