2003 NISSAN 350Z — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 238 complaints · 4 recalls

Verdict & Safety Summary

Most-reported system: SUSPENSION (76 complaints · 31.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 1
  • Injuries 3
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution SUSPENSION appears in 76 of 238 owner complaints (31.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. SUSPENSION: 76 complaints, 31.9% of reports SUSPENSION 76 · 31.9% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 47 complaints, 19.8% of reports ENGINE 47 · 19.8% TIRES: 35 complaints, 14.7% of reports TIRES 35 · 14.7% POWER TRAIN: 30 complaints, 12.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 30 · 12.6% · 1 fire reports AIR BAGS: 7 complaints, 2.9% of reports AIR BAGS 7 · 2.9% · 4 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 7 complaints, 2.9% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 · 2.9% FUEL SYSTEM: 6 complaints, 2.5% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 6 · 2.5% VISIBILITY: 6 complaints, 2.5% of reports VISIBILITY 6 · 2.5% WHEELS: 4 complaints, 1.7% of reports WHEELS 4 · 1.7% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 123 complaints, 51.7% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 123 · 51.7% · 3 crash reports 1 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
SUSPENSION 76 31.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 47 19.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
TIRES 35 14.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 30 12.6% 0 crashes · 1 fires
AIR BAGS 7 2.9% 4 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 2.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 6 2.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 6 2.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
WHEELS 4 1.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 123 51.7% 3 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2003; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2003. 2003-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2003-Q4: 68 owner reports 68 2004-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2004-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2004-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2005-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2003 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 03V455000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V455000 Recall campaign 05V555000 ◆ Recall campaign 05V555000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 11E024000 ◆ Recall campaign 11E024000
  • Campaign 11E024000 was reported 2,965 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2003-Q1 Owner reports 3
2003-Q2 Owner reports 7
2003-Q3 Owner reports 10
2003-Q4 Owner reports 68
2004-Q1 Owner reports 14
2004-Q2 Owner reports 6
2004-Q3 Owner reports 7
2004-Q4 Owner reports 8
2005-Q1 Owner reports 6
2005-Q2 Owner reports 5
2005-Q3 Owner reports 5
2005-Q4 Owner reports 2
2006-Q1 Owner reports 2
2006-Q2 Owner reports 4
2006-Q3 Owner reports 2
2006-Q4 Owner reports 4
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 8
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 3
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 2
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q4 Owner reports 4
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 4
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 03V455000
Recall campaign 1 05V555000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 11E024000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 03V455000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD CAUSE THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON, CREATE A NO START CONDITION, CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANK POSITION SENSORS. CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR(S), AND IN SOME CASES, THE VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL SENSOR(S). VEHICLES INVOLVED IN A PREVIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGN, 01V357, ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS NEW CAMPAIGN. THE REPLACEMENT SENSORS USED IN THAT CAMPAIGN ARE ALSO AFFECTED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 22, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 05V555000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL FILLER HOSE. RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 27, 2006, FOR NISSAN OWNERS, AND ON MARCH 13, 2006, FOR INFINITI OWNERS. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06E049000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 11E024000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    AN OVERSIZED CLUTCH DISC COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO MOVE UNINTENTIONALLY ON THE INITIAL START-UP, IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT FOLLOW THE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS AND FAILS TO USE THE SERVICE BRAKES WHILE THE HAND BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED. UNINTENTIONAL MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE COULD RESULT IN A CRASH OR POSSIBLE INJURY TO PERSONS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE.
    Remedy:
    ZF SERVICE NOTIFY WHOLESALERS TO RETURN ANY AFFECTED CLUTCH KIT ASSEMBLIES STILL IN INVENTORY FOR FREE REPLACEMENT KITS. THIS CONDITION WILL CORRECT ITSELF AFTER THE FIRST START-UP AND USAGE OF THE CLUTCH KIT. HOWEVER, IF AN OWNER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH ITS PERFORMANCE, ZF SERVICES WILL REIMBURSE THE OWNER FOR THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT CLUTCH KIT AND A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR ITS INSTALLATION. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 13, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ZF SERVICES AT 1-800-321-0784 EXT. 6748.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 238 complaints · page 1 of 10

No complaints match the current filters.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources