AI Damage1985 Nissan 300ZX: common problems
Owners of the 1985 Nissan 300ZX filed 75 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 75
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 65% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 7 Equipment 1% of all complaints
- 8 Exterior lighting 1% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 49 complaints (65% of all).
- Engine and cooling: 15 complaints (20% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 7 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (5% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 75 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Nissan 300zx 1985 engine wiring and component wiring interior. Wiring is brittle, becomes hot. And breaks very easy.the engine is in excellent condition running wise , the wiring to components brittle breaks easily. I feel that this could be a fire hazard. And a safety defect.
The contact smells a strong odor of gasoline followed by a hesitation in the vehicle. He took the vehicle to a dealer and they stated that the fuel injectors and related hoses were leaking and needed to be repaired.
He opened the hood and noticed flames coming from the fuel injectors. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer acknowledged recall number 95i006000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system), however, they refused to repair the vehicle because there were no service records available.
The fire destroyed the vehicle. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired in january of 2007 under recall number 95i006000 (fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system). The current and failure mileages were 168,000.
It has also been to a "z-doctor" who was unable to repair it.the car hesitates and then surges when warming up. Now when driving on the freeway, the accelerator will occasionally stick at the wide open position, which is extremely dangerous.
Use of defective set of jumper cables probably caused electrical components to overheat, causing fire.
Accelerator pedal locked-up / stuck causing engine to race. Consumer put vehicle into neutral, decelerating, but the pedal didn't come down, requiring mechanic to turn the vehicle off.
The engine failed a few months later in feb 1997. The original fuel injection system never had failed and I was experiencing no mechanical problems. I only had the recall work performed because I was told it was a safety hazard. The car has not worked properly since then.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,263 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 300ZX has 20 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 75, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1985 Nissan 300ZX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, engine and cooling, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 75. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (72%), fuel system, fuel smell (8%), hesitation when accelerating (3%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1985 Nissan 300ZX?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1985 Nissan 300ZX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1985 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.