AI Damage1986 Nissan 300ZX: common problems
Owners of the 1986 Nissan 300ZX filed 59 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 59
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 56% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 14% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 7% of all complaints
- 5 Seat belts 5% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 3% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 2% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 33 complaints (56% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 8 complaints (14% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (12% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (7% of all).
- Seat belts: 3 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-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 59 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 | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
Vehicle experienced stuck throttle, resulting in permanent injury to consumer.
When vehicle is put in gear sudden acceleration occurs, causing loss of control/accident.
After making a turn the steering wheel locked, causing consumer to have an accident. Please describe.
When you put the car in gear it goes full throttle. Will not stop unless you turn off the ignition. Brakes will not stop the car. Please describe details. Tt
Tl* the contact owns a 1986 nissan 300zx (na) equipped with landsail tires (na), size 205/65/r15. The contact stated that during inclement weather and driving at low speeds, he was unable to control the vehicle and it spun out. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic.
The defect causes fire in the vehicle. Nissan corp customer service is giving me a run around, the dealers have stated that they would perform the recall if the parts were made available. Please give me some assistance with this matter before this vehicle burns along with hopefully not a more serious situation.
Car runs hot even though I have replaced fan clutch, water pump,thermostat, changed hoses, gaskets. Still car get hot after running only for 20 min. Radiator empties but overflow is full. No leaks from under car. It needs to be fixed by nissan. Also slips out of 2nd gear without warning.
While driving, the check engine light flashed on the dashboard and all the electrical lights failed to come on. The driver smell smoke coming from the dashboard. The consumer was able to pull over . The vehicle caught fire. The fire department was called to extinguished the fire. No injuries.
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 4,893 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 300ZX has 20 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 59, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- 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 1986 Nissan 300ZX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, vehicle speed control, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 59. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (54%), fuel system, fuel smell (5%), seat belts (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1986 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 1986 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 1986 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.