AI Damage2006 Nissan 350Z: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Nissan 350Z filed 53 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 53
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 26% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 26% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 26% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 8% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 4% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 2% of all complaints
- Air bags: 14 complaints (26% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (26% of all).
- Wheels: 14 complaints (26% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 6 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 4 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 5 complaints
Drive: RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 53 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 14 | 5 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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.
So with the car doing the spin cycle and shooting out fast, it started making this thumping noise from under the hood when coming to a stop. This was so frequent I thought the engine was about drop out, so I took it to transmission shop; they found a code for an electrical solenoid and reset it.
Driver side headlight completely gone, passenger side intact. Driver side door can only open a few inches, passenger side-fine. Driver side windshield cracked due to hood being pushed back into car, passenger side-fine.
The chp mait investigation # is sl-45-06. The traffic collision occurred on october 11, 2006, within los angeles county and involved a 2006 nissan 350zx. During the collision, the left front wheel separated from the vehicle and bounced over the freeway divider and impacted a law enforcement motor officer traveling…
The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH the vehicle became hot, started smoking and it stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was steered to the side of the road where the hood was lifted. The contact stated that she then observed condensation under the engine compartment.
Tire size 265/35ZR19 driving down highway at 55 mph when tire blew out. I was able to lucklily get the shoulder and it looked like my tire was cut open with a can opener on the sidewall. The tpms sensor was working fine and they were never plugged and had plenty of tread.
My 2006 350z is doing exactly what is stated below from your website. I purchase my car in 2012 and was not aware that this was a problem as I had been driving automatics.
The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the pearson nissan dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the air bag modules. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred.
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 5,181 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 350Z has 94 complaints (7 years in the data). This year has 53, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Nissan 350Z?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, wheels. Total complaints: 53. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (19%), warning lights, check engine (11%), airbag warning light (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Nissan 350Z?
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 2006 Nissan 350Z 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 2006 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.