1990 Nissan 300ZX problems & reliability
19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Nissan 300ZX vehicles were involved in 4 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 32% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 26% |
| Power Train | 4 | 21% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 5% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 5% |
| Steering | 1 | 5% |
| Structure | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“In december 2008 I bought a water pump for my 1990 nissan 300zx from advance auto parts in mauldin, sc. It failed within four weeks, causing my engine to overheat. I handed the defective pump back to the store personnel. A weep hole in the side of the pump was spurting out water, and the spinning part was chewed up…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Dec 21, 2009
“At 63000 miles veh developed unexplained oil leaks resulting in replacement of engine. Less than 15000 miles later while driving on a straight road, transmission failed to change from second to third gear on automatic transmission. *ak”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed May 1, 2005
“Vehicle ran rough and wouldn't accelerate faster than 10 mph. This was due to a failure in the fuel injection system. There wa fuel injection recall 95i006000, but it only included earlier model year vehicles. *ak”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Apr 7, 2004
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
5 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Nissan 300ZX.
Nissan: tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) warning light on/flashing. No models or model years listed. *pe updated on 08-11-2011. *kb
NTB-09-101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2010
Nissan: vent control valve replacement. When replacing the evap canister vent control valve for reason: use the one listed on page 2; for vent control valve replacement procedure, refer to the appropriate section of the…
NTB-09-129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2010
Nissan: the 12 volt battery is an important part of the vehicle electrical system and is required to stay connected when the engine is running. To prevent damage to vehicle electronic components follow the…
NTB-09-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2009
Transmissions detent holes eliminated from adapter plate. *jd
NTB97011 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 29, 1997
Voluntary service campaign on ignition power transistor unit. *tw
NTB94117 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 1995
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Nissan 300ZX in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Nissan 300ZX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.