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2011 Nissan 370Z

Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

40 owner complaints · 1 recalls · data verified July 21, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Buywillitcar.com

Why buy?

Steering problems dominate (55% of complaints).

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.

Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.

Score breakdown, by factor

Full methodology →

#6 of 412Among the 2011 models with a matured record, the 2011 Nissan 370Z ranks #6, scoring higher than 97% of them. See the 2011 ranking →

Complaint volume100
Severity100
Recall load97
Trend100

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20122023

How it crashes

NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.

NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.

1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2011 Nissan 370Z, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miTransmission & drivetrain~28k mi · 14 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Steering (22) · Electrical system (12) · Engine (5)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Steering

55%

22 complaints

TL* THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2011 NISSAN 370Z. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING THE START THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE L…

Read the steering complaints →

Transmission & drivetrain

35%

14 complaints · typically near 28k mi

CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER WENT OUT AT AROUND 40K MILES. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MANY OTHER 370 Z'S. I AM NOW WORRIED THAT I WILL NEED A THI…

Read the transmission & drivetrain complaints →

Electrical system

30%

12 complaints

STEERING WHEEL LOCK SENSOR BROKE, FAILED IN LOCK POSITION, HAPPENS TO MOST EVERY NISSAN FOB KEY SYSTEM AT 1 TIME OR ANOTHER. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $1100.00 TO FIX AND …

Read the electrical system complaints →

Engine

13%

5 complaints

STEERING WHEEL LOCK SENSOR BROKE, FAILED IN LOCK POSITION, HAPPENS TO MOST EVERY NISSAN FOB KEY SYSTEM AT 1 TIME OR ANOTHER. THE DEALER CHARGED ME $1100.00 TO FIX AND …

Read the engine complaints →

Check it against this car’s mileage

Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.

miles

We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.

Read all 40 owner complaints in their own words →

Recalls (1)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Visibility · 11V538000

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 INFINITI G37 COUPE VEHICLES AND CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 NISSAN 370Z VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 2, 2011, THROUGH AUGUST 29, 2011. DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE POWER WINDOW SWITCH CONTROLLER IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WAS MANUFACTURED OUT OF SPECIFICATION.

Risk: THE THRESHOLD FOR AUTO REVERSE ACTIVATION IS HIGHER THAN THE NISSAN SPECIFICATION. SHOULD A BODY PART BECOME TRAPPED BY A CLOSING WINDOW, A PINCH INJURY MAY RESULT.

Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER WINDOW SWITCHES WITH NEW ONES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 5, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1800-647-7261 OR INFINITI AT 1-800-662-6200.

Questions to ask the seller

Questions worth asking the seller of this Nissan before you buy, drawn from its public record:

  1. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2011 Nissan 370Z. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
  2. Owners of this model report steering problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any steering symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  3. Owners of this model report transmission & drivetrain problems more than anything else (owners tend to report it near 28k miles). Has this car shown any transmission & drivetrain symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
  4. Has this car been in any accident, and can you share a title history and any service records you have?
  5. How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
  6. Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?

Before you hand over money

Check the VIN for open recalls

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2011 Nissan 370Z beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

Not set on the 2011? See how every 370Z model year scores →

Cross-shopping? Compare the 2011 Nissan 370Z against another car →

What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

See what owners are saying about other cars →

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2011 Nissan 370Z as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.