Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Nissan 370Z owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vehicle has only 12,400 miles, and the passenger air bag light will not go off and the airbag light in the dash keeps blinking. Millions of Nissan vehicles have had the same problem. I want my Nissan dealership, where I purchased this vehicle ( M'Lady in Crystal Lake, IL ), to fix this at no cost to me.
I purchased my first Nissan, a 2009 370z, in 2018. I went to start my car and it would not start, after reading various forums on the internet I found the issue with the 370z is well documented to the escl (electronic steering column lock) issue. There is no warning to this occurring; I drove my car to the store and then home, an hour later went to start to the car and it would not start. The only lead I had was the intelligent key warning light, that when referenced in the owner's manual states this will lock the steering column and prevent the car from starting. This is usually triggered from an unregistered key but my keys were registered and had worked with the car from the time I bought it. The car has had this module changed out for parts are dated, and the current module is dated from 2012, after the car was released in 2009. …
My vehicle is equipped with an electronic steering column lock (escl) that locks the steering wheel when the vehicle is parked and turned off to help prevent theft. On some vehicles, due to a manufacturing irregularity,the escl May malfunction after the vehicle has been locked and could prevent the engine from starting. This condition, should it occur, will only occur when attempting to start the vehicle, which happened with my Nissan 370z yesterday. Thank god I wasn;t stranded in the middle of nowhere. And luckily this did not happen in the middle of an intersection or other busy road. I have read that Nissan has already recalled this part for their 2009-10 Nissan altima, altima coupe, altima hybrid, and maxima vehicles but have not read about including their 2009-10 Nissan 370z models. …
The fuel gauge does not display a full tank of gas after a fill up. This results in a very inaccurate depiction of fuel levels. This is a know issue but Nissan has refused to acknowledge on the 370z. The problem it intermittent, but it has only gotten worst. I brought my car to the dealership a while ago and they replaced the instrument cluster, believing it to be an issue with the display. The issue is still there after they installed a new instrument cluster, but now I'm past my extended warranty. The real cause of this is within the fuel system and the way it measures the fuel level. This renders the fuel gauge, distance to empty and average mpg reading inaccurate and useless. There are others who have this issue and I would like for Nissan to address it as a recall.
Steering lock solenoid failed at 38120 miles (2120 miles outside electrical warranty) yellow "key" warning light on dash only illuminated the morning off failure. Went to leave work car would not start due to steering lock solenoid failure. Had to have vehicle flat bedded to dealership at the cost of $121.10. Thank god this didn't fail while driving. This is a well know issue within the online forums / community. I'm currently requesting a full reimbursement from Nissan motor corp for the repair cost of $887.37 plus the tow bill. I have recently returned to the online forums and have read over 25 pages of failures with the Nissan 370z. I also heard of this issue on Nissan gtr and maxima vehicles.
Electric steering column lock was replaced in a recall at 25,824 miles in May 2013. Car in October 2016 with 37746 nukes had problems starting, had to push, "start" button from two to 12 times to get vehicle to start. First dealer replaced battery, needed to be done but problem did not go away. Dealer found that steering column electric lock was intermittently not working and had to be replaced at a cost of $1,103.50. This is the same part that was replaced as part of the original recall. If stalled in traffic it could take up o 5 minutes to start vehicle.
Constant problems with the clutch, car records shows clutch and csc has been replaced but is having problems yet again. Always feel ticking in the clutch pedal when disengaged, and clutch sticks when taking off from stop (not talking about launches or dropping gears). Also a lot of problems with electrical, like fuel gauge. Last but not least, lots of wind noise when on the freeway, and window gets stuck when closed on freeway. Have gone to dealership and of course they say theres nothing they can do even though forums show theres recalls.
Trying to start my 2009 370z approx 35K miles, I have to push the start button 2-7 times to get the car to start. Checked clutch switch position, it is okay. Occasionally it will start on the first time pushing the start button. Get in car, depress clutch when light comes on, push start button, on lights, no start , push again access light on, nothing, again off light, push again, and so on until starts. Dealer had no answers. Replaced battery in both keys, no difference. Has been an issue a couple times after stalling in traffic.
My 370z will start up fine sometimes but most times I have to it the start button 7-10 times before it cranks. When I push the button all lights on dash come and it makes clicking sounds but just won't start the vehicle. I had my steering lock mechanism replaced 6 months ago because there was a recall but the problem still persist. I have taken it to the dealership but no one can give me a solid answer.
The story goes like this http://www.the370z.com/Nissan-370z-general-discussions/48434-z-looked-awesome-tow-truck-sarcastic.html. Http://www.the370z.com/Nissan-370z-general-discussions/48442-those-you-who-have-had-steering-lock-failure.html my story with my car is I had the key light come on about a month ago started researching found the forum and saw it was a common issue with my year so I sent a email to Nissan who basically gave me the run around saying we never have heard of it ... So I went to the dealer had my remote key batteries replaced after they said that they would have to keep it for 3 days to do test ... …
Electrical complaints in other 370Z years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Nissan 370Z?
NHTSA has 67 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Nissan 370Z, 44% of the model year's 153 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2009 Nissan 370Z electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Nissan 370Z. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Nissan 370Z electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.