| Issue ID | 1577613 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 11228501 |
| Manufacurer | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| Brand | NISSAN |
| Model | 370Z |
| Model Year | 2014 |
| File date | 29/06/19 |
| Component | POWER TRAIN |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | Summary: the vehicle concentric slave cylinder (csc), a component of the transmission and clutch, failed abruptly in heavy traffic, leaving the vehicle forced in-gear and unable to shift out of gears or to neutral without damaging the transmission. This is a significant safety risk since it happens abruptly and removes control of the vehicle from the driver; due to the nature of the failure, this can also create a panic-situation similar to brake, steering, or throttle failures since the clutch is an essential part of controlling a manual transmission vehicle in all scenarios. Event: while driving in traffic, shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear (at approximately 30 mph) the clutch pedal would not return once the vehicle was in 3rd gear. I had to stall the vehicle intentionally, thus at high speed (approximately 10+mph) and in traffic, the tires of the vehicle locked-up and the car skidded to a stop. This also imparted drivetrain and engine shock due to the large mechanical forces involved. Concerns: in almost all typical driving scenarios, this failure can be deadly. If this happens on a two-lane highway this can lead to head-on collisions. If it happens on a freeway that sees an abrupt stop, this can lead to a multi-car collision. If this happens on a road with bends or turns this can result in loss of control such that the vehicle may be off-road or over guardrails. Why nhsta involvement is critical: this is a significant safety concern and a common failure mode of cars with this same nissan transmission, and it is caused by negligent design and manufacturing practices by nissan. Failed class-action lawsuits put together by small teams of people have not resulted in removing this safety concern from those who haven't seen the failure yet. My vehicle is a well maintained 2014 nissan 370z with less than 20,000 miles on it, for reference. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 19000 |
| Number of Occurences | |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | REDONDO BEACH, CA |
| VIN pattern | JN1AZ4EH9EMXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 30 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |