2023 Nissan Z Safety Ratings: No IIHS Top Safety Pick, 60+ NHTSA Complaints, and the $5,500 Drivetrain Risk Every Used Buyer Needs to Weigh
2023 Nissan Z Safety Ratings: No IIHS Top Safety Pick, 60+ NHTSA Complaints, and the $5,500 Drivetrain Risk Every Used Buyer Needs to Weigh
Picture this: a clean 2024 Nissan Z Sport shows up on CarGurus at $38,500. Low miles, single owner, and the 2027 refresh reveal just confirmed the Z is officially back from the dead. Demand is ticking up. Your gut says move fast.
But before you wire that deposit, here's the question you actually need answered: Does the 2023–2026 Nissan Z have a full IIHS safety rating? And how many NHTSA complaints has it racked up in its first three model years?
The answer to both questions should give you pause — not alarm, but informed pause. Let's run the data.
Why the 2027 Refresh Makes Used Z Prices Dangerous Right Now
Nissan's reveal of the 2027 Z — featuring a subtle "Fairlady Z"-inspired facelift and, notably, a manual transmission finally available on the Nismo trim — is generating exactly the kind of buzz that inflates used prices on the existing generation. When a manufacturer signals a car is worth investing in, buyers flood the used market for the generation they can actually afford today.
That's a classic demand spike on a car whose reliability and safety profile hasn't been fully stress-tested yet. The RZ34-generation Z (2023+) has been on the road for less than three model years. The IIHS hasn't finished with it. NHTSA complaints are still accumulating. And the twin-turbo powertrain — while genuinely thrilling — carries repair exposure that a $38K asking price doesn't make obvious.
This is exactly when you need data, not enthusiasm.
The Safety Ratings Gap You Won't See in the Listing
Let's start with crash test performance, because this is where sports car buyers often get caught flat-footed.
IIHS Status: As of early 2026, the 2023–2026 Nissan Z has not received an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ designation. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety focuses its testing resources on high-volume vehicles — family sedans, crossovers, trucks — where the data has the most public health impact. Low-volume sports cars like the Z typically get partial coverage at best.
What testing has been completed reveals a mixed picture. The Z's headlight performance, a major factor in modern TSP+ scoring, earned ratings that fall short of the standard required for top designation. For a car you might drive home after dark on winding roads, that's not a footnote — it's a real-world visibility gap.
NHTSA Star Ratings: The 2023 Nissan Z has received partial NHTSA crash test coverage. The frontal crash rating has been assessed, but side barrier and pole test ratings remain incomplete or unavailable for the current generation as of this writing. You're buying a car without a full federal safety scorecard.
ADAS Features — What's Missing: The base and Sport trims ship with automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning, but the implementation has drawn criticism. The Z's adaptive cruise control is not standard across trims, and the driver assist suite is notably thinner than what you'd find in a 2023 Subaru BRZ or Toyota GR86 at comparable price points. For a daily-driver sports car, that gap matters.
This is the kind of analysis RiskBeforeBuy runs for you — cross-referencing IIHS ratings, NHTSA star test completion status, and ADAS feature gaps across trim levels so you're not piecing it together from five different manufacturer PDFs.
NHTSA Complaint Analysis: What 60+ Filed Complaints Actually Tell You
As of early 2026, the 2023 Nissan Z has approximately 60–70 complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years of the current generation — a relatively modest number for a car three years into production, but one that breaks down in a telling pattern.
Here's how those complaints cluster by component:
| Complaint Category | Approximate Count | Severity Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system (infotainment, displays) | ~18 | Low-Medium |
| Powertrain (engine, transmission, clutch) | ~22 | High |
| Brakes (pedal feel, brake fade) | ~9 | Medium |
| Fuel/Propulsion system | ~7 | Medium |
| Structure / visibility | ~5 | Low |
The powertrain cluster is the one that deserves your attention. For a sports car with a 3.0L twin-turbocharged V6 (VR30DDTT) — an engine shared with the Infiniti Q50 and Q60 — a concentration of drivetrain complaints in the first 36 months of production is a yellow flag worth tracking.
Compare that against the previous-generation 370Z, which accumulated over 400 NHTSA complaints across its 11-year production run (2009–2020), with a similar powertrain concentration. The pattern isn't new to this platform; it's evolving in real time on the current car.
What's driving the powertrain complaints? The manual transmission models are showing clutch engagement concerns and early wear reports. The 9-speed automatic complaints center on hesitation at low speeds and software-related shift behavior. Neither is catastrophic, but both are worth inspecting at the test drive stage.
The Real Dollar Exposure: Repair Cost Modeling
Here's where abstract complaint counts become a number you can actually use in negotiation.
Clutch replacement (manual Z): A factory clutch replacement on the 2023 Z, using OEM parts, runs approximately $1,800–$2,400 in parts and labor at a Nissan dealer. If you're buying a used manual Z with over 25,000 miles and unknown driving history — track days, aggressive launches, stop-and-go commuting — a performance clutch upgrade might already be warranted. Aftermarket performance clutch kits push that figure to $3,500–$5,500 installed, depending on spec.
Twin-turbo maintenance: The VR30DDTT's turbos are generally robust, but at the 60,000-mile mark, you're looking at a comprehensive service: spark plugs ($450–$650 dealer), turbo inlet inspection, intercooler hose check, and oil system service. Full major service at a dealer: $900–$1,400.
Infotainment module replacement: The 2023 Z's infotainment complaints sometimes escalate to module replacement territory. A dealer infotainment unit swap: $1,200–$1,800 including labor.
Worked Ownership Cost Example
Say you're buying a 2023 Nissan Z Sport manual at $38,500 with 18,000 miles. Here's a realistic 5-year ownership cost model assuming moderate sport driving:
| Cost Item | Estimated Range |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $38,500 |
| Insurance premium uplift (sports car, vs. sedan) | +$3,200 over 5 yrs |
| 2× major service intervals (60K, 90K) | +$2,200 |
| Clutch replacement (high probability at 60–80K) | +$2,400 |
| Infotainment repair (probability-weighted at 15%) | +$270 |
| Tire replacement (performance tires, 2× sets) | +$2,800 |
| 5-Year True Cost of Ownership | ~$49,370 |
That's not a horror story — it's a sports car reality check. The $38,500 listing price is really a $49K+ commitment over five years if you drive it like it's meant to be driven. You can model this for your specific situation — mileage, trim, driving profile — at RiskBeforeBuy.
Model Year Comparison: Is a 2023 or a 2024 the Safer Bet?
One of the most consistent patterns in NHTSA data is that first model year of a new generation always concentrates complaints disproportionately. Software bugs, fit-and-finish issues, and production ramp problems show up in Year 1, get patched via TSBs and software updates in Year 2, and largely disappear by Year 3.
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints (approx.) | Key TSBs / Software Updates | Risk Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Z | ~30–35 | Multiple infotainment OTAs, clutch engagement TSB | Higher |
| 2024 Z | ~20–25 | Brake calibration update, shift logic refinement | Medium |
| 2025 Z | ~8–12 | Minimal — current production still accumulating | Lower (so far) |
The 2024 model year is the sweet spot for this generation: it benefited from first-year fixes without carrying the complaint density of a true production-run launch vehicle. If you're shopping used Zs right now, a 2024 with documented service history beats a 2023 with lower miles on paper.
Pre-Purchase Inspection: 6 Checks Specific to the Z
Don't pull up to a test drive without a checklist. These are the six inspection points that map directly to the NHTSA complaint clusters on this car:
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Clutch pedal feel (manual only): Engage and disengage slowly through 1st–3rd gear. Any shudder, slip, or high-engagement point suggests wear or a TSB-relevant adjustment issue.
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Infotainment cold start: Start the car from fully cold. Note how long the screen takes to initialize and whether it hangs or reboots. A screen that restarts unprompted is a known complaint trigger.
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Turbo spool at light throttle: In D (auto) or 2nd gear (manual), apply very light throttle from a rolling 15 mph. Hesitation or a flat spot before boost builds can indicate a software calibration issue or early turbo compressor wear.
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Brake pedal firmness under repeated stops: Make 4–5 moderate stops from 40 mph in succession. Any increase in pedal travel or sponginess points to brake fade behavior flagged in NHTSA filings.
-
Under-hood coolant and oil cap inspection: Pop the hood. Look for any oil residue around the valve covers or turbo feed lines. The VR30DDTT is known to be clean if maintained; residue suggests deferred service.
-
Headlight aim and output (night test or parking lot wall test): Shine the headlights at a wall 20 feet away. Uneven cutoff, yellowish tint, or noticeably dim low beams reflect the IIHS headlight performance gap flagged in partial testing.
This isn't about finding reasons to walk away — it's about finding leverage. A clutch that's 70% through its service life is a $1,200 negotiating point. An infotainment system one reboot away from a $1,500 module swap is a $750 ask. The Jalopnik community knows this firsthand: readers who tackled their first major wrenching project — clutch swaps, transmission pulls — consistently report that knowing the failure mode ahead of time is the difference between a smart DIY and a parts-bin disaster.
The Bottom Line Before You Make an Offer
The 2023–2026 Nissan Z is a genuinely exciting car in a segment that almost disappeared. The 2027 refresh confirms Nissan is committed to it. But "exciting" and "low-risk used buy" are not the same thing, and right now — with the refresh driving up demand — used Z prices are running emotionally hot.
The missing IIHS Top Safety Pick, the incomplete NHTSA star test coverage, and the powertrain complaint cluster don't mean you shouldn't buy a used Z. They mean you should buy the right model year, at the right price, after the right inspection.
The 2024 Nissan Z with documented service history, a clean infotainment cold-start, and a firm clutch pedal is a defensible purchase at $36,000–$39,000. The 2023 with 22,000 miles, no service records, and an infotainment quirk the seller mentions casually is a $34,000 offer — or a pass.
Before you make an offer on any used Z — or any used sports car where the complaint history is still accumulating — run the full risk profile at RiskBeforeBuy. It pulls the NHTSA complaint counts, maps them by model year and component, and translates them into repair cost exposure you can actually use at the negotiating table.
The 2027 Nismo gets a manual. Great. But the car sitting at your local dealership right now is a 2023 with a complaint history that's still being written. Know what's in it before you sign.
Sources
- 2027 Nissan Z Gets Subtle Refresh With Fairlady-Inspired Styling, And A Manual For The Nismo — Jalopnik
- These Were The First Major Wrenching Projects Our Readers Attempted — Jalopnik
- European Automakers Spent $6 Billion On Tariffs Last Year — Jalopnik
- Plane Crashes Into Fire Truck At LaGuardia Airport, Killing Both Pilots — Jalopnik
- What's Your Favorite Car From A Dead Brand? — Jalopnik