Total Complaints
2 filings
NISSAN 280Z · model year
1981 NISSAN 280Z
2 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1981NISSAN280Z carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1981 280Z is fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:injectors with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 55 investigation files overlapping the 1981 280Z, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020918VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
AT ANY TIME OR ANY SPEED GAS PEDAL GETS SUCK TO THE FLOOR. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IS UNKNOWN. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE WENT TO FULL THROTTLE WHILE DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL OR WHEN THE VEHICLE START. *YH
19970717FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS
FUEL INJECTORS STARTED LEAKING FUEL INTO ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Compare 1981NISSAN280Z to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
DP26003Defect PetitionOpen
Fuel smell and loss of motive power
PE25005Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture
PE24020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inner Tie Rod Failures
PE24017Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Side curtain air bags may deploy inadvertently
PE24007Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Reduced Power After Engine Stall
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1981 NISSAN 280Z have?▼
The 1981 NISSAN 280Z has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1981 NISSAN 280Z?▼
The most-complained component for the 1981 NISSAN 280Z is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
Is the 1981 NISSAN 280Z safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1981 NISSAN 280Z; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.