NHTSA Complaint #10251465 — 2004 NISSAN 350Z

WHILE DRIVING ON A WINDING STRETCH OF A TWO LANE HIGHWAY MY 350Z WENT INTO AN UNEXPECTED 360 DEGREE SPIN. IT WAS A LITTLE MISTY OUTSIDE. THE ROAD WAS DAMP, BUT NOT WET. THE TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE LOW 40'S DEG F. I WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45 MPH IN A 45 MPH ZONE. I HAD JUST BARELY STARTED INTO AN AVERAGE LEFT TURN (I.E., NOT A TIGHT TURN) WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO SPIN. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, BUT DID NOT BRAKE. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE SPIN, BUT THE CAR DID NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT. WHEN IT APPEARED I WAS GOING TO RUN INTO THE SIDE OF MOUNTAIN HEAD ON, I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SPIN, WHICH, AS EXPECTED, CAUSED IT TO SPIN A LITTLE FASTER. THE CAR ENDED UP ON THE SHOULDER OF THE OPPOSITE LANE. FORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING. I CHECKED THE TIRES AFTERWARD AND THEY APPEARED NORMAL. I WENT BACK OVER THE SECTION OF ROAD, BUT SAW NOTHING UNUSUAL. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO. I HAVEN'T NOTICED ANYTHING SINCE THEN, BUT I HAVEN'T PUSHED IT EITHER. TO ME IT SEEMS THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED AND THAT EVEN IF IT DID, THE DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE STRAIGHTENED THE CAR OUT. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR FOR MORE THAN 4 YEARS. FROM MY EXPERIENCE UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EASILY HAVE NEGOTIATED THIS TURN AT LEAST 15 MPH FASTER THAN I WAS DRIVING. THIS IS A ROAD THAT I TRAVEL OFTEN. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND GAVE THEM COPIES OF SIMILAR NHTSA COMPLAINTS FOR THIS CAR. THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF A GENERIC PROBLEM THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER WILL CHECK WITH THE NISSAN REP AND GET BACK TO ME. *TR