NHTSA Complaint #10730187 — 2011 NISSAN 370Z

I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR FOR A DRIVE ON 06/21/15. AS I WAS REACHING FOR THE CLUTCH PEDAL WITH MY FOOT TO START THE ENGINE, I FOUND THE CLUTCH PEDAL HAD ALREADY SUNK HALF WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD BEFORE MY FOOT CAME IN CONTACT WITH IT. I HAD TO REACH IN FURTHER ALMOST COMPLETELY EXTENDING MY LEG IN ORDER TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE PEDAL. UPON CHECKING THE CLUTCH FLUID I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND SOME OF MY FLUID LEVEL WAS HALF EMPTY HAD AND LOOKED VERY DARK. THERE WAS BLACK DEBRIS SITTING UNDER THE FLUID RESERVOIR. MY FLUID LEVEL WAS AT THE MAX WHEN I LAST CHECKED IT TWO WEEKS PRIOR, SO BETWEEN THAT TIME SOME FLUID HAD LEAKED OUT. I FILLED UP WITH SOME BRAKE FLUID AND PUMPED THE PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES, WHICH HELPED REGAINS SOME PRESSURE IN MY CLUTCH PEDAL BUT NOT COMPLETELY, THERE IS STILL SOME SLACK IN THE PEDAL TRAVEL. I IMMEDIATELY WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM. I RAN ACROSS COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER Z OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THEIR FACTORY CLUTCH SLAVE CYLINDER (CSC) & MASTER SLAVE CYLINDER. MANY REPORTED THEIR CLUTCH PEDAL "DIVING" AND WOULD NOT RETURN DURING DRIVING. UNLIKE ME, MOST OF THEM WERE LEFT STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADS DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE THE CLUTCH AFTER THE PEDAL LOSS PRESSURE AND DIVES TO THE FLOOR. FURTHERMORE, PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THEIR FACTORY CSC FAILURES SINCE THE NISSAN 350Z WERE STILL IN PRODUCTION (2002-2009). NISSAN NORTH AMERICA IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS DEFECTS IN THEIR CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. IN 2008, NISSAN ISSUED A RECALL TO 350Z OWNERS TO REPLACE THEIR DEFECTIVE CSC. I AM APPALLED THAT THEY (NISSAN) CONTINUED TO RELY ON THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS ON THEIR NISSAN 370Z. CURRENTLY, NISSAN HAS NOT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM ON THEIR 370Z MODEL, NOR ARE THEY HONORING ANY WARRANTY CLAIMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A REAL CONCERN AS IT POSSES A SERIOUS SAFETY THREATS TO ALL Z'S EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 09/01/2015*LJ