NHTSA Complaint #10763424 — 2011 NISSAN 370Z

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM TEXAS MY CLUTCH STARTED TO WEAKEN AND EVENTUALLY STUCK TO THE FLOOR WHILE I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. UNDERSTANDING THAT MY CAR HAD A PROBLEM THAT WAS LIKELY TO LEAVE ME STRANDED, I CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AT 70 TO 75 MPH FROM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA WITHOUT STOPPING. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP, I COULD NOT GET THE CAR INTO 1ST GEAR SO I COULD CONTINUE ON HOME. AFTER BEING STRANDED FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, I EVENTUALLY GOT THE CAR INTO FIRST GEAR. I HAD TO DRIVE FROM THE EXIT TO MY HOME IN FIRST GEAR. WHEN I GOT TO MY HOUSE I HAD TO USE THE STARTER TO GET MY CAR INTO THE GARAGE. THE TRIP FROM JACKSON TO BIRMINGHAM WAS EXCEPTIONALLY DANGEROUS AND THERE WAS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR A TRAGEDY FOR EXAMPLE: (1) NOT BEING ABLE TO REACT PROPERLY IN TRAFFIC, (2) NOT BEING ABLE TO REACT PROPERLY TO CONSTRUCTION ZONES, (3) NOT BEING ABLE TO REACT PROPERLY TO CITY SPEED ZONES, ET CETERA. GIVEN THAT THIS ISSUE CAME ON QUICKLY, A DANGEROUS SITUATION PRESENTED ITSELF IN HEAVY FAST MOVING TRAFFIC WHEN I COULD NOT PROPERLY CHANGE GEARS WHEN DOWN-SHIFTING. DUE TO MY DELAYED RESPONSE TRYING TO GET MY CAR INTO GEAR, I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND WHICH CAUSED OTHER NEARBY CARS TO HAVE TO REACT TO THE SITUATION AS WELL. FORTUNATELY EVERYONE AROUND ME AT THE TIME OF FINAL FAILURE WAS PAYING ATTENTION. TAKING A LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THIS ISSUE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE CARRIED FROM THE 350Z TO THE 370Z WHICH STARTS IN 2002 AND CONTINUES YEAR TO DATE. BASED ON RESEARCH IN FORUMS, THIS FAILURE TAKES PLACE AT AN AVERAGE OF 25,000 MILES AND CONTINUES TO REOCCUR AFTER REPLACEMENT AT THE SAME INTERVAL. IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS FAILURE CAUSES A DEATH, BUT THEN AGAIN, IF SOMEONE DIES THEY WILL HARDLY BE ABLE TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE AND CONSIDER BOTH THE 350Z AND THE 370Z--WHICH HAS INHERITED THE ISSUE.