Used Nissan Z (RZ34) review

Likes

Unsurprisingly the driving experience is excellent.
Could be a future classic.
Huge aftermarket support available.

Dislikes

Factory tyres sub-par. Must be replaced with better rubber.
Heavy modifications can compromise reliability.
A few annoying build quality issues.

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Performance

Publish: October 7, 2025

Stuff you should know

The Nissan RZ34, or simply the Nissan Z – you’ve probably heard about it. It’s the much-anticipated follow-up to the previous iteration of the Nissan Fairlady Z sports car, the Nissan 370Z (Z34).

For the seventh iteration of the Nissan sports car, the Japanese brand brought a redesigned body (drawing on the Z’s previous incarnations, such as the iconic 240Z), but reused most of the previous underpinnings of the previous 370Z – including the same platform, suspension, and brakes.

For us in Australia, and keeping in tradition with all generations of the Nissan Z car, power comes from a V6 powertrain. The RZ34 features a 3.7-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine (shared with other current-era Nissan/Infiniti products) producing 298 kW/400 hp and 475N-m/350 lb-ft of torque. But in the RZ34’s Nismo variant, this is increased slightly to 313 kW/420 hp and 521N-m/384 lb-ft. To the delight of enthusiasts, Nissan continued to offer this iteration of the Z with a 6-speed manual transmission, alongside a 9-speed automatic transmission.

In addition to the slight power bump, Nismo models also got their own styling touches over the standard RZ34s – with a slightly more aggressively designed front grille, Nismo-exclusive RAYS alloy wheels, spoilers/skirts, and red Nismo paint outlines throughout the exterior.

Even though the Z is a car oriented for driving and sporting thrills, you’d be surprised to find a lot of tech and safety equipment onboard. All models include Active Noise Cancellation, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and a digital instrument cluster, on top of performance features like a mechanical limited-slip differential and launch control.

It’s getting harder to find manufacturers that continue to offer a two-door, enthusiast-focused sports car within their lineup, and the Nissan RZ34 easily ticks all of the boxes for those looking for one. Some of the rivals the Nissan faces include the A90-generation Toyota Supra, as well as other powerful, rear-wheel drive two-door sports coupes like the Ford Mustang and BMW M240i (or even its more hardcore M2 Competition variant).

But at the same time, it’s no secret Nissan is currently in one of its worst periods financially – from factories shutting down, to increasing debt, and a product lineup that is struggling to remain competitive against other rival brands. It’s a far cry from the Japanese brand’s former position.

Regardless, some dedicated Nissan supporters or Nissan Z enthusiasts may still be keen to acquire one as these begin to enter the used car market. So, is it still worth looking into the latest Nissan Z or, as much as your heart supports it, is it not worth the risk? Let’s delve further into how these are aging at the moment and what can go wrong with them.

What Goes Wrong with a Nissan RZ34?

Exterior Issues:

The Nissan Z is still a fairly new car, but there have been a few issues owners have reported, largely among the first units delivered.

Owners have experienced intermittent issues with opening and unlocking the rear tailgate, whether through the exterior button or from the inside. Even when a dealer has fixed the issue under warranty, some still experience locking issues.

As with many current-era cars, the quality of the paintwork can also be easily scratched or have surface marks left. It’s highly recommended to get paint protection film applied to the body for guaranteed protection.

Some Zs have also experienced larger-than-normal panel gaps at some body sections – most common are between the front bonnet and bar, as well as both side doors. Ideally, try to have these gaps rectified under warranty by a Nissan dealer, as in more unfortunate cases, owners report that misaligned front bonnets can rub paint off the panel at the base of the A-pillars.

Also, it’s worth mentioning the black finished roof is actually a large exterior sticker/vinyl wrap covering the entire section, so pay attention if it starts to show signs of wear or peeling.

If driving with the windows down, some rattling might be audible from the doors – it isn’t a common issue, but a few owners report this minor build quality issue.

Interior Issues:

Much of the interior, like the chassis and other drivetrain components, has been carried over from the preceding 370Z – but you’ll notice in key areas where Nissan has updated the design and features that don’t give the impression this is a car frozen in time, which was a common complaint of the 370Z in its final years.

Some complaints have come up over the fit and finish of the cabin and interior pieces. Occasional reports from owners have found the leather stitching doesn’t line up between the dashboard and door cards, especially on the Proto trim, which brings yellow stitching details that make these misalignments stick out.

There are also complaints of the number of hard plastics used inside, as well as the artificial leather and other signs that Nissan cut corners within the interior design – such as a handbrake not oriented to right-hand drive configuration, as well as many buttons or switchgear parts carried over from other Nissan models, with no parts unique to the Z, especially given the car’s original retail price. But this is all down to personal taste, and as an upside to using a lot of hard plastics, many owners we spoke to complimented how resilient these interiors are shaping up to be.

The Nissan infotainment system did bring complaints that it felt slightly out of date

Exterior Issues:

The Nissan Z is still a fairly new car, but there have been a few issues owners have reported, largely among the first units delivered.

Owners have experienced intermittent issues with opening and unlocking the rear tailgate, whether through the exterior button or from the inside. Even when a dealer has fixed the issue under warranty, some still experience locking issues.

As with many current-era cars, the quality of the paintwork can also be easily scratched or have surface marks left. It’s highly recommended to get paint protection film applied to the body for guaranteed protection.

Some Zs have also experienced larger-than-normal panel gaps at some body sections – most common are between the front bonnet and bar, as well as both side doors. Ideally, try to have these gaps rectified under warranty by a Nissan dealer, as in more unfortunate cases, owners report that misaligned front bonnets can rub paint off the panel at the base of the A-pillars.

Also, it’s worth mentioning the black finished roof is actually a large exterior sticker/vinyl wrap covering the entire section, so pay attention if it starts to show signs of wear or peeling.

If driving with the windows down, some rattling might be audible from the doors – it isn’t a common issue, but a few owners report this minor build quality issue.

Interior Issues:

Much of the interior, like the chassis and other drivetrain components, has been carried over from the preceding 370Z – but you’ll notice in key areas where Nissan has updated the design and features that don’t give the impression this is a car frozen in time, which was a common complaint of the 370Z in its final years.

Some complaints have come up over the fit and finish of the cabin and interior pieces. Occasional reports from owners have found the leather stitching doesn’t line up between the dashboard and door cards, especially on the Proto trim, which brings yellow stitching details that make these misalignments stick out.

There are also complaints of the number of hard plastics used inside, as well as the artificial leather and other signs that Nissan cut corners within the interior design – such as a handbrake not oriented to right-hand drive configuration, as well as many buttons or switchgear parts carried over from other Nissan models, with no parts unique to the Z, especially given the car’s original retail price. But this is all down to personal taste, and as an upside to using a lot of hard plastics, many owners we spoke to complimented how resilient these interiors are shaping up to be.

The Nissan infotainment system did bring complaints that it felt slightly out of date at the Z’s launch in 2022, but thankfully – this touchscreen headunit brings plenty of modern connectivity features as standard: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. Sporadic instances of connectivity dropouts or issues connecting to the car’s Bluetooth system can happen, but they’re not a frequent issue.

Minor electronic gremlins can also pop up, as with modern era cars, with any of the equipment powered by electricity.

However, it can be easy to scratch the screen, and as reported with other modern Nissan models, the quality of the rear-view camera is quite disappointing, making it impossible to see objects at night. Also disappointing, according to some owners is the BOSE stereo system featured in these cars, but thankfully, with a platform like this, it’s perfectly set up for any number of aftermarket upgrades if desired.

Mechanical issues:

Engines:

This generation of the Nissan Z uses the VR30DDTT V6 engine, a fairly common engine used in more recent Nissan and Infiniti products. Generally, they are quite reliable and only risk experiencing serious powertrain failure or issues if they’ve been modified extensively from their factory state – it’s another case of where the more is left unchanged, the less likely things can go wrong in the future.

The main things to check when owning or inspecting any pre-owned RZ34 is that it’s been serviced regularly and on schedule – no excuse for a car that is still fairly new.

There are reports of the engine block castings being porous (containing holes/gaps), which can lead to coolant loss, but it’s not as common as what you might find from ownership reports online.

Common issues you might encounter include cylinder head cracks near the exhaust port, which can lead to coolant leaks or coolant getting into the oil gallery, causing engine oil contamination, and, left unchecked, usually require new cylinder heads.

Excessive oil consumption is another thing to look for, which can lead to oil starvation if levels get low enough. There are reports of oil starvation causing engine and turbocharger failure, but look further and these are largely affecting those that have been modified, tuned, or used for track activities, versus those that have been kept unmodified, primarily for regular road use.

The Z was designed to be a sports car, and there are aftermarket modifications to mitigate these oil starvation issues, but they’re not cheap.

Transmission:

Between the manual and automatic transmissions, the automatic is a traditional torque converter unit (thankfully not in any way related to the infamous Jatco Continuously Variable Transmissions found in other Nissan products) and is considered quite well built. A small bit of trivia, while it is made by Jatco, it is the same 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission used by Mercedes-Benz.

The manuals also report no major issues, though early models did report some cases of grinding in second gear, which was rectified in later models.

Drivetrain:

We’ve heard many owners complain about the standard Bridgestone tires equipped from the factory – no owner’s groups or forums are short of complaints on how they struggle to put the twin-turbocharged V6’s power down, along with losing grip very easily when pushed through corners at speed. Note this mainly applies to the standard Zs – the Nismo variants come equipped with more grippier and wider Dunlops that handle the car’s power better.

In addition, the Nismo Zs benefited from numerous suspension upgrades over the standard models, which some complained have a softer suspension setup that doesn’t add to the engagement of the car’s chassis.

But, being a Japanese sports car with a dedicated following, much like previous iterations of the Nissan Z, there is extensive aftermarket support that has grown for this car since its launch, allowing for infinite customisation to make your Z unique to your aesthetic and performance tastes.

Exterior Issues:

The Nissan Z is still a fairly new car, but there have been a few issues owners have reported, largely among the first units delivered.

Owners have experienced intermittent issues with opening and unlocking the rear tailgate, whether through the exterior button or from the inside. Even when a dealer has fixed the issue under warranty, some still experience locking issues.

As with many current-era cars, the quality of the paintwork can also be easily scratched or have surface marks left. It’s highly recommended to get paint protection film applied to the body for guaranteed protection.

Some Zs have also experienced larger-than-normal panel gaps at some body sections – most common are between the front bonnet and bar, as well as both side doors. Ideally, try to have these gaps rectified under warranty by a Nissan dealer, as in more unfortunate cases, owners report that misaligned front bonnets can rub paint off the panel at the base of the A-pillars.

Also, it’s worth mentioning the black finished roof is actually a large exterior sticker/vinyl wrap covering the entire section, so pay attention if it starts to show signs of wear or peeling.

If driving with the windows down, some rattling might be audible from the doors – it isn’t a common issue, but a few owners report this minor build quality issue.

Interior Issues:

Much of the interior, like the chassis and other drivetrain components, has been carried over from the preceding 370Z – but you’ll notice in key areas where Nissan has updated the design and features that don’t give the impression this is a car frozen in time, which was a common complaint of the 370Z in its final years.

Some complaints have come up over the fit and finish of the cabin and interior pieces. Occasional reports from owners have found the leather stitching doesn’t line up between the dashboard and door cards, especially on the Proto trim, which brings yellow stitching details that make these misalignments stick out.

There are also complaints of the number of hard plastics used inside, as well as the artificial leather and other signs that Nissan cut corners within the interior design – such as a handbrake not oriented to right-hand drive configuration, as well as many buttons or switchgear parts carried over from other Nissan models, with no parts unique to the Z, especially given the car’s original retail price. But this is all down to personal taste, and as an upside to using a lot of hard plastics, many owners we spoke to complimented how resilient these interiors are shaping up to be.

The Nissan infotainment system did bring complaints that it felt slightly out of date at the Z’s launch in 2022, but thankfully – this touchscreen headunit brings plenty of modern connectivity features as standard: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth connectivity. Sporadic instances of connectivity dropouts or issues connecting to the car’s Bluetooth system can happen, but they’re not a frequent issue.

Minor electronic gremlins can also pop up, as with modern era cars, with any of the equipment powered by electricity.

However, it can be easy to scratch the screen, and as reported with other modern Nissan models, the quality of the rear-view camera is quite disappointing, making it impossible to see objects at night. Also disappointing, according to some owners is the BOSE stereo system featured in these cars, but thankfully, with a platform like this, it’s perfectly set up for any number of aftermarket upgrades if desired.

Mechanical issues:

Engines:

This generation of the Nissan Z uses the VR30DDTT V6 engine, a fairly common engine used in more recent Nissan and Infiniti products. Generally, they are quite reliable and only risk experiencing serious powertrain failure or issues if they’ve been modified extensively from their factory state – it’s another case of where the more is left unchanged, the less likely things can go wrong in the future.

The main things to check when owning or inspecting any pre-owned RZ34 is that it’s been serviced regularly and on schedule – no excuse for a car that is still fairly new.

There are reports of the engine block castings being porous (containing holes/gaps), which can lead to coolant loss, but it’s not as common as what you might find from ownership reports online.

Common issues you might encounter include cylinder head cracks near the exhaust port, which can lead to coolant leaks or coolant getting into the oil gallery, causing engine oil contamination, and, left unchecked, usually require new cylinder heads.

Excessive oil consumption is another thing to look for, which can lead to oil starvation if levels get low enough. There are reports of oil starvation causing engine and turbocharger failure, but look further and these are largely affecting those that have been modified, tuned, or used for track activities, versus those that have been kept unmodified, primarily for regular road use.

The Z was designed to be a sports car, and there are aftermarket modifications to mitigate these oil starvation issues, but they’re not cheap.

Transmission:

Between the manual and automatic transmissions, the automatic is a traditional torque converter unit (thankfully not in any way related to the infamous Jatco Continuously Variable Transmissions found in other Nissan products) and is considered quite well built. A small bit of trivia, while it is made by Jatco, it is the same 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission used by Mercedes-Benz.

The manuals also report no major issues, though early models did report some cases of grinding in second gear, which was rectified in later models.

Drivetrain:

We’ve heard many owners complain about the standard Bridgestone tires equipped from the factory – no owner’s groups or forums are short of complaints on how they struggle to put the twin-turbocharged V6’s power down, along with losing grip very easily when pushed through corners at speed. Note this mainly applies to the standard Zs – the Nismo variants come equipped with more grippier and wider Dunlops that handle the car’s power better.

In addition, the Nismo Zs benefited from numerous suspension upgrades over the standard models, which some complained have a softer suspension setup that doesn’t add to the engagement of the car’s chassis.

But, being a Japanese sports car with a dedicated following, much like previous iterations of the Nissan Z, there is extensive aftermarket support that has grown for this car since its launch, allowing for infinite customisation to make your Z unique to your aesthetic and performance tastes.

Should You Buy One?

Prices currently for the RZ34 start around $55,000, with the more expensive non-Nismo models starting at $75,000, with the Nismo models nearing $100,000.

As enticing as it may be, minus the unique performance and styling features it brings over the standard Z, we don’t feel the Nismo models are worth the premium they ask for. While they come with all of these official Nissan modifications as standard, with a factory warranty, the truth is you could make a non-Nismo Z just as good, if not perform and look better with quality aftermarket modifications, and save a considerable amount of money.

Plus, as observed with the previous 370Z and its Nismo variant, in the long run, the Nismo models might not hold any significant value over the standard Zs.

The RZ34 is also not short of rivals that are equally enticing. BMW’s entry-level two-door sports coupes, the M240i/M2 Competition, as well as the closest Japanese rival the Nissan faces in this segment, the Toyota Supra. However, unlike the Toyota, the Nissan Z is still a fully Japanese-engineered car underneath, meaning more affordable parts and maintenance in the long run, versus the expensive premiums for parts and upkeep you’re more likely to encounter with German-engineered models.

The Ford Mustang is a wild card choice as a rival two-door sports car, and brings far more horsepower and excitement behind its famous nameplate, but the build quality and all-around package are not as balanced as what the Nissan Z offers.

But comparing the Nissan

Prices currently for the RZ34 start around $55,000, with the more expensive non-Nismo models starting at $75,000, with the Nismo models nearing $100,000.

As enticing as it may be, minus the unique performance and styling features it brings over the standard Z, we don’t feel the Nismo models are worth the premium they ask for. While they come with all of these official Nissan modifications as standard, with a factory warranty, the truth is you could make a non-Nismo Z just as good, if not perform and look better with quality aftermarket modifications, and save a considerable amount of money.

Plus, as observed with the previous 370Z and its Nismo variant, in the long run, the Nismo models might not hold any significant value over the standard Zs.

The RZ34 is also not short of rivals that are equally enticing. BMW’s entry-level two-door sports coupes, the M240i/M2 Competition, as well as the closest Japanese rival the Nissan faces in this segment, the Toyota Supra. However, unlike the Toyota, the Nissan Z is still a fully Japanese-engineered car underneath, meaning more affordable parts and maintenance in the long run, versus the expensive premiums for parts and upkeep you’re more likely to encounter with German-engineered models.

The Ford Mustang is a wild card choice as a rival two-door sports car, and brings far more horsepower and excitement behind its famous nameplate, but the build quality and all-around package are not as balanced as what the Nissan Z offers.

But comparing the Nissan in these areas aside, it also has another factor unique to itself that plays a big role in deciding if owning one is recommended. As mentioned in the beginning, Nissan is not currently in good shape as a company, and how many years they have left in markets like Australia is anyone’s guess.

After-sales is also a grey area for owners of current Nissan products like the RZ34, from poor experiences with Nissan dealerships to crucial messages about recalls not being relayed properly to both owners and dealers. For instance, owners we spoke to who had to take in their Zs for a front bumper harness recall only found out about this through media reports, but received no official communication from Nissan (and even left dealers in the dark about critical work like this).

In addition, some owners who book in their Zs for scheduled maintenance at Nissan dealers report dropping them off, but then experience long turnaround times to receive their cars back, as they’re told parts haven’t been ordered yet.

But, consider if Nissan were to exit the Australian market or pull the plug on models like the Z, it would mean the collectible value of the RZ34, as well as previous iterations, could rise considerably, and may become a future classic.

These factors and concerns aside, if you focus on what the Nissan Z can offer – the experience and charm of a traditional Japanese sports car with a perfect balance of modern comforts and amenities. Combined with the extensive aftermarket support that is currently available, and will continue to grow for this model, a secondhand RZ34 can make for a great purchase.