Fear of an '09.... Real or Overblown?
 

I usually avoid the first year of a new model, but should I when it comes to the 370? I've heard stories of '09's burning oil, having steering wheel lock issues, as well as a couple of other things. Are these problems really serious enough to make an '09 that much more of a risk? Have most of these issues been addressed via recalls? FYI, the only '09's I'm considering are Nismos (I know, I know a lot of you guys have said they aren't worth the extra money). I mean we are talking Nissan here, it's not like I'm looking at a five year old Maserati.

If you did a little searching on the Internets like most of us do you would know that the 2009 370Z is perfectly fine and not an issue.

I heard 2010 Maximas had terrible issues.

Every car will have an issue or two.

Well these other post didnt really help, but I have an 09 and have had no oil issues, i did have the steering wheel lock replaced on the recall but other than that you should be good. I see you live in San Antonio which I assume gets warmer so if your worried about the oil invest a few $$ and get an oil cooler and you should be g2g

Its absolutely fine, oil consumption only on the engine breaking period and overheating is the other prob can be fixed by an oil cooler, steering wheel problem can be fixed after u start ur car and pull the lock fuse. Other than that is the slave cylinder on manual trannys, but if u dont ride the clutch its ok, well i dont have any problems with my ride so far and its early 2010 21k miles driven hard in nyc.

Mines a 2009 and it has been having problems like feces coming out of the air conditioning vents for some reason I think nissan fixed the problem for 2010

The 2009 model is perfectly fine. Stop trippin :tup:

you probably couldn't wait to go home and use the restroom so you decided to let it loose near the vents :bowrofl:

I've heard everything on the internet is true :stirthepot:

09 here and its perfect, only did steering lock recall

Join Date: Feb 2009

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considering its the same vq37 as the rest, the only thing u will gain with a later model is an updated steering lock and a half an oil cooler thing

Not true. Oil consumption was a problem with some motors, but it would have been replaced by now. CSC failure has nothing to do with how you drive it. It's just luck yours hasn't failed.

I agree with first year models and bought extended coverage, thus far unnecessary.

I'm happy with my 2009Z.

I bought mine in April 2009, no oil burning, I've removed the steering wheel lock fuse, and had the rear hatch springs replaced under a Nissan TSB. And, BTW, these problems are not unique to the 2009 model year.

Basically, I still love my Z and it's not given me any troubles at all.

Well, it costs less to purchase an older model so look at it from that perspective too. If you find a clean one with low mileage it will probably be fine. My '11 has been great but the seat bottom padding is crap on the left side for some reason.

According to my neighbor down the street, 09 and 14 are EXACTLY the same.

I met your neighbor, he's pretty shifty.

Hey, stop talking bout me!! Attachment 83011

My 2009 at 18k drove it 600 miles at 80 mph entire way checked oil upon arriving (let it settle-natch), none used!

I'm a French Model...:tup:

State Farm® - State of Disbelief (French Model) - YouTube

2009 models are fine. Get an oil cooler with the $ you save getting an 09 instead of a newer year.

In general the rule of avoiding the first production year of a brand new car is a good one.

I bought my 2009 brand new in January 2010 and have about 55k miles on it now. I have had zero major problems with the car to date. This is honestly the most reliable car I've owned so far. Yes, the steering lock can fail but there is a work around to prevent the issue from ever happening. Yes, the rear hatch sticks, mild nuisance. Yes, you need an aftermarket oil cooler if you're going to be tracking the car; for just daily driving the car it is not needed.

I am starting to burn oil now however. As of my most recent oil change, after about 6k miles, I had burned a quart of oil. Nothing crazy but something to keep an eye on. I have no evidence to back this up but I I've heard that about up to a quart burned every 3000 miles is acceptable. Anyone able to speak on that at all?

I wouldn't buy an 09 without a power train warranty.
I wouldn't buy any 370 without it

The problems with the 09 were certainly real for me. All engines are certainly not the same, as the VQ37 goes through different revisions through the manufacturing process.

I personally wouldn't purchase an 09 without a powertrain warranty. The rest of the issues aren't anything you wouldn't deal with when it comes to later years.

You will be buying a used car. Probably from a non enthusiast who could have deferred maintenance etc and some of the 09's had issues listed by others here. No purchase without some records and a thorough inspection then test drive. An extended warranty or powertrain coverage would be a must for any used performance vehicle.

My 09 is great! Only issue in mine is I have Navigation and the damn headunit on that is different than any other model and the ******* knobs wont turn right. You turn it up, It turns down, no matter how long you turn it. Then you try to turn down and it might go down or up. Im guessing the headunit will be a grand so im sketch about replacing it uggh. Still, that's only a very small amount of cars with that problem, ive heard others with same issue.

Mine does that too. The dial knobs on the headunit sold with the Navigation unit are junk. I can turn them and they will sometime do nothing, turn the temp up one degree actual temp is turned down by 5 degrees, turn the volume down, volume actually turns up. I've even had the volume go to max or min setting all on its own while I'm driving. Luckily the temp knob doesn't have this issue (yet) and just the volume self adjusts on occasion. I've learned to just stick to the buttons on the steering wheel and the issue hasn't happened with the volume since. Its annoying but doesn't make the car any less reliable. More often than not I have the radio off anyway.

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As a general rule, when buying a used car, you want the latest model year and lowest wear you can find/afford.

If that turns out to be a '09, just be sure to do your research on potential issues.

Guys, just pull the knobs off and spray Cramolin Red (an electronics cleaner) into the little black boxes at the end of the rotary shaft of the knob, and then spin the knob quickly, this cleaner/lubricant fixed mine first time.

I took it into the dealer, pretty simple fix

I have an 09 (purchased new) w/manual transmission. The engine was replaced at 33,000, due to excessive oil use(warranty covered the cost), steering wheel lock replaced (recalled issued) & Clutch Slave Cylinder/Clutch Master Cylinder replaced at 38,000 mi. On 4/13/13, Service Bulletin NTB13-026A was issued. My repair cost was $1,200.00. The same problem re-occurred at 45,000 miles-dealer stated they couldn't find anything wrong....yesterday Clutch Slave Cylinder is out again (est cost $1,200.00).

If you are considering the 370, check oil, with each fill up, buy an automatic trans, or be prepared to randomly spend $1,000 & up for Clutch Slave Cylinders/Master Cylinders on a routine bases, as this has been an issue since 05 & the 350z. Purchase extended warranty if buying.

Just my experiences....do not race my car, or drive erratic or aggressive. Current mileage is approx. 53,000 miles.

You should get your money back for the steering lock. And you should replace the CSC with a ZSpeed one