RoadVitals

1986 Nissan 200SX

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Mar 7, 2001
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 11 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1986 Nissan 200SX, most frequently naming the seat belts, engine and fuel system categories. 3 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Seat belts433.3%
  • Engine325.0%
  • Fuel system216.7%
  • Interior & seats18.3%
  • Exterior lighting18.3%
  • Tires & wheels18.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 11
Engine
Filed Mar 7, 2001

WHOLE CAR SHAKES BECAUSE OF THIS ENGINE. *AK

NHTSA ID
742097
Incident
Feb 28, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 6, 2000

I WAS DOING A LOT OF INTERSTATE DRIVING. THE FIRST ONE SHREDDED IN CENTRAL IDAHO AND THE SECOND IN SALT LAKE. I WAS LIVING IN DENVER AT THE TIME AND GOT NOWHERE WITH THE DEALER. SAID IT MUST HAVE BEEN MY FAULT OR ROAD CONDITIONS, ETC. YA RIGHT, SOUND FAMILIAR. PASSED ME ON TO AN 800 NUMBER. I MOVED TO SEATTLE TRIED TO FOLLOW UP AGAIN BUT KEP GETTING PASSED OFF BETWEEN DEALER AND 800 NUMBER AND FINALLY GAVE UP. I STILL HAVE TWO OF THOSE ORIGINAL FOUR TIRES. ONLY TIME WILL TELL IF THEY BLOW ALSO. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P195/60R15 )

NHTSA ID
730446
Incident
Sep 20, 1998
Fuel system
Filed Jan 20, 2000

VEHICLE WAS NOT GETTING GAS AT FIRST & HAD DIED OUT ON HIGHWAY. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP & HAD TEMPORARY REPAIR DONE ON FUEL PUMP WIRING HARNESS. LATER, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE INSIDE VEHICLE AFTER HAVING FUEL PUMP REPAIRED. VEHICLE WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THE SAME LEAKAGE PROBLEM. TOOK VEHICLE BACK & WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC VEHICLE COULD BE DRIVING FROM MASSACHUSETTS TO RHODE ISLAND WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. OWNER WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH ANSWER. *AK

NHTSA ID
855261
Incident
Dec 20, 1999
EngineSeat belts
Filed Sep 23, 1998

EXHAUST SYSTEM HAS FAILED CAUSING LEAKS ON THREE OCCASIONS.

NHTSA ID
541048
Engine
Filed Oct 8, 1997

EXHAUST LEAKED INTO PASSENGER'S COMPARTMENT, CAUSING CONSTANT SMELL OF EXHAUST FLUID. THERE IS A POSSIBLE RISK OF CARBON MONOXIDE. *AK

NHTSA ID
523855
Incident
Aug 1, 1995
Interior & seats
Filed May 6, 1997

THE HOOD ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPLACED (3) TIMES SINCE PURCHASING VEHICLE IN DECEMBER OF 1995. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE HOOD BECOMES UNLATCHED, HITS THE WINDSHIELD AND FLIES RIGHT OVER THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
806458
Incident
Dec 16, 1996
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 11, 1997

HEADLIGHTS AND COMMUNCATION SYSTEM, THE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE HEADLIGHTS/LIGHTING SYSTEMS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HAD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, CONTINUES TO FAIL. *AK

NHTSA ID
807778
Incident
Jan 15, 1997
Fuel system
Filed Apr 8, 1996

FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING FUEL ONTO MANIFOLD; COULD CAUSE ENGINE FIRE; 4 CYLNDER; NOT INCLUDED IN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY NHTSA #951006000. *AK

NHTSA ID
982411
Incident
Mar 18, 1996

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

NTB-09-101

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

NISSAN: TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) WARNING LIGHT ON/FLASHING. NO MODELS OR MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE UPDATED ON 08-11-2011. *KB

NTB-09-129

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

NISSAN: VENT CONTROL VALVE REPLACEMENT. WHEN REPLACING THE EVAP CANISTER VENT CONTROL VALVE FOR REASON: USE THE ONE LISTED ON PAGE 2; FOR VENT CONTROL VALVE REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE, REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE SECTION OF THE ELECTRONIC SERVICE MANUALS (ESM; WHEN INSTALLING THE NEW VALVE, DO NOT ADD ANY LUBE TO ITS O RING; FOR FRONTIER (D40 SERIES) ONLY, INSTALL THE PROTECTOR LISTED IN PARTS INFORMATION. *PE INCLUDES 2005-09 FRONTIER. UPDATED 12/8/10. *PE

NTB-09-030

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

NISSAN: THE 12 VOLT BATTERY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IS REQUIRED TO STAY CONNECTED WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS/CAUTIONS. NO MODEL YEARS LISTED. *PE

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Nissan 200SX by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2001200—
1999010—
1998182048.0
1997162048.9
1996372048.7
1995513062.3
1991101—
1990001—
1989101—
1988821—
1987132158.3
1986Viewing110028.7
1985600—
1984102—
1983102—
1982002—
1981000—
1980010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.