What breaks most · 1991 to 2001 model years
Nissan 200SX problems by year
Owners have filed 125 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Nissan 200SX across model years 1991 to 2001. Three years stand out: 1995 for air bags complaints, 1996 for air bags complaints and 1998 for visibility complaints. The quietest years are 1991.
- Years to check closely: 1995, 1996, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 1991
- Complaints on file
- 1251991 to 2001, all trims
- Worst year
- 199551 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 233 fires · 20 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 105kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 9Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Seat belts (1) | |
| 51 | 18 | 3 | Air bags (26) | |
| 37 | 3 | 2 | Air bags (12) | |
| 16 | 1 | 2 | Air bags (5) | |
| 18 | 1 | 2 | Visibility (3) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 1995 Nissan 200SX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 51% |
26 | 15 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 14% |
7 | 1 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1995 Nissan 200SX |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 8% |
4 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1995 Nissan 200SX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 8% |
4 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1995 Nissan 200SX |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 6% |
3 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1995 Nissan 200SX |
| Unknown or other | 6% |
3 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 1995 Nissan 200SX |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 4% |
2 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 1995 Nissan 200SX |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Consumer has been experiencing problems with anti-lock brake system. While driving during inclement weather, applied brakes and brakes locked up, causing vehicle to skid across the road. The 5-speed vehicle shut off, but continued performing normally when the vehicle was restarted. *ak
-
Wiper arm linkage pops off as described in the recall section, both wipers become non-functional. Local nissan dealer will not honor the recall, stating that my car does not have the defective part - no record of this recall being performed linked to this VIN.
-
While driving in inclement weather the windshield wipers would come on and go off on their own. The dealer was aware the problem. The mechanic informed the driver that the windshield wiper motor needed replacement. Please provide additional information. *jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Nissan 200SX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1995, 1996, 1998 carry the most filings on the Nissan 200SX. The 1995 alone has 51 complaints, led by air bags.
What is the most common Nissan 200SX problem?
On the 1995 model year, the most-reported component is air bags with 26 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Nissan 200SX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Nissan 200SX complaints that include mileage is about 105,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.