PlainCars

NISSAN 240SX · model year

1989 NISSAN 240SX

46 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1989NISSAN240SX carries 46 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1989 240SX is fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:injectors with 6 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (3) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 54 investigation files overlapping the 1989 240SX, and 5 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

46
Complaints
3
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

46 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS6
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE3
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
SEAT BELTS3
VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY2
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR2
STEERING:COLUMN2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES2
POWER TRAIN1
STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM1
STEERING1
CHILD SEAT1

Recent Complaints

20120516SEAT BELTS

WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY CAR THE ELECTRONIC SEAT BELT WENT FORWARD, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS IM UNBUCKLED AND IT WONT GO BACK TO THE BUCKLED POSITION FOR SOME REASON.

Mileage: 126,000

20090924SEAT BELTS

AUTOMATIC SEAT BELT DOESN'T MOVE WHEN DOOR IS OPENED OR CLOSED. *TR

Mileage: 205,000

20030725FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE INTERIOR OF VEHICLE. *AK

Mileage: 123,900

20030614SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

THE LOWER BOLT THAT HOLDS THE BACK, LEFT BRAKE CALIPER HAS BROKEN TWICE WITHIN 3 YEARS. *NLM

Mileage: 130,000

20000922FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

FUEL INJECTORS LEAKING-- 2 OUT OF THE 4

20000906FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING GAS, AND ITS A FIRE HAZARD.*AK

20000309SEAT BELTS

SEAT BELT MOTOR DOES NOT WORK, AND THE SHOULDER BUCKLE DOES NOT LOCK IN PLACE, MAKING THE SHOULDER BELT USELESS. *AK

19990826SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

SEAT BELTRETRACTOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ISN'T WORKING, AND THERE IS A FUEL LEAKAGE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTORS. *AK

19990826FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

SEAT BELTRETRACTOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ISN'T WORKING, AND THERE IS A FUEL LEAKAGE WITHIN THE FUEL INJECTORS. *AK

19990420ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE IS STALLS AND DIES DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. *AK

19990324FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

FUEL INJECTORS ON CYLINDERS 1 AND 2 DEVELOPED FUEL EXTERNAL FUEL LEAKS. THIS WAS NOT THE SEALS AS THEY WERE REPLACED AND HAD NO EFFECT ON THE LEAK. INJECTOR REPLACEMENT @ $100 EACH SOLVED THE PROBLEM. POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *AK

19981206FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

ALL FUEL INJECTERS KEPT LEAKING AND SPILLING GAS,THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO FIX IT RIGHT CAUSING FIRE

19980910FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

STRONG GAS ODOR AROUND VEHICLE. OWNER CANNOT LOCATE ANY LEAKS.

19980424VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN A VEHICLE COLLISION.

19980327CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

SUDDEN ACCELERATION,RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/COLLISION. *AK

19970529FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS

FUEL INJECTORS: FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING. EGR IS BROKEN, , VACUUM IS CRACKED. *AK

19970529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

FUEL INJECTORS: FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING. EGR IS BROKEN, , VACUUM IS CRACKED. *AK

19970529ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)

FUEL INJECTORS: FUEL INJECTORS ARE LEAKING. EGR IS BROKEN, , VACUUM IS CRACKED. *AK

19970109VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO CASES OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK

19970109VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO CASES OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *AK

Compare 1989NISSAN240SX to Similar Vehicles

240SX vs FORDF-150 → 240SX vs FORDEXPLORER → 240SX vs JEEPGRAND CHEROKEE → 240SX vs FORDESCAPE →

NHTSA Investigations 5 Open

PE25005Preliminary EvaluationOpen

Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture

PE24020Preliminary EvaluationOpen

Inner Tie Rod Failures

PE24017Preliminary EvaluationOpen

Side curtain air bags may deploy inadvertently

PE24007Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Reduced Power After Engine Stall

PE23020Preliminary EvaluationClosed

Loss of motive power due to broken crankshaft with no ability to restart.

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1989 NISSAN 240SX have?▼
The 1989 NISSAN 240SX has 46 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 NISSAN 240SX?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 NISSAN 240SX is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:INJECTORS with 6 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
Is the 1989 NISSAN 240SX safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Understanding NHTSA Complaints → Vehicle Recalls Explained → Safest Car Brands 2026 → Most Reliable Used Cars → Lemon Law Guide →

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.