PlainCars

NISSAN 240SX · model year

1993 NISSAN 240SX

20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1993NISSAN240SX carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, and 1 fatality. 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 1993 240SX is steering: steering wheel/handle bar with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc (2) and seat belts (2). 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 1993 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.

20
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

20 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC2
SEAT BELTS2
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES1
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS1
SEATS1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH1

Recent Complaints

20100608SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 NISSAN 240 SX. THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN AROUND THE CHEST AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DIAGNOSTIC LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE SIGNAL SENDING UNIT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE SEAT BELT WAS ONLY WARRANTED FOR THREE YEARS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

Mileage: 140,000

20030904CrashFatalTIRES:TREAD/BELT

AVOIDING A CAR CRASHING DIRECTLY INTO MY LEFT SIDE I SURVED AND LOSS CONTROL OF MY CAR. THEN MY FRONT LEFT TIRE BLEW, CAUSING ME TO CRASH INTO THE MEDIAN ON THE FREEWAY.*AK IMPROPERLY DESIGNED OR CONSTRUCTED TIRES THAT MAY BLOW OUT UNEXPECTEDLY

20000623STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP, AND THE IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN. I HAVE REPLACED BOTH THE IGNITION AND THE STARTER, AND STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *AK

20000623ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP, AND THE IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN. I HAVE REPLACED BOTH THE IGNITION AND THE STARTER, AND STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *AK

20000623ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE STEERING WHEEL HAS LOCKED UP, AND THE IGNITION KEY WILL NOT TURN. I HAVE REPLACED BOTH THE IGNITION AND THE STARTER, AND STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *AK

19991013SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

BRAKES GRIND AND WEAROUT VERY FAST ROTOR WEAR IS PREMATURE

19990407FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

19990128SEAT BELTS

AUTOMATIC SEATBELT FAILED ON 3 OCCASIONS WITH NO APPARENT REASON. WHEN IGNITION WAS TURNED, SEATBELT DID NOT ENGAGE. *AK

19981024SEATS

WHILE THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME, THE SEAT BACKS IN THE 240SX FATIGUE OVER THE YEARS AND EVENTUALLY FAIL IN NORMAL USE. THE SECTION OF THE FRAME WHERE THE BOLTS HOLDING THE SEAT BACK ARE MOUNTED PEELS AWAY OVER TIME, ALLOWING THE BOLT HEAD TO PULL THROUGH, AT WHICH POINT THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSES. I CURRENTLY HAVE A LIST OF 5 PEOPLE TO WHICH THIS HAS HAPPENED ON 6 CARS.

19961213SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

EXCESSIVE BRAKE SERVICE PAD/ROTOR; EXP. EXCESSIVE WEAR OF PADS AND RESURFACED AGING OF ROTORS, WHILE BRAKING EXP. INTERMITTENT HYDRAULIC LIGHT APPEARENCE, GRINDING NOISE, SPONGY PEDAL AND LOW PEDAL, AFTER BEING FIXED BY PRIVATE GARAGE, GRINDING NOISE PERSISTS. *AK

19961213SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

EXCESSIVE BRAKE SERVICE PAD/ROTOR; EXP. EXCESSIVE WEAR OF PADS AND RESURFACED AGING OF ROTORS, WHILE BRAKING EXP. INTERMITTENT HYDRAULIC LIGHT APPEARENCE, GRINDING NOISE, SPONGY PEDAL AND LOW PEDAL, AFTER BEING FIXED BY PRIVATE GARAGE, GRINDING NOISE PERSISTS. *AK

19961213SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

EXCESSIVE BRAKE SERVICE PAD/ROTOR; EXP. EXCESSIVE WEAR OF PADS AND RESURFACED AGING OF ROTORS, WHILE BRAKING EXP. INTERMITTENT HYDRAULIC LIGHT APPEARENCE, GRINDING NOISE, SPONGY PEDAL AND LOW PEDAL, AFTER BEING FIXED BY PRIVATE GARAGE, GRINDING NOISE PERSISTS. *AK

19960722ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO TWO DEAD CELLS IN BATTERY. *DH

19960722STRUCTURE:BODY

SEAL BETWEEN ROOF AND BODY KEEPS COMING OFF, CAUSING LEAK. *DH

19960314STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

STEERING WHEEL FAILED. *SD

19960314VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES

MIRRORS FAILED. *SD

19960314LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

DOOR LOCKS FAILED. *SD

19960314ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

HORN FAILED 8 TIMES. *SD

19960314VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED. *SD

19960314ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TIMING CHAIN FAILED 8 TIMES. *SD

Compare 1993NISSAN240SX 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 1993 NISSAN 240SX have?▼
The 1993 NISSAN 240SX has 20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1993 NISSAN 240SX?▼
The most-complained component for the 1993 NISSAN 240SX is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC and SEAT BELTS.
Is the 1993 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

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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.