Total Complaints
1 filings
NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK · model year
1988 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988NISSANNISSAN TRUCK carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, 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 1988 NISSAN TRUCK is electrical system: instrument cluster/panel with 1 filings. 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 1988 NISSAN TRUCK, 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20090212ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
THE DESCRIPTION OF THE INCIDENT INVOLVES THE APPARENT AND FREQUENT DEGRADATION OF SPEEDOMETER NEEDLES IN NISSAN VEHICLES. THE DEGRADATION (CURLING) IS A CONSEQUENCE OF HEAT. I LIVE IN TUCSON AND APPARENTLY THE RATE AND PROBABILITY OF OCCURRENCE IS REGULAR AND WIDESPREAD. THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HEAT WAS A FACTOR IN WHY THE PLASTIC NEEDLES CURL. CURLING PREVENTS THE SPEEDOMETER FROM OPERATING TO REGISTER CURRENT SPEED AS IF STUCK. THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT COVER THE REPAIR EXCEPT TO REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER AT OWNER'S EXPENSE OR TO REFER TO A THIRD PARTY REPAIR AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. GIVEN THE RELIABILITY OF NISSAN VEHICLES THIS DEFECT IS A CLEAR SAFETY CONCERN SINCE THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE ONCE CURLED DOES NOT WORK. NO VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED REGARDLESS OF RELIABILITY HAS EVER HAD A DEFECT (CURLING) OF THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE, THEY OPERATE FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. TO HAVE TO SPEND $600+ OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE A SPEEDOMETER WHICH ONLY NEEDS A NEEDLE REPLACEMENT
Mileage: 105,000
Compare 1988NISSANNISSAN TRUCK to Similar Vehicles
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK have?▼
The 1988 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1988 NISSAN NISSAN TRUCK 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
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.