Total Complaints
16 filings
NISSAN PICKUP · model year
1990 NISSAN PICKUP
16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1990NISSANPICKUP carries 16 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, 5 injuries, 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 1990 PICKUP is seat belts:front:buckle assembly with 3 filings, followed by seat belts:front:webbing (2) and seat belts:front:anchorage (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 1990 PICKUP, 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.
16
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
1
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING | 2 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010131POWER TRAIN
I AM REPORTING A DEFECT WITH THE SPEEDOMETER OF MY 1990 NISSAN PICKUP. I FOUND THAT DUE TO AGE THAT THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE DROOPS DOWN TOWARD THE FACE /DIAL OF THE SPEEDOMETER AND STARTED RUBBING. IT MADE CONTACT AND STOPPED INDICATING AT APPROX. 45 MPH THE FIRST TIME. THIS GOT MY SON A TICKET. I DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM WHEN HE TOLD ME HE WASN'T SPEEDING UNTIL I GOT A TICKET. THIS TIME THE NEEDLE WAS STUCK AT APPROX. 37 MPH AND WOULDN'T GO ANY HIGHER. I HAVE CUT THE END OF THE NEEDLE OFF TWICE SINCE THEN AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS GETTING READY TO RUB AGAIN. I HOPE THAT THIS WILL MAKE OWNERS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND MAY PREVENT THEM FROM GETTING A SPEEDING TICKET..DETNEGR T AG A. *AK
20000226SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
PAULA ORDERD THAT THIS TRUCK WAS PUT ON THE ROAD AFTER CDS (MECHANICS) TOLD HER ITS NOT ROAD WORTHY. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK
20000226PARKING BRAKE:CONVENTIONAL
PAULA ORDERD THAT THIS TRUCK WAS PUT ON THE ROAD AFTER CDS (MECHANICS) TOLD HER ITS NOT ROAD WORTHY. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK
20000226ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
PAULA ORDERD THAT THIS TRUCK WAS PUT ON THE ROAD AFTER CDS (MECHANICS) TOLD HER ITS NOT ROAD WORTHY. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK
20000218ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
19990930POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION HANGS UP IN THIRD GEAR WHEN DECELERATING. CAN NOT DOWNSHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR. PROBLEM OCCURS ONLY IN COLD WEATHER. DEALER SAYS HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT CAUSES THIS.
19980909ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 30 MPH ENGINE SHUT DOWN OR STALLED ON THE HIGH WAY WITHOUT A WARNING. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK
19970904SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FRONT SEAT BELT RELEASE BUTTON RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS.
19970717FatalSEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELTS FAILED IN ACCIDENT, RESULTING IN INJURIES AND ONE FATALITY.
19961231SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE
SEAT BELT FAILURE.
19961210SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LATCH, RECEIVED RECALL AFTER HAVING REPLACED BUCKLE . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
19950608POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
4X4 TRANSFER CASE DESIGN CAUSES METAL PARTICLES TO GET CAUGHT INSIDE TRANSMISSION COOLANT LINE, PREVENTING RADIATOR COOLER FROM PLUGGING. *SKD
19950516CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
TRUCK WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND DRIVER SEAT BELT FAILED CONSUMER HIT THE STEERING WHEEL TRUCK WAS TOTALED. TT
19950501SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING
DRIVER/PASSENGER SIDE FAILED TO PROPER RETAIN OCCUPANTS. SEATBELTS REPLACED. TT
19950417SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
THE FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE IS HARD TO LOCK AND TO KEEP LOCKED, SOMETIMES IT POPS OUT OF SEAT BELT BUCKLE # TK 521. TT
19950414SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS SEATBELT BUCKLE WILL NOT FASTEN DUE TO CHIPS PIECES OF RELEASE BUTTON ON BUCKLE. (TK810820) PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. TT
Compare 1990NISSANPICKUP 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 1990 NISSAN PICKUP have?▼
The 1990 NISSAN PICKUP has 16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 NISSAN PICKUP?▼
The most-complained component for the 1990 NISSAN PICKUP is SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WEBBING and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE.
Is the 1990 NISSAN PICKUP 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.