Total Complaints
8 filings
NISSAN PULSAR · model year
1988 NISSAN PULSAR
8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988NISSANPULSAR carries 8 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 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 PULSAR is engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline with 2 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (1) and engine and engine cooling:engine (1). 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 PULSAR, 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.
8
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010316CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE. PRIVATE MECHANIC LOOKED AT VEHICLE AND COULD NOT DETERMINE A REASON FOR FAILURE. CONSUMER DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN SHE REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER AT A STOP LIGHT. BRAKES WERE FUNCTIONAL 2 MONTHS AFTER ACCIDENT, THEN FAILED AGAIN. ERRATIC OPERATION WITH BRAKE FAILURE 3 TIMES. *AK
20000317ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHEN WE WERE WAITING BEFORE A RED LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN, IT BECAME DEAD SUDDENLY. THIS SITUATION HAPPENED FIVE TIMES WITHIN ONE WEEK. FOR THESE FIVE TIMES,WE RESTARTED IT AFTER A WHILE FOR THREE TIMES, JUMPED IT ONE TIME AND THE OTHER TIME WE COULD NOT RESTART IT AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE(WITHOUT TRYING TO JUMP IT) BUT MADE IT THE NEXT DAY. WE HAVE CHANGED THE BATTERY AND SENT IT TO AUTO REPAIR. THE MECHANIAN CHECKED IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM! *AK
19990506ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT I WAS UNAWARE OF ANYONE WHOME COULD HELP ME. I HAVE PAPERS PROVING THAT IN 1988 NISSAN PULSARS , AFTER 30,000 MILES, PLATINUM PARKS PLUGS ARE TO BE USED DURING A TUNE UP. IN THE BOSH MANUAL FOR SPARK PLUGS IT STATES THAT THIS IS UNNECCESARY. NISSAN AGREES THAT IS IS, HOWEVER, FAILES TO DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH BOSH. BOSH ALSO REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. OR TO CHANGE THEIR MANUAL. THE DAMAGE DONE TO MY VEHICLE DUE TO NON PLATINUM SPARK PLUGS BEING USED WAS FOR MY COILS TO BURN UP. DURING THIS SAME TIME IT WAS FOUND THAT MY VALVES WERE ALL BENT. THE TOTAL BILL WAS 2,000 DOLLARS, HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WAS DUE TO THE SPARK PLUGS. I WAS WARN OUT IN PURSUEING THIS BY DISAPPEARING EMPLOYEES AND PHONE NUMBERS SUDDENLY DISCONNECTED WHENEVER A SOLUTION WAS NEAR. DURING THIS TIME I WAS UNDER FINANCIAL STRAIN AND WAS UNABLE TO TRAVEL TO INDIANA SMALL CLAIMS TO PURSUE THE ISSUE. HAVE YOU HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE
19990420FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
FUEL INJECTORS LEAK SIMILARLY TO 300ZX,200SX,AND MAXIMA THAT WERE VOLUNTARILY REPAIRED BY NISSAN. THERE IS A GREAT FIRE DANGER AND MILEAGE AND DRIVABILITY PROBLEM. NISSAN REFUSES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, STATING THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF A DEFECT IN THE INJECTORS OF THE '88 PULSAR WITH MULTI-PORT INJECTION EVENTHOUGH IT IS THE SAME MANUFACTURER AS THE REPLACED '88 300 ET AL, AND HAS THE SAME EXACT SAFETY PROBLEM. *AK
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CRACKED HEAD GASKET, CAUSING OIL LEAK.
19960425STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK
POWER STEERING RACK FAILED. *DSH
19960425SUSPENSION:MULTIPLE AXLE
RIGHT AXLE FAILED.
19960325FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
EXPERIENCING FUEL LEAK IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT, RECALL THAT RELATES, BUT NOT INLCUDED (87V-191). *AK
Compare 1988NISSANPULSAR 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 PULSAR have?▼
The 1988 NISSAN PULSAR has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 NISSAN PULSAR?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 NISSAN PULSAR is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1988 NISSAN PULSAR 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.