1990 Nissan 240SX problems & reliability
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1990 Nissan 240SX. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1990 Nissan 240SX vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 20 | 47% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 12% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 9% |
| Seats | 4 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 5% |
| Structure | 2 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 1 | 2% |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1990 nissan 240sx. The contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign number: 95v103002 (seat belts). The contact was experiencing a failure; however, the dealer would not honor the recall and wanted to charge the contact for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure…”
Seat Belts · filed Sep 8, 2016
“The factory break boosters on nissan 240sx model years 1989-1998 leak and drip break fluid onto the frame rail, eating away the rust preventive coating. This allows the elements to contact bare metal, oxidizing it and both weakening the structure of the vehicle and potentially causing the breaks to fail.”
Structure · filed Mar 23, 2016
“I have purchased this auto april 20, 2005. I drove it for approximately two weeks. Then an overpowering odor of gasoline emitted in the passenger compartment. Upon inspection of the engine compartment, there was gasoline leaking from the fuel rail. I have had the o-rings and insulators replaced on all four fuel…”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed May 15, 2005
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL LEAKS FROM FUEL INJECTORS
Recall Query RQ99021 · opened Nov 2, 1999 · closed May 22, 2000 · led to recall 95I006000
- TAKATA SEAT BELT BUCKLE FAILURE
Engineering Analysis EA95007 · opened Mar 10, 1995 · closed Aug 2, 1995 · led to recall 95V103002
Technical service bulletins
25 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1990 Nissan 240SX. The 10 most recent:
DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB08-097L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2023
SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or…
NTB23-053 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These…
NTB23-049 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-107F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 2023
INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB16-003C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2023
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-028H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB09-081J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB10-126C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB08-097K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB99-001F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1990 Nissan 240SX in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1990 Nissan 240SX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.