1994 Nissan D21 problems & reliability
65 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1994 Nissan D21, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
5 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure → | 23 | 35% |
| Tires | 9 | 14% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 12% |
| Power Train | 7 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 6% |
| Seats | 3 | 5% |
| Suspension | 3 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 120,000 miles (middle 50% between 110,000 and 150,000 miles), based on 21 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I have a 1994 nissan pu d21 . I just noticed that the frame has a rusty hole on the frame at the front on the passenger side . For my safety and others I can't drive this truck . I hope nissan will pay attention this issue before someone get killed .”
Structure · filed Feb 3, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1994 nissan d21 equipped with 4 toyo eclipse tires, size: 195/75/r14. The contact was driving 65 mph when the steering wheel and the vehicle began to wobble. The vehicle was merged off the roadway and the contact noticed that the rear passenger's side tire was deformed. The tire was replaced…”
Tires · filed Sep 3, 2013
“Frame broke loose in 7 spots once a week I was patching then I would find a new spot but now from is to soft to even put a jack under it to get the spare tire on I finally had to retire it. But this truck only has 81000 on it. *tr”
Structure · filed Oct 8, 2012
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SEAT BELT LATCH FAILURES
Recall Query RQ02009 · opened Apr 11, 2002 · closed Dec 17, 2002 · led to recall 02V281000
- INADVERTENT RELEASE OF PARKING BRAKE
Preliminary Evaluation PE95024 · opened Apr 12, 1995 · closed Jul 27, 1995
Technical service bulletins
35 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1994 Nissan D21. 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
The 1994 Nissan D21 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
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 1994 Nissan D21?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 120,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.