1987 Nissan Maxima problems & reliability
176 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Nissan Maxima. 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 (6 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 100 | 57% |
| Electrical System | 22 | 13% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 12% |
| Seat Belts | 15 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 4% |
| Visibility | 6 | 3% |
| Power Train | 5 | 3% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 2% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% |
| Steering | 2 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“1987 nissan maxima. The consumer writes in regard to vehicle fire under the hood. *smd the consumer stated while driving, one of the passengers started to smell burning wire. Soon after his wife noticed smoke coming from under the hood. The consumer managed to get to a safe spot and was able to put the fire out. The…”
Electrical System · filed Nov 27, 2012
“Vehicle was being operated and then was parked due to fuel leaking. Engine caught on fire, and vehicle was completely destroyed. Fire department determined fuel leak due to faulty fuel line and fuel injection.*ak”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Jun 30, 2004
“Re: 1987 nissan maxim I own 3 of these vehicles. In 2 of them, the pressurized fuel line coming out of the gas tank has failed, allowing strong fuel vapors to enter the passenger compartment. This line is directly under the rear passenger seat and raw fuel also is able to flow under the seat. *la”
Fuel System, Gasoline · filed Nov 3, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL INJECTOR ASSEMBLY LEAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA94018 · opened Jun 23, 1994 · closed Nov 8, 1995 · led to recall 95I006000
- SUDDEN ACCELERATION
Defect Petition DP92009 · opened Apr 20, 1992 · closed Aug 20, 1992
Technical service bulletins
3 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Nissan Maxima.
Nissan: tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) warning light on/flashing. No models or model years listed. *pe updated on 08-11-2011. *kb
NTB-09-101 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2010
Nissan: vent control valve replacement. When replacing the evap canister vent control valve for reason: use the one listed on page 2; for vent control valve replacement procedure, refer to the appropriate section of the…
NTB-09-129 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2010
Nissan: the 12 volt battery is an important part of the vehicle electrical system and is required to stay connected when the engine is running. To prevent damage to vehicle electronic components follow the…
NTB-09-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 6, 2009
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 1987 Nissan Maxima 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 1987 Nissan Maxima?
- · 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.