IllustrationCONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE TRANSMISSION WILL START TO MAKE A CLUNKING NOISE CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED TS
1995 Nissan D21
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most D21 years
Owner complaints for the 1995 Nissan D21 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 23.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all D21 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 28 of 129 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports4 fire reports6 injury reports
Power Train complaints
10 reportsTHIS IS THE 2ND NISSAN PICKUP TRUCK THAT I HAVE OWNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT. THERE IS NO REVERSE OR 2ND GEAR. *AK
AROUND 35 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER'S NEEDLE MOVES FROM 0 TO 100 MPH UNTIL IT GETS TO ABOUT 40 MPH. WHILE IT IS MOVING, IT MAKES A STRANGE NOISE. ALSO, THE NEEDLE SOMETIMES MOVES OVER TO 100 MPH AND STAYS FOR A FEW SECONDS, NO MATTER THE SPEED OF THE TRUCK. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE THE SPEED THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING.
NO SUMMARY.
TRANSMISSION KEEPS OVERHEATING, AND WHEN IT OVERHEATS THE TRANSMISSION HOSE WILL BUST, CAUSING ALL THE FLUID TO LEAK OUT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLOPE AND LEFT IN FIRST GEAR, IT IS POSSIBLE TO LEAN AGAINST THE VEHICLE AND ACTUALLY CAUSING IT BEGIN TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN A HILL. UNLESS BRAKE IS ON, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE, IF BUMPED OR EVEN LEANED AGAIINST. ALSO, HORN IS SOFT AND ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
WHEN SHIFFTING FROM NEUTRAL TO FIRST GEAR THE GEAR STICKS AND WILL NOT GO INTO FIRST GEAR UNLESS SHIFTED A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE LINKAGE BETWEEN THE GEAR SHIFT AND TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN AJUSTED (3) TIMES WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE THROW OUT BEARING WAS REPLACED IN AUG 97. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE TIRES IN FRONT WERE BALD; SO DEALER REPLACED THE TIRES WITH NEW TIRES. THIS WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT 8000 MILES. NOTICED THAT AT 15000 MILES THE NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES HAD START WEARING OUT, AND THE DEALERR SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX THEM THIS TIME. CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW WHY …
Read full complaint
TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE TIRES IN FRONT WERE BALD; SO DEALER REPLACED THE TIRES WITH NEW TIRES. THIS WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT 8000 MILES. NOTICED THAT AT 15000 MILES THE NEW REPLACEMENT TIRES HAD START WEARING OUT, AND THE DEALERR SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT FIX THEM THIS TIME. CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW WHY HIS TIRES ARE WEARING OUT SO FAST AT LOW MILEAGE. *AKTHE ALIGNMENT HAS BEEN ADJUSTED SEVERLA TIMES BUT THE TIRES CONTINUE TO WEAR PREMATURELY (NOT TIRE INFO WAS GIVEN), THE FRONT END STICKS/LOCKS UP WHEN MAKING FULL TURNS IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE, THE FUEL ECONOMY IS LOW, THE ASHTRAY FALLS OUT OF THE DASHBOARD, THE TRUCK SLIDES SIDEWAYS WHEN STOPPING ON ICY ROADS, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED. *NLM
THE SPEEDOMETER FLUCTUATES WILDLY BETWEEN 0 AND 35. DEALER ADJUSTED THE HEAD OF THE SPEEDOMETER. *AK
SPEEDOMETER IS TEMPERAMENTAL, STICKS AT ZERO OR 35 MPH, REMAINS AT THIS LEVEL. COULD CAUSE CRASH. DEALER REPLACED SPEEDOMETER, PROBLEM REOCCURRED. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *AK
Official recalls
398V234000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
Sep 21, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. A REAR LAMP WILL NOT ILLUMINATE BECAUSE THE METAL BARREL IN THE LIGHT BULB SOCKET MOVES OR SEPARATES FROM THE PLASTIC SOCKET HOUSING DUE TO INADEQUATE HEAT RESISTANCE OF THE PLASTIC AT THE LAMP OPERATING TEMPERATURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE STOP/TAIL COMBINATION LAMP OR THE TURN SIGNAL LAMP WILL NOT FUNCTION.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BULB SOCKETS IN THE REAR COMBINATION LAMPS.
94V251000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper
Dec 30, 1994
THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE CALIPER PISTON SEAL GROOVE WAS IMPROPERLY MACHINED CAUSING A BRAKE FLUID LEAK WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF BRAKING CAPABILITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE BRAKE CALIPERS ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES.
94V243000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Dec 14, 1994
TRUCKS WERE ASSEMBLED WITHOUT A DOOR LOCK PLATE IN THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN RESULT IN THE DOOR NOT LATCHINGCORRECTLY, IN AN ACCIDENT, EXPOSING PASSENGER TO INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND INSTALL DOOR LOCK PLATE IN VEHICLES WHICH ARE MISSING A DOOR PLATE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE95024 · Inadvertent Release Of Parking Brake
Opened Apr 12, 1995 · Closed Jul 27, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available