IllustrationWHILE DRIVING AND APPLIED THE BRAKES HEARD NOISE COMING FROM BRAKES, SOUNDED LIKE GRINDING METAL TO METAL. ALSO, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
1996 Nissan D21
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Nissan D21 do not stand out strongly from 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: 7 of 44 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
44 reportsVEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
A FEW MINUTES AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, THE AIRBAG EXPERIENCED FALSE AND VIOLENT DEPLOYMNENT, WENT OFF IN DRIVER'S FACE CAUSING SERVERE DAMAGE TO DRIVER'S NECK, FACE, CHEST, WRIST WHICH RESULTED IN BRUISES AND BLEEDING. *YC
WHILE DRIVING WITH HEADLIGHTS ON AT NIGHT, THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC COULD NOT BE SEEN IN THE LIGHT. CONSUMER DOES NOT KNOW WHY HEADLIGHTS DO THAT. *AK
THE SENSOR CONTROL WIRES ON THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES. FIRST TIME ON 06-13-97, BROKEN B/G WIRE REPAIRED AT AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR. SECOND TIME ON 07-30-97, FAILURE IN TACHOMETER VALVE, THIRD TIME 02-18-98, OPEN CIRCUT IN HARNESS TO INTAKE …
Read full complaint
THE SENSOR CONTROL WIRES ON THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD HAVE FAILED FOUR TIMES. FIRST TIME ON 06-13-97, BROKEN B/G WIRE REPAIRED AT AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR. SECOND TIME ON 07-30-97, FAILURE IN TACHOMETER VALVE, THIRD TIME 02-18-98, OPEN CIRCUT IN HARNESS TO INTAKE AIR TEMP SENSOR REPAIRED, FOURTH TIME ON 02-19-99, BROKEN WIRE AT INTAKE AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR REPAIRED. *AK
THE FRONT END MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE BADLY, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL. BEEN TO DEALER. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN#. *AK
THERE WAS KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE, AND DEALER PUT NEW BEARINGS IN THE ENGINE. *AK
VIOLENT DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG UPON IMPACT, RESULTING IN INJURIES.538435 DUP 0F 538424; POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
FALSE DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S AIR BAG RESULTED IN INJURIES TO BOTH DRIVER/PASSENGER. 538435 DUPE OF 538424. POSTED ON 09-07-1999. *AK
FRONT END MISALIGNED, CAUSING TIRE WEAR.
Official recalls
198V234000 · 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.