IllustrationCONSUMER FOUND A FRAME CRACKED ON DRIVER'S SIDE WHICH WAS BREAKING FAST. DUE TO MATERIAL AND FAULTY WORKMANSHIP. *AK *ML
1997 Nissan D21
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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 57 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 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. 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.
22 crash reports0 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
57 reportsCONSUMER INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 40 MPH IMPACT ON THE RIGHT FRONT BUMPER, TAKING OUT HEADLIGHTS, AND THEN RAN INTO A TREE HEAD-ON, AND DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING NECK AND SHOULDER INJURIES. *AK
FEEL AUTO COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR EYE INJURY SUSTAINED, AIRBAG FAILURE. *AK
FRONT END WOULD VIRBRATE WHENEVER VEHICLE REACHED 50 MPH OR MORE. VEHICLE BEEN IN/OUT OF DEALER SHOP, BUT PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK
WHAT DOES IT MEAN ABOVE IN THIS WEB FORM TO REQUEST A FORM TO SIGN TO SEND A NOTICE TO MFG? I DON'T CARE OR MIND YOU DOING IT? I THOUGHT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENNS ANYWAY. DO YOU NEED MY SIGNATURE??? MY TRUCK HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THERE ARE TIMES. *AK
SEAT BELT ON THIS MODEL DOES NOT RETRACT, HANGS OUT DOOR WHEN CLOSED, WHICH MEANS IF BEING WORN IT MIGHT NOT BE TIGHT ENOUGH TO HOLD IN ACCIDENT. THIS FORM IS OVERKILL FOR REPROTING A DEFECT SUCH AS THIS. PERHAPS YOU CAN OFFER A SIMPLE FORM. HOW CAN I. *AK
WHEN STARTING THE TRUCK BATTEREY EXPLODED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF FOR ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES BEOFRE THIS HAPPENED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WAS GOING ABOUT 40-50MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE HAD STOPPED. APPLIED BRAKES QUICKLY. VEHICLE SLID INTO OTHER VEHICLE. FRONT END PUSHED TOWARDS RADIATOR. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE ABS BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE QUICKLY. THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER WHO HIT HEAD ON DASHBOARD. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEAL…
Read full complaint
WAS GOING ABOUT 40-50MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE HAD STOPPED. APPLIED BRAKES QUICKLY. VEHICLE SLID INTO OTHER VEHICLE. FRONT END PUSHED TOWARDS RADIATOR. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE ABS BRAKES FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE QUICKLY. THE SEAT BELTS FAILED TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER WHO HIT HEAD ON DASHBOARD. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALER.
THERE WAS A HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 55 MPH, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS YET TO BE CONTACTED. *AK
WHEN VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF AN 85 CADILLAC THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG. THE TRUCK IS BEING REPAIRED. DAMAGES TOTALED $6,000.00. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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.