IllustrationVEHICLE ROLLED OVER SIDE TO SIDE AND FRONT TO BACK END; DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
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 reportsHAPPENED LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER BUYING THE TRUCK. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ANOTHER VEHICLE GOING 40MPH, HAD DIRECT FRONTAL IMPACT IN WHICH DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, RAN OVER A SHEET OF ICE ,VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE UNTIL IT HIT GUARDRAIL HEAD-ON. DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURIES. *AK
TACHOMETER RPM INDICATOR FAILED. MJS
HEAD LIGHTS FAILED. NLM
THROTTLE POSITION SWITCH FAILED. NLM
TRUCK VIBRATES AT SPEEDS OF 50MPH TO 80MPH FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
VEHICLE LOCKS UP AND TURNS SIDEWAYS IN EMERGENCY BRAKING SITUATIONS, EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT. DEALERSHIP SHOP PERSONNEL ADVISED THAT TO CHECK IT OUT. CONSUMER HAD TO PAY. TRUCK STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WAS ADVISED ABS ONLY ON THE REAR WHEELS. DOES NOT SEEM SAFE BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, BEING THROWN VIOLENTLY SIDEWAYS. *AK
WHEN THE CLUTCH IS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR IT WILL NOT GO IN GEAR, CAUSING THE CLUTCH TO BURN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *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.