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Nissan 200SXModel year report

1996 Nissan 200SX Problems

Complaints
37filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
104,250miles, 12 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1996 Nissan 200SX (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 37 consumer complaints for the 1996 Nissan 200SX. The part named most often is air bags, with 12 complaints (32% of the total), followed by visibility (9) and transmission and drivetrain (4). 12 of the complaints include a mileage, and 8% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 104,250 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 25 technical service bulletins for this model year. Air bags complaints overlap with 2 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Visibility complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign covering the linkages and 2 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Exterior lighting (1), Seat belts (1), Vehicle speed control (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “Air bag light flashes constantly. Dlr says srs computer has failed and will cost $600.00 to repair. Dlr should pay for this item as it is safety and has been reported several times by different owners. On some the airbag has deployed for no reason.”

NHTSA complaint #10058723, filed 2004-02, 72,000 miles

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “Driver side windshield wiper arm ball joint failed resulting in the inoperability of the driver side windshield wiper. According to the NHTSA website, there is a recall for this specific problem. Nissan says this problem is VIN number specific and my VIN number is not included in the recall. My car has this very specific problem and we believe that it should be covered under the recall. The recall covers several years (1995 to 1998) of the manufacture of the car and mine is a 1996. About 500,000 of these cars were covered under the recall, why not mine? …”

NHTSA complaint #10126935, filed 2005-06, 100,506 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “Manual transmission clutch cable failed, unable to change gears while driving. This condition was intermittent and happened three times before dealer was able to diagnose and repair. As a result of failure, car was unable to downshift which LED to vehicular lack of control. Local Nissan dealer finally was able to diagnose the problem and replace the entire clutch cable assembly. Unkown of old part is available for inspection.”

NHTSA complaint #10127865, filed 2005-07, 97,400 miles

Brakes: “Consumer was traveling about 60mph on highway and noticed that brakes were grinding. Also, when she put vehicle in reverse vehicle would jerk and make a roaring noise. Dealership was aware of problem.”

NHTSA complaint #894631, filed 2001-08

Mileage when problems were reported

8% of the 12 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 97,400 and 128,000 miles.

0%0–108%10–250%25–508%50–7517%75–10058%100–1508%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (12 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 104,250 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’965’98’00’02’045’06’08
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 1996 Nissan 200SX → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 25 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 25 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan 200SX

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
199818120,1981———Stable
199716142,6531———Stable
199637104,2501——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199551100,1002——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19888100,0001—22—Not enough data
198713151,1511—21—Not enough data
198611—0—21—Not enough data
19856—0—21—Not enough data

All Nissan 200SX model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1996 Nissan 200SX have?

NHTSA recorded 37 consumer complaints for the 1996 Nissan 200SX as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1996 Nissan 200SX is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 12 complaints (32% of the total), followed by visibility with 9.

Has the 1996 Nissan 200SX been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 1996 Nissan 200SX reported?

Among the 12 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 104,250 miles and the middle half falls between 97,400 and 128,000 miles; 8% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.