Selling an old Chevrolet Nova (1985-1988)

This page covers the Nova name's 1985-1988 return as a small front-wheel-drive car.

A Chevy that came out of a Toyota partnership

The Nova debuted in the second quarter of 1984 as a 1985 model. It was built from 1984 to 1988 in Fremont, California, by NUMMI, the joint venture of GM and Toyota, in a factory GM had shut down by 1982. Underneath it is Toyota's AE82, the platform of the Sprinter and Corolla.

Two 1.6-liter four-cylinders were offered: the carbureted 4A-C and the 4A-GE. Buyers picked a five-speed manual or a three- or four-speed automatic. fueleconomy.gov rates a 1985 five-speed at 26 city and 34 highway, and a 1987 three-speed automatic at 24 city and 29 highway. The Geo Prizm replaced the Nova for 1989. NUMMI later closed, and Tesla reopened the plant in October 2010.

What NHTSA has on file

NHTSA's file, downloaded October 10, 2026, has 30 complaints for 1985-1988 Novas and no recall campaigns under the Nova name. One more complaint sits under model year 1984, which this car never had, so it is left out below. Toyota's recalls on the related Corolla were not part of this check.

The 1987 and 1988 complaint lists are led by the power train. The complaints are few, but a handful are serious:

• Transaxle and differential, 1987. Read in NHTSA's online records, all 7 power train complaints on the 1987 describe a transaxle, differential or front-wheel lock-up failure. One came after the transaxle fluid had run 1.5 quarts low.
• Seat belts, 1988. Three complaints describe buckles that broke or would not open, one of them with a baby strapped into a car seat.
• Two deaths, 1988. One complaint says cargo in the trunk slid forward in a frontal crash, hit the rear seat back and collapsed it onto a child, who died. Another says the car rolled backward while in Park and killed its owner. Each is a single owner's report, not an NHTSA finding.

Fix it or let it go?

Put a written repair quote next to what a running Nova sells for near you. When the quote is the larger number, it is time to sell. If the paperwork is missing, our no-title guide covers the replacement-title routes state by state.

How to sell your Nova

1. Have ready the VIN, whether it runs, and what is rusted or missing.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it sits, such as a backyard, a barn or a curb, and whether the wheels turn.
4. Leave it whole. If parts are already gone, list them; the offer depends on it.
5. The title and an ID are what pickup day needs.

Curious where an old car goes after it leaves? See junkyard vs scrap yard. For other small Chevys of the era, see the Prizm, Spectrum and Sprint, or every Chevrolet we cover.