Selling an old Nissan Hardbody or 720 pickup

NHTSA's file on these trucks is small, 456 complaints across 14 model years. It still points to three things: frame and rust complaints on 1994-1995 trucks, seat belt buckles on 1988-1991 trucks, and air bags that stayed put in crashes on the last two years.

720 or D21: which truck you have

The pickup sold for 1984-1986 was the 720. Nissan started building it at its then-new Smyrna, Tennessee, plant in the 1983.5 model year. Wikipedia lists the 2.4-liter Z24 four for it, with a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic.

The D21 replaced it, built for the US from November 1985 through 1997, in Smyrna and at Kanda, Japan. Americans knew it as the Hardbody, a name that refers to its double-wall bed and styling. Nissan says it was one of the first vehicles designed in California by Nissan Design International. It came with rear or four-wheel drive, and the 4x4 could be shifted on the fly at up to 25 mph. In 1987 Hardbody race trucks won the Baja 1000, the Mint 400 and the Gold Coast 300.

The V6 left the US lineup for 1996 because Nissan could not meet the new OBD-II emissions rules in time. The Frontier replaced the Hardbody in 1997.

What owners reported to NHTSA

One caution first: NHTSA files many mid-1980s trucks under generic names like PICKUP or TRUCK, so the counts here do not separate the 720 from the early D21.

1994-1995: frames

Structure is the component named most on both years. It accounts for 19 of 65 complaints on the 1994 and 30 of 129 on the 1995, the Hardbody's busiest year. Of those 49 structure complaints, 41 mention the frame, rust or corrosion. We found no recall or Nissan service campaign for it.

1988-1991: seat belt buckles

Seat belts lead every one of these years, 37 of 74 complaints in total. Recall 95V103 (May 1995) covers 2,730,462 vehicles, 1988-1991 Hardbodies among them: the red plastic release buttons marked "PRESS" can break, and the broken pieces can fall into the buckle and stop it working.

The 1994 trucks have a belt problem of their own. Recall 96V170 (September 1996, 84,000 trucks) and recall 02V125 (May 2002, 92,500 trucks) cover a latch plate made out of dimension. Pushed in slowly at an angle, the tongue can catch only partway.

1996-1997: air bags

Air bags lead both years, with 12 of 46 complaints on the 1996 and 19 of 61 on the 1997. Owners flagged 22 crashes in the 1997's complaints alone, and 18 complaints across the two years say the air bag did not deploy. None of the Hardbody's seven recalls covers air bags.

Other recalls

Recall 90V072 (April 1990) covers 750,000 trucks from 1986-1990 whose certification label printed the wrong tire pressures. Recall 98V234 (September 1998) covers 100,032 pickups from 1995-1996: the metal barrel in a rear lamp socket can work loose from its plastic housing in the heat, and the lamp goes dark. Two tiny batches of 1995 trucks were recalled in December 1994, one for a missing right door lock plate and one for a front brake caliper machined wrong.

Hardbody complaints and recalls by model year

Every number here was counted from NHTSA's raw data; the download is dated October 10, 2026. The earliest years, with only a handful of complaints each, are grouped. A recall covering several years counts once in each row it touches.

Across all years the complaints also report 15 fires, 61 injuries and 4 deaths.

Fix it or sell it?

On a 1994-1995, the frame is the question the complaints raise. Have it checked on a lift before you spend on anything else, and get any repair quote in writing. We have no sourced repair price to give you.

For the engine and transmission, NHTSA holds just 45 engine and 29 power train complaints on these trucks, and we found no Nissan source that describes a common failure. If you're tempted to sell the good parts one at a time instead, our guide to parting it out or selling it whole lays out what each takes.

Selling a Hardbody whole

Give us the year, whether it has the four or the V6, 2WD or 4x4, and roughly how far it has gone, or say so if the odometer quit. Then get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.

Tell us where the truck sits, whether it's a driveway, a barn or a back field, and whether the tires hold air and it rolls. Leave the bed, wheels, engine and catalytic converter in place; anything already missing changes the offer.

The title and your photo ID are needed when the truck is collected, and the keys if they still exist. If the title went missing years ago, selling a junk car with no title explains what states ask for, and after you sell covers the plates. Got the newer truck instead? See the Frontier.