What problems did the Pulsar NX have?

Too few complaints exist to name a typical failure: NHTSA holds 18 for model years 1984 to 1989. The three recalls covered a secondary hood latch and a headlight switch on 1984 cars, and a cracked fuel tank joint on 1987-1988 cars.

My Pulsar NX is missing its T-top panels. What should I say?

List the missing panels, and anything else that's gone, when you ask for an offer. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Is a 1983 Pulsar NX in NHTSA's records?

Not in the file we used. Wikipedia says the first generation arrived for model year 1983, but NHTSA's complaint data and the EPA's list both start at 1984.

Model file · NissanUpdated October 10, 2026 · 7 sources

Selling a Nissan Pulsar NX

NHTSA's file on the Pulsar NX is short: 18 complaints and three recalls, all from the 1980s. That's too few to call any failure typical. If yours has stopped running, or hasn't moved in years, it can still be sold whole. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

A red 1987 Nissan Pulsar NX coupe with a handwritten sign behind the windshield, parked by a wooden fence and chain-link gate — Photo: order_242 from Chile · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

U.S. model years in the EPA list: 1984-1990
Sold in Japan as: Pulsar EXA, then EXA
1987-1990 car designed at: Nissan Design International, San Diego
NHTSA complaints: 18, model years 1984-1989
Recall campaigns: 3
Replaced by: The Nissan NX, 1991

Two generations

1983-1986 (N12). Japan called it the Pulsar EXA; North America got it as the Pulsar NX from the 1983 model year. It used the Sentra's 1.6-liter E16S four, rated 69 hp in U.S. form, and shared many Sentra parts. Wikipedia lists a 100 hp fuel-injected turbo, the E15ET, added later, though the EPA's rows show only 1.6-liter engines. Gearboxes were a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic.

1987-1990 (N13). This is the one with the trick body. A T-bar roof with lift-out panels sat over a choice of rear hatches: the regular coupe or the wagon-style Sportbak canopy. The design came mainly from Nissan Design International in San Diego, and Nissan USA counts the 1989 among that studio's most memorable production cars. The XE ran a 1.6-liter four (E16i, then GA16i from 1989). The twin-cam SE had a 1.6-liter CA16DE in 1987 and a 1.8-liter CA18DE from 1988. Buyers picked a five-speed stick or a four-speed automatic. The Nissan NX coupe took over in 1991.

Recalls and owner reports

1984 hood latch. Hard pulls on the lever could damage the secondary hood latch on 86,000 cars (84V139). Separately, a 1989 owner reported the hood flying open while driving after the secondary latch failed.
1984 headlight switch. Impure grease inside the switch could delay or cut the headlights on 11,900 cars (85V021).
1987-1988 fuel tank. The soldered joint where the inlet pipe meets the tank could crack and let fuel seep out, a fire hazard, on 61,000 cars (87V191). One 1987 owner wrote that gas leaked from under the car whenever the tank was nearly full.

Complaints and recalls by model year

NHTSA's bulk data supplied these Pulsar NX numbers on October 10, 2026. Across all 18 complaints there is one crash, one fire and two injuries. The EPA lists 1990 cars, but NHTSA has no complaints for that year.

Model year	Complaints	Recall campaigns
1984	1	2
1985	2	0
1986	2	0
1987	3	1
1988	6	1
1989	4	0
1990	0	0

Keep it running, or let it go?

That depends on what yours needs and whether you want to keep it. Get a list of repairs priced in writing, and look at what a running one actually sells for. If the list is long, selling it whole saves you the work. Panels or trim already gone? Read missing parts. Parked for a decade? Start with cars that have been sitting.

Selling it

Ask for an offer online or call (877) 421-6008. Tell us whether it's an XE or SE, whether the T-top panels and the hatch or Sportbak canopy are with the car, and whether it rolls. Have the title ready for pickup.

Questions people ask

What problems did the Pulsar NX have?: Too few complaints exist to name a typical failure: NHTSA holds 18 for model years 1984 to 1989. The three recalls covered a secondary hood latch and a headlight switch on 1984 cars, and a cracked fuel tank joint on 1987-1988 cars.
My Pulsar NX is missing its T-top panels. What should I say?: List the missing panels, and anything else that's gone, when you ask for an offer. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.
Is a 1983 Pulsar NX in NHTSA's records?: Not in the file we used. Wikipedia says the first generation arrived for model year 1983, but NHTSA's complaint data and the EPA's list both start at 1984.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 10, 2026.

NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), Nissan Pulsar NX, model years 1984-1990, downloaded October 10, 2026 static.nhtsa.gov
NHTSA recalls flat file (pre-2010), Nissan Pulsar NX, downloaded October 10, 2026 static.nhtsa.gov
NHTSA complaints API, 1987 Pulsar (owner fuel leak report) api.nhtsa.gov
NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
Nissan Heritage Collection: EXA Canopy (removable rear roof and T-top, styled in the U.S.) nissan-global.com
Nissan USA: 1989 Pulsar NX, a Nissan Design America production vehicle usa.nissannews.com
Wikipedia: Nissan EXA (both generations, engines, trims) en.wikipedia.org