Selling an old Nissan Stanza

One name, three different cars

T11, through 1986. A front-wheel-drive Stanza replaced the 510 in the US for the 1982 model year. It started with a carbureted 2.0-liter four, the CA20S. In 1984 Nissan switched to the fuel-injected CA20E. The Stanza Wagon sold beside it was really the first Nissan Prairie under another name.

T12, 1987-1989. A boxier redesign that kept the CA20E. It shared a platform with the Maxima of the time, which made it heavy for its size and short on power. Buyers chose a four- or five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.

U12, 1990-1992. For 1990 the US Stanza became a basic Nissan Bluebird wearing Stanza badges, with a 2.4-liter KA24E four. It came as an XE or GXE, with an SE added for 1992, and a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.

Nissan ended the Stanza after 1992. Its replacement, launched in 1992 as a 1993 model, was built in Smyrna, Tennessee and at first carried the official name "Stanza Altima."

The fuel filler recalls

The fuel system is the part named most in Stanza complaints, 67 of 165. Two of the car's three recalls are about the fuel filler:

• 95V244, 1990-1992. Mud and salt can get trapped between the fuel filler tube and the wheel housing. Over time the mix corrodes the tube and the housing. The left rear seat belt retractor is mounted to that housing, and NHTSA's notice says heavy corrosion could let its mounting fail in a crash. The campaign also covers 1989-1994 Maximas. On the U12 years, 52 of 102 complaints name the fuel system.
• 86V101, 1986. In certain rear-end collisions, the edge of a welded bracket on the floor subframe can pierce the fuel filler pipe and fuel can leak out.

The third, 90V072, covers 1986-1988 cars whose certification labels were printed with the wrong tire pressures.

If you don't know whether the 95V244 work was ever done on your car, a Nissan dealer can look up the VIN. A 1990-1992 that smells of fuel around the filler should be parked until someone looks at that tube.

Seat belts are the second most named part, 21 complaints. Seven of them are on the 1987, the year with the most outside the U12 cars. NHTSA's labels don't say what failed. None of the three recalls is filed under seat belts, though the 95V244 notice names the left rear retractor mounting.

Complaints and recalls by year

Complaint numbers are what owners filed with NHTSA for each model year, from files we took from the agency on October 10, 2026. Slow years are paired. Two complaints filed under a 1993 Stanza, a year Nissan didn't sell, are shown on their own.

Keep it or sell it?

No repair figures for the Stanza appear in our sources. Get a written quote for the job your car needs, whether it's a rusted filler tube or a worn-out automatic, and decide on your own numbers. If you aren't sure who should get the car, junkyard, salvage yard or scrap yard explains the difference between them.

What to have ready

Call (877) 421-6008 or ask for an offer online. Tell us the year, the miles if the odometer still works, and what's wrong with it. Mention rust through the floor or trunk, flat or missing tires, and whether it's on blocks. Old cars often turn up without a title; if yours did, read selling a junk car without a title before the pickup is booked.