Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1983 Maxima.
The 1983 Nissan Maxima, an early entry in the nameplate’s lineage, called for 4.8 quarts of oil with a recommended viscosity of 20W-40, 20W-50, or 5W-30. Its reliability record is remarkably clean, with just five owner complaints logged—all tied to the fuel system—and zero recalls. This stands in sharp contrast to the model’s complaint history from 1990 to 2023, where the 2004 model year peaked at 1,425 complaints and the 2015 model year recorded only one, positioning the 1983 Maxima as a notably trouble-free starting point.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Maxima of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | SE 3.0L V6 | 9.80 sec | 17.50 sec | 157 hp | FWD |
Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.
This engine holds 4.8 qt of 20W-40 / 20W-50 / 5W-30 engine oil, GL-5 · 80W-90 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.
| Brake Fluid | DOT 3 |
| Differential Gear Oil | GL-5 · 80W-90 |
| Differential Gear Oil Capacity | 2.1 Pints |
| Engine Coolant | ETHYLENE GLYCOL |
| Engine Oil | 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 4.8 qt |
| Engine Oil | 15W-40 · 5W-30 |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 6 qt |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The provided federal record contains no data for 1983, the target year, as it spans 1990–2023, making it impossible to directly plot the 1983 Maxima within the documented generation trend. The limited 1983-specific data available shows only five total complaints, with the dominant areas being fuel system (gasoline) cited three times, and a combined category of steering, suspension, engine, and fuel system cited once, with no crash-related complaints and one fire complaint. Without corresponding federal complaint, recall, or investigation figures for 1983, the severity and trend trajectory of these issues cannot be contextualized against the broader model lifecycle. The absence of 1983 from the year-by-year record means we cannot assess where this model year falls within the generation's reliability arc or compare its defect profile to earlier or later production years. A concrete takeaway is that while the 1983 Maxima shows a low raw complaint count in the available NHTSA data, the lack of 1983 in the federal record prevents a data-driven reliability comparison with the rest of the generation, making this a year where a thorough pre-purchase inspection and title/mileage verification are especially critical before purchase.
All 5 complaints on record, top 3 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.
Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTB-09-101 | 2010-09-30 | Tires | NISSAN: TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) WARNING LIGHT ON/FLASHING. NO MODELS OR… |
| NTB-09-129 | 2010-09-13 | Equipment | NISSAN: VENT CONTROL VALVE REPLACEMENT. WHEN REPLACING THE EVAP CANISTER VENT CONTROL… |
| NTB-09-030 | 2009-04-06 | Electrical System | NISSAN: THE 12 VOLT BATTERY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IS… |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
4.8 qt of ABOVE 50 degrees F: 20W-40 OR 20W-50, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30 OR 10W-30, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 10W-30 OR 10W-40, per the factory manual.
NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.