NissanPulsar NX1985Overview/nissan/pulsar-nx/1985/base/

1985 Nissan Pulsar NX

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1985 Pulsar NX.

Transmission Automatic 3-spd

The 1985 Nissan Pulsar NX came with a three-speed automatic transmission and EPA ratings of 23/27/25 mpg, while its engine oil capacity was 3.5 quarts across recommended viscosities of 20W-40, 20W-50, and 5W-30. Reliability records for this vintage are notably sparse: with zero recalls and only two owner complaints logged—steering identified as the top complaint area—this model year represents a notably stable entry in the Pulsar NX reliability record. That absence of volume effectively establishes it as a low-complaint benchmark, meaning researchers encounter minimal reported systemic exposure when examining this specific model year.

Model year19901989198819871986198519841983

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-40 / 20W-50 / 5W-30OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/27/25 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length162.6 in
Overall width69.3 in
Overall height53.5 in
Wheelbase95.3 in
Curb weight1830 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 27 / 25 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.5 qt of 20W-40 / 20W-50 / 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil20W-40 · 20W-50 · 5W-30 · 10W-30 · 10W-40
Engine Oil Capacity3.5 qt
Power Steering FluidATF

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Choke System (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Engine Valves (inspect valve lash) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Oxygen Sensor (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1985 Nissan Pulsar NX dominate in one area — the steering, 1 of 2 reports (50%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 0 of the reports describe a crash and 0 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the steering pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
3
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.

Steering1
Power Train1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 3 of 3 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
NTB-09-1012010-09-30TiresNISSAN: TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) WARNING LIGHT ON/FLASHING. NO MODELS OR…
NTB-09-1292010-09-13EquipmentNISSAN: VENT CONTROL VALVE REPLACEMENT. WHEN REPLACING THE EVAP CANISTER VENT CONTROL…
NTB-09-0302009-04-06Electrical SystemNISSAN: THE 12 VOLT BATTERY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND IS…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Pulsar NX. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1985 Pulsar NX take?

3.5 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.

Does the 1985 Pulsar NX have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Pulsar NX get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 27 highway / 25 combined mpg.