NissanStanza1990Overview/nissan/stanza/1990/base/

1990 Nissan Stanza

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1990 Stanza.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1990 Nissan Stanza was a compact passenger car powered by a four-speed automatic transmission, requiring 3.7 quarts of 10W-30 or 5W-30 API SM oil for maintenance, and achieved EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. This model year represents the peak of owner-reported complaints for the Stanza nameplate, with 42 total complaints filed—primarily concerning the fuel system—along with a single recall, indicating a notably troubled production year compared to later iterations. The Stanza's complaint trajectory showed dramatic improvement through the mid-1990s, dropping to just one complaint by 1994, suggesting that while the 1990 model faced significant quality issues, subsequent model years achieved substantially greater reliability and owner satisfaction.

Model year199219911990198919881987198619851984

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3.7 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type10W-30 / 5W-30 API SMOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy18/25/21 mpgEPA · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length179.9 in
Overall width66.9 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase100.4 in
Curb weight2789 lb
Track (front / rear)57.5 / 56.7 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)65/35

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined18 / 25 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume91 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Stanza of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

11.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 11.80 sec — 1987 GXE Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1987GXE Sedan 2.0L I-411.80 sec18.00 sec97 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 3.7 qt of 10W-30 / 5W-30 API SM engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine Oil10W-30 · 5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.7 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; spark plugs every 60,000 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) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

In the federal record, the 1990 Nissan Stanza is the most complained-about model year of this generation, logging 42 complaints, 1 recall, 2 investigations, and 11 TSBs. The following two years remain elevated at 37 and 35 complaints respectively, then activity drops sharply to just 2 complaints in 1993 and effectively zero thereafter, with recalls and investigations disappearing after 1992. That places 1990 at the start of a three-year cluster of elevated owner reports, not in the quieter later phase. The 1990 complaints concentrate in Fuel System, Gasoline (20), Seat Belts (6), Power Train (5), and Service Brakes, Hydraulic (2), and include 2 fire complaints and 1 crash complaint, though the data does not specify root causes. Because it carries the highest complaint volume of the generation and the only fire-related reports alongside 1991–1992, it presents more uncertainty than the 1993–1996 examples. Unless the price and documented maintenance history are unusually favorable, a later-year Stanza is the safer buy on this record.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
11
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
42
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 2 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 42 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline20
Seat Belts6
Power Train5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
Power Train,Tires2
Engine & Engine Cooling1
Service Brakes, Hydraulic,Parking Brake1
Power Train,Unknown Or Other1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

95V244000Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly:Filler Pipe And CapReported 15/12/1995

IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A MIXTURE OF MUD AND SALT TO GET TRAPPED BETWEEN THE FUEL FILLER TUBE AND WHEEL HOUSING. THE TRAPPED MUD AND SALT CAN RESULT IN CORROSION OF THE FUEL FILLER TUBE AND THE WHEEL HOUSING. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THESE VEHICLES AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN DEPENDING UPON THE EXTENT OF THE CORROSION.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 11 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…
NTB00056A2000-11-08Power TrainSUBJECT REGARDING ALL NISSAN VEHICLES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER CLEANING. *TT
99048C2000-06-07Electrical SystemBATTERY CCA RATINGS / JIS NUMBERS FOR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT BATTERIES AND PROVIDES BATTERY…

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 Stanza. 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 1990 Stanza take?

3.7 qt of 10W-30 OR 5W-30 API SM, per the factory manual.

Does the 1990 Stanza have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Stanza get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 25 highway / 21 combined mpg.