NissanStanza1991Overview/nissan/stanza/1991/base/

1991 Nissan Stanza

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1991 Stanza.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1991 Nissan Stanza is a passenger car powered by a four-cylinder engine paired with an automatic 4-speed transmission, delivering EPA-rated fuel economy of 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, with routine maintenance requiring 3.7 quarts of engine oil at 10W-30 or 5W-30 viscosity meeting API SM specifications. Across Nissan's complaint records spanning 1990 through 1996, the 1991 model year sits well below the 42-complaint peak recorded during the 1990 launch while remaining considerably higher than the single-digit floor of just one complaint in 1994, indicating it occupies a middle position in the model's early production refinement curve. With only one recall on record and 37 total owner complaints filed for this specific model year, the 1991 Stanza represents a notably more mature product than its debut, offering researchers a clearer view of the platform's baseline reliability trajectory before Nissan's quality improvements took full effect.

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
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.

11.3–11.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 11.30 sec — 1983 XE Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1987GXE Sedan 2.0L I-411.80 sec18.00 sec97 hpFWD
1983XE Sedan 2.0L I-411.30 sec18.20 sec88 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) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
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.

The 1991 Stanza sits at the peak of a three-year window (19901992) with elevated federal activity — 37 complaints, one recall, two investigations, and a sharp rise to 29 TSBs from just 11 in 1990 — before complaints collapse to single digits and recalls and investigations disappear entirely from 1993 onward. Fuel system complaints dominate the 1991 record at 21 of 37, with engine cooling, hydraulic brakes, and speed control accounting for the remainder; the data does not specify root causes for these patterns. The 1991–1992 TSB surge (29–30 annually) suggests concentrated manufacturer service response during this period, though crash and fire reports remain low at one and two respectively. Compared to the quieter 1993–1996 tail of the generation, 1991 shows meaningfully higher regulatory and service volume. For a buyer, this is a manageable but above-average risk year — acceptable if the fuel system has been documented as serviced, but a 1993 or later model offers a cleaner federal record.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
29
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
37
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 37 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline21
Engine & Engine Cooling4
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3
Vehicle Speed Control2
Tires1
Engine & Engine Cooling,Fuel System, Gasoline,Power Train1
Suspension,Engine & Engine Cooling,Power Train,Tires1
Suspension1

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 29 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
NTB08-097L2023-09-21SteeringDIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been…
NTB23-0492023-06-16Electrical System12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service…
NTB23-0532023-06-16Electrical SystemSILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION…
NTB13-107F2023-04-27Electrical SystemVEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB16-003C2023-04-17Electrical SystemINTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended…

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 1991 Stanza take?

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

Does the 1991 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.