AI Damage1989 Nissan Diesel CLA83 reliability: common problems
Owners of the 1989 Nissan Diesel CLA83 filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about equipment. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
What fails most often
- Equipment: 6 complaints (100% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | 6 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The sound package cost $1800 dollars, but the simple radio sounds like a five dollar stereo. Also the sytsem is supposed to be made by rockford fosgate, but the amplifier is labeled made by clarion, the subwooofer is labeled made by clarion, and the headunit/changer is labeled made by panasonic.
The 2002 altima started to stall. I took the car to the dealership. I was advised that the car had 3 recalls on it and I should have been notified a year in a half before. I took the car back 3 times and on the third time I was adivsed that the car would need a new motor. That was on mar 15,2004.
Flaw/defect in the design of hid headlights in the 2002-03 nissan maxima. The lights are easily pried off the car with a crowbar. Criminals can steal them in less than 30 seconds. Anti-theft kit made available is also defective. Access to engine compartment is gained with a screwdriver or crowbar.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 12,234 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 38% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLA83 has 33 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 6, below average.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1989 Nissan Diesel CLA83?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: equipment. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: infotainment or screen glitches (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1989 Nissan Diesel CLA83?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1989 Nissan Diesel CLA83 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.