1987 Nissan GXE VAN: common problems

Owners of the 1987 Nissan GXE VAN filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 4

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 75% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 25% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (75% of all).
Electrical system: 1 complaints (25% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 4 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

overheating, coolant loss1 · 25%
warning lights, check engine1 · 25%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine and cooling	3	0	0
Electrical system	1	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.

While traveling at highway speed vehicle overheated. Consumer pulled over, and vehicle was towed home. Recall 93v036000 was issued on this problem. However, dealer refused to honor it.
Engine and cooling · 2004-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #10061688
While driving on freeway warning lights come on. Then, motor went out. Consumer stated this was dangerous because it was hard to get off the highway.
Engine and cooling · 2001-01-24 · NHTSA complaint #878957
The radiator is, I have been told by repair shop, a gravity flow one, the flow goes from top-to-bottom instead of side-to-side.
Engine and cooling · 2000-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #726945

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20002
20011
20041

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1987 Nissan GXE VAN?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (25%), warning lights, check engine (25%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1987 Nissan GXE VAN?

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 1987 Nissan GXE VAN 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.

Other 1987 models

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 2026-11-05.