Faults:

Alternator at 175,000 miles.

5 starters, first one at about 180,000. Purchased lifetime warranty starter, some of which only lasted 2 months.

Usual maintenance items... tires (6 sets), brakes, rotors, & exhaust systems (3, under lifetime muffler warranty)

Normal wear & tear.

General Comments:

Extremely dependable, it is a 4 speed and it STILL has the original clutch. My 16 year old is driving it to school daily, and I have taught my 14 year old how to drive it as well. (In my state you get your learners permit at 14)

For a small engine, it is very tough. Does not use any oil between it's 3,000 mile oil changes.

Fun to drive, even though the seats are uncomfortable after all of these years.

Cannot get my daughter out of it. She says it is more fun to drive than any of the NICE cars her friends have.

Faults:

Had to have the air conditioner compressor replaced in 2003. The old style is not manufactured anymore, and the new version is not as effective as the original. The effort and expense were due to environmental changes more than bad design, however.

General Comments:

The engine of this thing is going to drive forever! Sure, over 15 years there has been some wear and tear, and we've had to replace a few things, but nothing has been major. This is one reliable car! My relatives collectively owned three of them, and they worked extremely well.

The car has great maneuverability in small spaces, and handles turns very well (i.e., it would be pretty hard to flip over).

I feel like I have a lot of control over the car. This includes driving in snow.

The one irritating thing is the seat belts, which are hooked to the door (not the car itself, so if the door goes, so do you). Also, they are hard to figure out for the uninitiated.

The two-door sedan works better if you have only two adults or an additional small child in the back. It gets tricky to remove sleeping children from car seats back there. However, they can't escape without a door, and you are all VERY close for long car trips, and can easily reach back to help the kids.

Despite the small size, we've been able to pack the trunk pretty tightly. Small, but a good use of space.

Driving this car has made me a Nissan fan for life.

Faults:

Recently replaced front brakes 201000 miles

Wheel cylinder 200000 miles

Basic tune up 202000 miles

Flushed radiator 199000 miles

Replaced Thermostat 199000 miles

Front struts 200000 miles

Tire rod ends and alignment 201000 miles.

General Comments:

I purchased the car from the original owner in 1996.The car had 64000 miles. The A/C is ice cold still after all these miles. The engine and clutch are original. The starter is also original. I faithfully change the oil every 2000 miles. The car does not burn or leak oil and has never left me stranded. Rust is an issue, but it has been addressed.. I love this car and will run it hopefully over 300000 miles.

Faults:

Starter replaced at around 100,000.

Replaced battery.

Replaced rotors.

Replaced clutch at 85,000 and 160,000.

Brake line rusted through at 170,000.

Replaced alternator at 171,000.

General Comments:

The car is bulletproof as far as reliability and cost to run. I bought the car in 1995 for $2000. Couldn't be happier about that.

Rust has proven to be a serious problem. Will look for a new car as the underbody rust will soon affect the integrity of the frame. Unfortunate as this car would probably run till 250,000 - 300,000 miles. Wish I'd caught the problem earlier.

Cabin noise and overall quality of the body leave a little to be desired. I am glad I have never been in an accident. It's like a go cart or motorized beer can on wheels. Nissan has remedied this in the newer models.