1987 Nissan 200SX SE-V6 from North America - Comments

Rear brake calipers are a pain. The sliding pins constantly stick and burn up one pad.

Transmission rebuilt at 170,000.

Water-pump replaced at 180,000.

Thermostat bypass hose replaced at 190,000.

Very complicated and sophisticated features, many of which no longer work (factory alarm, low fuel light, etc..)

A/C compressor locked up.

Sunroof now leaks.

What a great car. Not the fastest thing on the road, but certainly not the slowest, either. Will hold it's own against most any non-turbo V-6 and even older V-8s.

Handling is good for a four seater (well, they call it a four seater). Enormous rear hatch and stowage with the seats laid down. Nice cloth seats have held up VERY well, but the headliner and vinyl interior panels are coming apart. Not a complaint, just an observation.

This car is just amazing. I bought it in 1998 after my Honda Civic was totalled, hoping that it might last a couple of more years. Now, it is totally falling apart, but it just keeps on running. The engine is bulletproof, transmission is the only weak link.

I'm glad to see that you have FINALLY worn a 200SX out!

Mine--an '87 SE V6--now has 220,000 on it and it just keeps rolling along. The motor is strong, the handling is fine, the trans like butter. I have had it 17 years and it makes no sense to trade it, it's so dependable.

There have been problems, like blowing the trans at 160,000 (it was replaced by a 5-speed from an '89 Z-car) rebuilding the A/C twice, etc.

Obvious stuff, like water pumps, steering racks and batteries got replaced over the years, but I'm STILL using the original fuel pump, radiator, wiper motor, clutch/brake assemblies, among other ancillaries. The heads have never been cracked, and I finally put my third-ever Tailpipe/muffler on it last Summer.

The car could use some new paint, but overall, it's still all there and does for me the same thing it's done since most of the current class of college Seniors got born.

And I LOVE humiliating ricers with it.

Despite years of deliberate abuse, it just won't wear out, so I plan on keeping it indefinitely.

I have an 87 NISSAN 200 SX SE (V6) which I bought new and still drive regularly (22 yrs later). I've had the same problems as mentioned above over the years, but mine is a manual tranny, so I've only replaced the clutch twice with over 280,000 miles on it.

I wonder if I'm one of the last original owners still driving their 200 SX? NISSAN should trade me for it with a new 370Z-Car, so they can show off how durable the linage is, particularly the 3.0 L engine that has never blown a head despite bad thermostat/water pump/hose leaks that have forced it to run basically air-cooled in Yuma and Houston Summer heat for long enough to get to a repair shop.

In it's day I wound it up to well over any speed limit out in West Texas and down in Florida. But lately I baby it because of a makeshift repair to keep the harmonic balancer pulley on the crankshaft with Lock-Tight because the key notch was worn off. At some point it will stop working, but for now it keeps limping along.