Daewoo Nubira Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Daewoo Nubira options? We analyzed 3 model years (2000–2002) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Daewoo Nubira has 436 owner complaints and 9 safety recalls across model years 2000–2002. The most reported issue area is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. 2000 drew the most complaints; 2002 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Daewoo
- Model
- Nubira
- Model years analyzed
- 2000–2002 (3 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 436
- Safety recall campaigns
- 9
- Crash-related complaints
- 13
- Fire-related complaints
- 5
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2000 (281 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2002 (33 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
Daewoo Nubira: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe DAEWOO NUBIRA has 436 NHTSA complaints and 9 recalls on record. 13 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 436 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 9 federal recall campaigns
- 13 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
9 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2000–2002. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 436 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
436 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS HAVE TO BE CHANGED DUE TO BUSHINGS GOING BAD, IF THESE BUSHINGS FAIL IT CAN LEAD TO CRASHES FROM HAVING UNSTABLE STEERING.FOUND A RECALL IN AULSTRALIA FOR THE SAME THING. CAR JERKS TO THE SIDES AT SPEEDS AS LOW AS 15 MILES PER HOUR AND UP. I WAS DRIVING 55 WHEN MY CAR JERKED REAL HARD TO THE LEFT.HAVE TO HAVE THE WHOLE ARM REPLACED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM LOWEST PRICE I RECIEVED IS 500.00. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SERVICE STATION THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACING A LOT OF THESE
WHILE TRAVELING AT 10 MPH THE BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE, CAUSING A CRASH. CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE RUBBER BRAKE HOSES NEEDED REPAIRS FOR THE SECOND TIME.*AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. WHEN GOING TO THE DEALER CONSUMER WAS ASKED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.*AK *TC
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V357000 FROM MANUFACTURER. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC WANTED TO CHARGE CONSUMER FOR RECALL REPAIRS. *AK
THE CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 02V257000 ON THE FMVSS 106/ BRAKE HOSES. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A DEALER TO HONOR THE RECALL. *JB
THERE WAS NO DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE CONSUMER'S IMMEDIATE VICINITY OR IN A RADIUS OF 50 MILES. CAMPAIGN #02V257000. *JB
Read 14 more owner reports
THERE WAS NOT A DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE CONSUMER'S IMMEDIATE VICINITY OR IN A RADIUS OF 50 MILES. CAMPAIGN #02V257000. *JB
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THREE ACCIDENTS WHEREBY THE BRAKES FAILED. A RECALL LETTER FOR THE BRAKE HOSE WAS ISSUED. NHTSA RECALL 02V257000. *JB
DAEWOOD DEVELOPED RATTLING SOUNDS. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL COULD NOT BE HONORED DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO GET PARTS FROM DAEWOO REGARDING THE CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *SC *JB
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 02V131000 CONCERNING AIR BAG FAILURE. DEALER WAS NOT IN OPERATION.*AK
REALL 04V357000 CONCERNING CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. CONSUMER CONTACTED AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER AND THEY INFORMED HER THAT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR DEAWOO RECALL NOTICE.*AK
NHTSA RECALL 04V357000 CONCERNING CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V357000 CONCERNING CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. SERVICE MANAGER RON MCCALL. *AK
NHTSA RECALL 04V357000 CONCERNING CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A DEALER TO HONOR THE RECALL.*AK
THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO FIND A DEALERSHIP OR CONTACT THE NUMBER PROVIDED ON THE RECALL LETTER FOR DAEWOO CUSTOMER SERVICE. RECALL#04V357000 CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB
04 V 357 000/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR/MIL: CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATED AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER WITHIN THE AREA. *JB
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V357000 CONCERNING CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. CONSUMER COULD NOT FIND A DEALERSHIP NOR CONTACT THE NUMBER FOR DAEWOO CONSUMER'S SERVICE CENTER PROVIDED ON THE RECALL LETTER. *AK
AFTER RECEIVING RECALL LETTER 04V357000 CONCERNING CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR THERE WERE NO DEALERS TO DO RECALL REPAIRS. *AK
DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PERFORM CAM SHAFT POSITION SENSOR RECALL 04V357000 WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.*AK
THERE WERE NO DEALERS IN THE AREA TO MAKE THE REPAIR. RECALL 04V357000. *JB
Showing 20 of 436 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact Daewoo Nubira
These pages show model-year patterns across 3 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Daewoo Nubira, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Daewoo Nubira has 436 complaints on record across 3 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Daewoo Nubira has 9 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 13 of the Daewoo Nubira's 436 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Daewoo Nubira vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Daewoo Nubira vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Daewoo Nubira has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Daewoo Nubira by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Daewoo Nubira.
Research more
Keep researching before you buy
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Daewoo Nubira reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Daewoo Nubira reliable?
Poor. The Daewoo Nubira has 436 NHTSA owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Daewoo Nubira years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2000 (281 complaints), 2001 (122 complaints), 2002 (33 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Daewoo Nubira problems?
Top reported issues: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING (281 complaints); SERVICE BRAKES (101 complaints); HYDRAULIC (97 complaints).
Does the Daewoo Nubira have recalls?
Yes — 9 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Daewoo Nubira. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.