Your vehicle report
2003 Nissan Xterra
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 72
- Received Mar 2003 to Sep 2022
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes7 complaints · 9.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline6 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed6 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #10V554000Nissan is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 frontier vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001 through october 20, 2004, and model year 2002-2004, xterra vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001, through january 6, 2005. Over time corrosion may form in the lower steering column joint and limit movement of the joint. The limited movement of this joint may create excessive load on the lower steering column shaft. If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, it may lead to cracking of the shaft during low speed maneuvers that require large steering inputs.
- Recall #04V230000On certain pickup trucks equipped with six cylinder engines and sport utility vehicles equipped with four or six cylinder engines, the fuel pump terminal on the fuel-sending unit can develop a crack in the plastic molding. This can cause the terminal strip to corrode under some environmental conditions.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 16 crashes, 2 fires, 10 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 7 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 15 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 4 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 9 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 72 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 9.7% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 8.3% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 8.3% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 4 | 5.6% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 5.6% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 4.2% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 4.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #10V554000November 11, 2010500,552 vehicles affected
steering: column
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 frontier vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001 through october 20, 2004, and model year 2002-2004, Xterra vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001, through january 6, 2005. Over time corrosion may form in the lower steering column joint and limit movement of the joint. The limited movement of this joint may create excessive load on the lower steering column shaft. If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, it may lead to cracking of the shaft during low speed maneuvers that require large steering inputs.
The shaft may break which could result in loss of steering control during these low speed maneuvers increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
The steering column shaft and joint will be replaced with a shaft of a different design. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on december 13, 2010. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #04V230000May 24, 2004586,196 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
On certain pickup trucks equipped with six cylinder engines and sport utility vehicles equipped with four or six cylinder engines, the fuel pump terminal on the fuel-sending unit Can develop a crack in the plastic molding. This Can cause the terminal strip to corrode under some environmental conditions.
If corrosion occurs, the terminal strip could eventually break causing the fuel pump to stop operation. This will result in not being able to start the engine or cause the engine to stop running without warning, which Can result in a crash.
Remedy
In the following states, dealers will replace the fuel-sending unit. These states are connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, tennessee, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. In the other states, the dealer will inspect the fuel pump terminal on the sending unit for corrosion. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the unit. If there is not corrosion, the dealer will apply sealant to the terminal housing to help prevent corrosion in the future. Owner notification began on june 28, 2004. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #02V299000November 12, 2002143,000 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, water may enter the rear axle housing due to inadequate sealing of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor.
This Can result in corrosion and eventual failure of the wheel bearing. If this occurs, the wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle for water intrusion and any affected components will be replaced. The ABS sensor will be resealed to prevent water intrusion. Owner notification began december 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Nissan Xterra.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN