Your vehicle report
2004 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
- 84
- Received Sep 2004 to Aug 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly7 complaints · 8.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline6 complaints · 7.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Coil springs break and puncture tires4 complaints · 4.8% 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 #04V581000On certain sport utility vehicles, the accessory tow hitch attachment bolts may not have been tightened to the proper specification.
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: 10 crashes, 3 fires, 7 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 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
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 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 4 |
| 2005 | 10 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 3 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 10 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 84 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 7 | 8.3% | – | NHTSA recall #10V554000 |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 6 | 7.1% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 4 | 4.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 4.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 4.8% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 3.6% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 3 | 3.6% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 3.6% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 3 | 3.6% | – |
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 #04V581000December 15, 2004131 vehicles affected
trailer hitches
On certain sport utility vehicles, the accessory tow hitch attachment bolts may not have been tightened to the proper specification.
This could cause the tow hitch to loosen or separate from the vehicle which could result in a crash without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will tighten the tow hitch. The recall began on january 3, 2005. Owners 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 2004 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