2015 Nissan Xterra

Routine

Owners filed 10 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train5
000
Suspension1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Parking Brake1
000
Electronic Stability Control (esc)1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Structure › Body
Filed Mar 4, 2024WA

Rear passenger side door will not open from the inside or outside. This is apparently a widespread problem for Nissan Xterra rear doors. It creates a safety problem as passengers cannot leave the vehicle in case of an accident.

Service Brakes
Filed Jun 6, 2022CO

Leaf spring snapped. Large piece of metal was found in the road. Rear shocks were replaced under warranty several years prior. Known weak point of xterras. Dealer replacement costs were astronomical so I upgraded the equipment for the same cost and did the work myself as I am now slightly out of warranty.

Suspension
Filed Feb 28, 2022MI

The following is an email that I had sent to CSX Risk Management describing what happened with my vehicle on Friday, 2.25.2022. I suspect that a defective leaf spring could have contributed to my accident. This is the passenger side leaf spring. I say this because I had to replace the same leaf spring on a 2011 Nissan Xterra PRO-4X before. I now have a 2015. -- I went over the CSX Railroad Tracks on Three Oaks Road (Northbound, just before Old M-11) in Sawyer last night -- approximately 9:13PM EST. Upon going over the bumpy tracks, it caused my passenger rear wheel to be pushed back into wheel well. The tire was rubbing on the wheel well and it smelled like burning rubber. I'd stopped right away and saw white smoke from the tires. It's looks like the bumpy tracks caused the leaf spring to be damaged or out of place. I can't tell if there are any other damages. My car had to be towed, as it was not drivable. Chikaming Township Police assisted. The police officer, Sargeant Brandon Jones, and tow truck driver said that the bumpy tracks have been in need of repairs for maybe seven years! Why has the tracks not been repaired in such a long time?!! I wasn't the first casualty, and won't be the last. A police report was made. I have an incident # that I have attached to this email. And, a few pictures. More photos of the track will be included in the police report, as Sargeant Brandon Jones went to look at the tracks to investigate. My car was towed to my home in Benton Harbor, Mich

Parking Brake
Filed Nov 30, 202166,000 milesNJ

The contact owns a 2015 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the emergency brake activated, the emergency brake button was stuck. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was diagnosed that the axles were leaking oil and needed to be replaced. However, there were no axles available for replacement and that there probably not be any available in the future. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

Power Train
Filed Mar 7, 2018NH

VEHICLE STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF CLUTCH SLIPPING AT 50,000 MILES: ENGINE WOULD REV UP WHILE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS FULLY OUT, THEN YOU WOULD FEEL IT RE-ENGAGE COMPLETELY AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF WHINING AND SPINNING. I'M A LIFETIME CLUTCH DRIVER (NEARLY 20 YEARS), AND EVERY VEHICLE GOT IN EXCESS OF 150,000 MILES BEFORE NEEDING A NEW CLUTCH. THE SECOND GENERATION XTERRA MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH IS UTTERLY JUNK. DON'T EVER BUY THIS VEHICLE IN MANUAL, OR ANY NISSAN. AFTER OWNING 3 XTERRAS IN MY TIME I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER NISSAN AGAIN. THIS PREMATURE FAIL IS A MANUFACTURING/OEM DEFECT. PLEASE RECALL!!!

Power Train
Filed Mar 23, 201722,000 milesOH

BOUGHT MY X-TERRA BRAND NEW AND WAS TOLD IS HAS A BUMPER TO BUMPER 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, AT 22,000 THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. HAD IT TOWED TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP THAT IS SAYING THE CLUTCH IS BAD FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. WE'VE READ A LOT OF OTHER REVIEWS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL AND WANT TO REPORT IT. BOTH DRIVERS IN OUR HOUSEHOLD ARE EXPERIENCED CLUTCH DRIVER WITH A COMBINED 20+ YEAR EXPERIENCE. I CALLED NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AND THEY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND JUST "TOOK THEIR WORD FOR IT" NOTHING WAS REALLY INVESTIGATED AT ALL. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ON BOTH ENDS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WE BOUGHT IT FROM THAT IS 4+ HOURS AWAY FROM OUR CURRENT HOME AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD'VE TAKEN CAR OF IT AND FIXED IT UNDER THE WARRANTY. WE CAN'T HAVE IT TOWED 4+ HOURS AWAY AFTER BEING TAKEN APART. BOTTOM LINE NISSAN HAS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THEIR CLUTCHES, AND IS BLAMING IT ON THE CONSUMERS AND NOT ABIDING TO THEIR WARRANTY.

Power Train
Filed Jun 26, 2016100,000 milesPR

MY NISSAN XTERRA 2005 HAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM CAUSED BY COOLANT FLUID IN TRANSMISSION. THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR A REBUILT TRANSMISSION $6,000.00. THIS IS WHAT MY CAR COSTS. IF THEY HAVE TOLD ME BEFORE ABOUT THE PROBLEM I COULD HAVE FIX IT FOR LITTLE MONEY. NOW THEY DON'T ANSWER MY CALLS. SHOULD I THROW MY CAR IN A JUNKER NOW? THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM CAUSED BY A DEFECT FROM THE CAR. THEY NEVER SEND ANY LETTERS REGARDING THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM.

Power Train
Filed Apr 27, 2016NC

AFTER 30000 MILES NEEDS A NEW CLUTCH BOUGHT USED AT 24000 MILES IN NOV. 2015. IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. SO THE CONSUMER HAS TO PAY FOR THE WEAR AND TEAR ITEM. IT WENT OUT AFTER PARKING AT HOME LUCKLY. THE 2006 XTERRA HAD CLUTCH PROBLEMS AND SOME OF THE OTHER MODLES PATHFINDER HAD SOME CLUCTCH PROBLEMS.

Power Train
Filed Dec 28, 2015126,000 milesNY

TRANSMISSION FAILURE DUE TO PAST RADIATOR LEAK, SAME AS COMPLAINT ON FILE

Electronic Stability Control (esc)
Filed Jun 28, 20154,200 milesCA

NISSAN XTERRA 2015 PURCHASED ON 3/14/2015. ODOMETER AT 4200 MILES. VEHICLE HAS LOSS OF POWER FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS. VDC DASH INDICATOR TURNS ON. SOMETIMES ACCOMPANIED BY METALLIC GRINDING NOISE AS IF THE ABS SYSTEM HAS TURNED ON. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES ALWAYS ON DRY ASPHALT PAVEMENT. USUALLY AFTER A 90 DEGREE TURN. ALTHOUGH HAS ALSO HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY FOR A SECOND OR TWO WHEN MODERATELY ACCELERATING FROM A STOP CONTROL. CHECKED TIRE PRESSURES AND IT IS WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS (I.E. 38-40 PSI) THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES PRIOR FOR SHORTER INTERVALS. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE SINCE IT HAS NOW SUBSEQUENTLY OCCURRED TWO TIMES ON 6/28/2015 FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS EACH TIME. NOTE, I HAVE VIDEO RECORD OF BOTH OCCURANCES ON 6/28/2015 OF THE DASH PANEL AND ROADWAY SHOWING THE PROBLEM, VDC INDICATOR LIGHT, ACCOMPANYING GRINDING NOISE, AND LACK OF ACCELERATION. THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 10 MPH AND I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER TO ALLOW A FOLLOWING VEHICLE TO SAFELY PASS. THE VEHICLE SPEED IN INITIATING THE TURN IS USUALLY AROUND 20 MPH. TOOK VEHICLE PREVIOUSLY TO STOCKTON, CA NISSAN DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 6/23/2015. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 3 DAYS. SERVICE TECH TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND REPLICATED PROBLEM, BUT ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE REP FOR ONLY A VERY SHORT TIME AND IN A U-TURN. THIS IS INDICATED ON THE SERVICE PAPERWORK. SERVICE REP SAID NO OBD2 CODES WERE RECORDED. SERVICE TECH CALLED NISSAN TECH LINE WHO TOLD HIM THIS

10 of 10 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2005
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2015 — this page10000Routine
201410000Routine
20134000Routine
201216200Routine
201124200Routine
201038600Routine
200919500Routine
2008119830Routine
2007557230Above average
2006780531Fatalities reported
2005845660Above average
200484330Routine
200372320Routine
2002157672Fatalities reported
2001150550Routine
2000214541Fatalities reported
19990100Routine

Compare every Xterra year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.