Problems · NHTSA complaints

2000 Nissan Xterra problems

Owners filed 230 complaints about the 2000 Nissan Xterra with NHTSA between Feb 2000 and Sep 2024. The most-cited component is fuel system, gasoline (50).

Complaints
230
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
27
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
30
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Fuel system, gasoline50
  2. Electrical system36
  3. Engine and engine cooling36
  4. Power train23
  5. Air bags17
  6. Wheels12
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic12
  8. Fuel system, other11
  9. Vehicle speed control10
  10. Suspension9
  11. Structure8
  12. Visibility8
  13. Fuel/propulsion system7
  14. Tires7

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200013
200119
200216
200361
200439
200526
20068
200710
20088
20094
20104
20113
20123
20133
20140
20154
20161
20170
20180
20191
20203
20210
20221
20230
20243

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Fuel system, gasoline

50 reports1 crash1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE CONTACT AND HE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL PUMP MAY BE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 143,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 20, 2012Fuel system, gasolineODI 10455905

Electrical system

36 reports3 crashes3 fires
“The engine service soon have been on for quite some time now. I tried to take it to several Smog places to get it smogged , and the mechanic have told me that the Smog scanner cannot read the computer of my car.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2022Electrical systemODI 11454910

Engine and engine cooling

36 reports
“DRIVING APPROX. 5 MINUTES WHEN CAR WARNING LIGHTS (CHECK ENGINE) AND ALL DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON IMMEDIATELY THERE AFTER, CAR ENGINE SHUTS OFF. CAR ENGINE WOULD TURN ON WHEN STARTED BUT AS SOON AS YOU ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION BY MOVING FROM PARK TO DRIVE, AND PRESS THE GAS PEDAL, CAR ENGINE WOULD AGAIN CUT OFF. AT NO OTHER TIME PRIOR TO THIS DID CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON, OIL LIGHT, OR WATER TEMPERATURE GAGE SHOW ANY MALFUNCTION. THE PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC THAT CHECKED MY CAR AND RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTING CAN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS. HE SAYS HE HAS DRIVEN THE CAR BUT, CAN'T GUARANTEE THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 24, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10445086

Power train

23 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR. WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE IN THE SAME GEAR AS SHOWN ON THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED, BUT THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 00V288000, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IDENTICAL TO HIS FAILURE AND IT WAS ALSO RELATED TO THE CABLE LOCK PLATE ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 190000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 30, 2010Power trainODI 10373524

Air bags

17 reports16 crashes
“MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION WHEN A DRUNK DRIVER HIT HER WHILE DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD. HIS AIRBAGS DEPLOYED BUT NOT MY DAUGHTERS NISSAN XTERRA. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 21, 2013Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10513059

Wheels

12 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 3, 2015WheelsODI 10788122
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.