Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Nissan Xterra problems

Owners filed 172 complaints about the 2002 Nissan Xterra with NHTSA between Dec 2001 and Jul 2025. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (29).

Complaints
172
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
22
Reported by owners
Fires
7
Reported by owners
Injuries
28
People reported injured
Deaths
17
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling29
  2. Steering22
  3. Air bags21
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic16
  5. Electrical system15
  6. Suspension13
  7. Vehicle speed control11
  8. Fuel system, gasoline9
  9. Service brakes8
  10. Engine8
  11. Tires8
  12. Visibility8
  13. Equipment8
  14. Power train7

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
20014
200219
200331
200418
200518
20066
20077
20087
20093
20106
201112
20122
20132
20148
20159
20163
20174
20182
20192
20204
20213
20220
20230
20241
20251

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

Engine and engine cooling

29 reports1 fire
“MY 2002 XTERRA ENGINE STALLS WHEN AT IDLE SPEED, IT STARTS BACK BUT WILL STALL ALMOST EVERYTIME I STOP AT A LIGHT,STOP SIGN OR IN TRAFFIC. ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON AND THERE IS NO CODES. I SPOKE TO A NISSAN DEALERSHIP AND WHEN I ASKED THEM ABOUT A RECALL ON THE 2004 MODEL FOR THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE IPDM RELAY, THEY SAID THAT IS PROBABLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH MINE. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO SAID THERE IS AN ONGOING CAMPAIGN FOR THIS ISSUE WITH THE 2002 MODEL. I HAVE ALREADY HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOR THIS PROBLEM HAD SPARK PLUGS,DISTRIBUTOR,PLUG WIRES,FUEL FILTER ,MAF SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED $1300.00 LATER I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *KB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2011Engine and engine cooling, Electrical systemODI 10413939

Steering

22 reports6 crashes1 related recall
“MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA'S AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN A COLLISION WITH A TELEPHONE POLE AT APX. 45 MPH. THE ACCIDENT WAS ON A BADLY MAINTAINED CITY STREET, THE STEERING HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC EVEN THOUGH I HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE APX. 6 MO.S AGO.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2021Steering, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11399557

Air bags

21 reports10 crashes1 related recall
“VEHICLE WAS WRECKED ON A DIRT ROAD. THE VEHICLE ROLLED FOUR TIMES AND WAS TOTALED; THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE CAR SO PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING IS NOT A SURPRISE. DRIVER WAS SEVERELY INJURED FROM ACCIDENT, INCURRING SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL COSTS AS WELL AS JOB LOSS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 4, 2016Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10863215

Service brakes, hydraulic

16 reports2 crashes
“PURCHASED IN NOVEMBER OF 2006 AND IN MAY 2008 AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN THE CITY ONLY DOING ABOUT 10 MPH. THE WHEEL JERKED REALLY FUNNY AND THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. UPON ATTEMPTING TO GO MY CAR WOULDN'T PICK UP SPEED AND WAS MAKING A RUBBING NOISE. LIMPED INTO GARAGE WHERE THEY SHOWED ME MY CALIPERS WERE LOCKED UP. HAD BOTH CALIPERS, BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED. OCTOBER 2009, DRIVING AT 55 MPH, STARTED SMELLING BURNT RUBBER SMELL, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I PULLED OVER TO HAVE IT TOWED. THOUGHT IT WAS OVERHEATING EVEN THOUGH GAUGE DID NOT INDICATE THAT. GARAGE STATED I NEEDED A NEW BRAKE LINE SO HAD IT REPLACED AND ON THE WAY HOME I BEGAN SMELLING THAT HORRIBLE SMELL AGAIN SO I DECIDED TO TAKE TO ANOTHER GARAGE WHERE THEY SHOWED ME MY CALIPER WAS LOCKED UP JUST ENOUGH TO HEAT THE ROTOR UP. HAD CALIPER AND BRAKES REPLACED. APRIL 2010, JUST FROM PAST EXPERIENCES I KNEW WHAT THE RUBBING NOISE AND LOSS OF POWER MEANT. SURE ENOUGH DRIVER'S SIDE CALIPER WAS LOCKED UP. HAD CALIPER, BRAKES AND NEW BRAKE HOSE PUT ON. JULY 2011, YET AGAIN MY CALIPER IS LOCKED UP. SO AS I AM TYPING THIS ITS BACK IN FOR THE USUAL. IN ALMOST…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 28, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10415577

Electrical system

15 reports1 crash2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES UNDERNEATH THE STEERING COLUMN WERE BURNT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 204,391.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 9, 2015Electrical systemFire reportedODI 10789380

Suspension

13 reports1 related recall
“THE MAIN LEAF SPRING IN THE REAR SUSPENSION SHEARED OFF NEXT TO THE AXLE WHILE DRIVING. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE CAR AND THE TOTAL LOAD IN THE REAR OF THE CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 100LBS. THE SPRING CAUGHT ON THE BRAKE LINE AS IT BROKE. MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON. THE REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE YET. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 22, 2008SuspensionODI 10225365
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.