Sign inCreate free garage
Research · Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD

2006 Nissan XterraRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 780 owner complaints for the 2006 Nissan Xterra. Most complaints involve power train (268) and fuel system, gasoline (237). The EPA rates it 16–17 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
16–17mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
5campaigns
Latest Oct 2010
Owner complaints
780
Top: power train
Fuel cost / yr
$3,650est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

5 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Engine and engine cooling

Free remedy

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS A DIODE FOR ELECTRICAL CURRENT NOISE REDUCTION. THE ECM RELAY MAY ALLOW SILICON VAPOR TO FORM AND, OVER TIME, THE SILICON EVAPORATES FROM THE DIODE MOLDING WHICH CAUSES SILICON OXIDE TO DEVELOP ON THE ECM RELAY CONTACT DUE TO ARCING.

Engine and engine coolingReported Oct 28, 2010NHTSA 10V517000

Suspension: lower arm

Free remedy

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2010 TITAN, ARMADA, AND QX56, AND MODEL YEARS 2005 THROUGH 2010 FRONTIER, XTERRA, AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. THE LOWER CONTROL LINK ASSEMBLY HAS TWO CYLINDRICAL COLLARS FORMING THE INBOARD ATTACHMENT POINTS TO THE CHASSIS. DUE TO AN IMPROPER WELDING PROCESS SOME COLLARS MAY CONTAIN WELDS THAT DO NOT MEET STRENGTH SPECIFICATIONS.

SuspensionReported May 20, 2010NHTSA 10E019000

Fuel system

Free remedy

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. THE MOLDED FUEL TANK SHELLS CAN DEFORM, CAUSING THE FUEL SENDER FLOAT ARM TO CONTACT AN EMBOSSMENT MOLDED INTO THE TANK SHELL CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FUEL GAUGE TO SHOW THAT THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER TANK WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY.

Fuel system, gasolineReported Mar 3, 2010NHTSA 10V075000
See all 5 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 8, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

780 complaints filed with NHTSA · Apr 2006 – Feb 2026
  1. Power train268
  2. Fuel system, gasoline237
  3. Engine and engine cooling106
  4. Engine104
  5. Fuel/propulsion system94
  6. Electrical system41
  7. Fuel system, other40
  8. Steering22
  9. Air bags20

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

By model year

Complaints for each Xterra model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2000230
2001159
2002172
200372
200484
2005845
2006780
2007557
2008119
200919
201038
201124
201216
20134
201410
201510
Crashes reported
12
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
19
Deaths reported
1
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 8, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Power train

268 reports2 crashes2 fires
“Car just shut off in traffic loosing all power and braking causing me to crash into the back of a stopped car at a red-light. After inspection from a mechanic shop, they informed me that something in the computer had fried causing the car to shut off, and it had also caused the transmission control unit module to go bad making the car not drive able.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 1, 2023Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemCrash reportedODI 11519825

Fuel system, gasoline

237 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER RIVERSIDE NISSAN (8330 INDIANA AVE, RIVERSIDE, CA 92504) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V075000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 13, 2020Fuel system, gasolineODI 11349035

Engine and engine cooling

106 reports1 crash
“The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the catalytic converter; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was an engine misfire and the other catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,900.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2022Engine and engine coolingODI 11480769
All 2006 Xterra problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engines
4.0L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 6-spd · Automatic 5-spd
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 8, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Xterra 2WD
Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
152017$3,650523
Xterra 4WD
Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
151917$3,650523
Xterra 2WD
Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
142016$3,900555
Xterra 4WD
Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
141916$3,900555
  • Xterra 2WD
    Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L
    15 city · 20 hwy · $3,650/yr
    17
    mpg comb.
  • Xterra 4WD
    Man 6-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L
    15 city · 19 hwy · $3,650/yr
    17
    mpg comb.
  • Xterra 2WD
    Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L
    14 city · 20 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
  • Xterra 4WD
    Auto 5-spd, 6 cyl, 4.0 L
    14 city · 19 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 8, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

1 tested variant
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2006 Nissan Xterra as of Nov 8, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 8, 2026Vehicle 1777
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2006 Xterra questions

How many recalls does the 2006 Nissan Xterra have?

5 safety recalls as of Nov 8, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2006 Nissan Xterra problems?

Owners filed 780 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are power train (268), fuel system, gasoline (237), engine and engine cooling (106). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2006 Nissan Xterra get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Nissan Xterra at 16–17 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 8, 2026