2000 Nissan Xterra

I HAVE ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. I HAD TO REPLACE THE PASSENGER SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AROUND 40K MILES DUE TO A CRACK. I AM NOW EXPERIENCING A CRACK OF THE DRIVER EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THIS PROBLEM HAS ME CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTS INVOLVED. I THINK THAT THE EXHAUST FUMES MAY ENTER THE PASSENGER AREA OF THE CAR THROUGH THE FIREWALL.

I WAS TRANSPORTING A MECHANIC TO A JOB SITE, WHEN THE MECHANIC NOTED A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. AFTER TALKING WITH ANOTHER 2000 XTERRA OWNER, HE SITED THE SAME FAULT ON HIS VEHICLE. I DID RESEARCH AND FOUND THE FAULT IS WIDE SPREAD. I THEN TALKED WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS, AND THEY ALL AGREED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH THAT FREQUENCY AT THOSE MILES. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH I FOUND THAT NISSIAN HAS PROBLEMS NOT JUST WITH THE XTERRA BUT ALSO EARLIER MODELS OF THE FRONTER. STATISTICAL AND MECHANICAL EVIDENCE SUGGETS A DEFECT IN THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

I HAVE DRIVEN MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW WITH NORMAL DRIVING, NO OFF ROAD DRIVING OR ABUSE OF MY VEHICLE. RECENTLY I DISCOVERED THAT AFTER A FEW WEEKS OF AN OVERWHELMING SMELL OF EXHAUST IN MY PASSENGER CABIN THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS IN FACT CRACKED. NOW ON MANY OCCASIONS I HAVE A VERY YOUNG CHILD IN MY VEHICLE SO I'VE HAD TO LEAVE HIM OUTSIDE TILL THE EXHAUST SMELL HAS DISSIPATED AND I CAN ONLY ASSUME IT'S NO LONGER MAKING IT'S WAY INTO THE CABIN. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLE BE GOOD FOR ANYBODY. IN ANY EVENT I FIGURED I WOULD JUST HAVE TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED BUT AS I DID SOME RESEARCH I REALIZED THAT I'M NOT ALONE AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I WILL HAVE MANIFOLD REPLACED AT MY OWN COST SO I CAN AGAIN FEEL SAFE THAT I'M NOT BREATHING IN EXHAUST. I FIND IT ABSURD THAT NEITHER NISSAN NOR THE NHTSA HAS MADE THE PUBLIC AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE SOMETHING CAN BE DONE SOON.*AK

MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA WITH LESS THAN 51,000 MILES DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE PASSENGER SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I HAVE MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND EVEN THOUGH IT IS DESIGNED TO BE DRIVEN OFF ROAD MY VEHICLE'S OFF ROAD EXPERIENCE IS THE OCCASIONAL GRAVEL ROAD. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVEN "HARD" OR BEYOND NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE CRACKED DEVELOPED WITHOUT ANY INDICATION OTHER THAN A STRANGE "HISSING" SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AND A SLIGHT EXHAUST ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED BUT IT APPEARS THAT EXHAUST LEAKING INTO THE DRIVER/PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ON LONG TRIPS OR PROLONGED STOP AND GO TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. *AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON WHILE DRIVING TO TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA FROM SACRAMENTO.. I HAD THE RADIO ON AND DID NOT HEAR AN ENGINE NOISE. IT WAS 11:00 CLOCK AT NIGHT AND I WAS A WOMAN ALONE DRIVING IN A RURAL AREA. THERE WAS NO WHERE TO STOP UNTIL I GOT TO MY HOME TOWN OF TRUCKEE . WHEN I STARTED THE CAR IN THE MORNING, TO GO TO WORK I HEARD A RATHER DISTINCT NOISE IN THE ENGINE. I CALLED MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE TOOK THE CAR IN IMMEDIATLEY.. HE REPLACED THE TIMING BELT AND THE NOISE CONTINUED. HE RECOMMENDED TOWING IT TO THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP IN RENO. WHICH IS WHAT I DID. THEY LISTENED TO THE MOTOR AND SAID IT WAS THE # 5 PISTON WHICH MEANT THE I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AT A COST OF $6500.00 , I DECLINED REPAIRS. MY XTERRA ONLY HAD 68,000 MILES ON IT, AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY A CAR WITH SUCH A GOOD REPUTATION HAD ENGINE FAILURE WITH SO LITTLE MILEAAGE. WHEN I BOUGHT BY CAR WHICH WAS USED AT 32,000 MILES I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANCIC. HE SAID THAT THHIS CAR SHOULD LAST ME WELL INTO THE 200,000 PLUS MILES AS DID MY FORMER CAR A ISUZU RODEO (240,000). THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER PURCHASED A USED CAR AND FELT CONFIDENT IN GETTING A NISSAN PRODUCT. UNFOUTUNATELY THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. LUCKILY THE CAR MADE IT BACK TO MY HOME TOWN AND DID NOT BREAK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN WINTER. I WAS MAKING THIS TRIP TO SACRAMENTO TWICE A WEEK FOR A CLASS IN OBTAINING MY SPECIAL EDUCAATION CREDENTIAL, AND I WILL HAVE T DO IT FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS. I WAS DEPENDING ON THIS CAR FOR SAFETY AND RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. BUYING A CAR WITH 32,000 MIOLES SEEMED LIKE A NEW CAR TO ME, CONSIDERING MY OLD CAR HAD 240,000. I TAKE CARE OF MY CARS, AND I AM NOT ABUSIVE TO THEM. THEY LAST ME A LONG TIME. *AK

3 TIME PROBLEM WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE IN MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. GOT A COPY OF THE NISSAN 5 YEAR REPAIR HISTORY FOR THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND OUT THAT AT 22,3?? THE LINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT HAS NOW FAILED A THIRD TIME AND BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY NISSAN SAID THEY WILL NOT FIX IT FOR ME. CLEARLY THIS IS A FAULTY PART TO BEGIN WITH AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CHARGED FOR ITS THIRD FAILURE. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WOULD JERK, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD FAIL. *AK WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES GAUGES (TACHOMETER, ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE) RANDOMLY WENT OUT. THIS PROBLEM ALSO APPEARED TO AFFECT THE CRUISE CONTROL AND OCCURED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. WHEN THE GAUGES GO OUT THEY STAYED OUT FROM 3-20 MILES. *NLM