IllustrationTHE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON MY 2000 XTERRA SE (V6 ENGINE) HAS CRACKED, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS. THIS LEADS TO EXHAUST SEEPING INTO THE CABIN WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY VERY DANGEROUS. ON A LONG TRIP, ESPECIALLY A LONG COMMUTE IN SLOWER TRAFFIC, CHANCES OF THE DRIVER SUCCUMBING TO CO POISONING AND FALLING ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL INCREASE.*AK
2000 Nissan Xterra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Xterra years
Owner complaints for the 2000 Nissan Xterra are substantially higher than the model-year median of 78.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Xterra years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
40–25K
1725–50K
4850–75K
2575–100K
21100–150K
11150K+
126 reports with mileage · 88 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
25 crash reports4 fire reports14 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
33 reports2000 NISSAN XTERRA V6. PASSENGER SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED. ACCORDING TO BOTH MY MECHANIC AND RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN NISSAN V6 ENGINES USED IN DIFFERENT CAR MODELS. *LA
AT 5,000 MILES PRE WARRANTY EXPIRATION MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA BROKE DOWN WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY NISSAN, THEY'VE CONCLUDED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BROKE AND THUS THE ENGINE WOULD BE RENDERED USELESS. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER THEIR WARRANTY AND WILL BILL ME FOR TH…
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AT 5,000 MILES PRE WARRANTY EXPIRATION MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA BROKE DOWN WHILE PULLING OUT FROM A STOP. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY NISSAN, THEY'VE CONCLUDED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BROKE AND THUS THE ENGINE WOULD BE RENDERED USELESS. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER THEIR WARRANTY AND WILL BILL ME FOR THE NEW ENGINE. THEY'VE SAID THAT THE ENGINE GOT SLUDGE DUE TO INFREQUENT OIL CHANGES. AFTER PROVIDING PROOF OF REGULAR OIL CHANGES NISSAN SAYS THAT THEY STILL WILL NOT COVER THE VEHICLE. THESE FRAUDULENT ACCUSATIONS ARE AN OUTRAGE AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER NISSAN'S WARRANTY. FURTHERMORE, MY RIGHTS AS A CONSUMER HAVE BEEN VIOLATED. AFTER CONTACTING NHTSA OVER THE PHONE I DISCOVERED THAT THEIR HAD BEEN A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND THAT THE RECALL COULD HAVE HAD SOME AFFECT ON THE RESULTING PROBLEMS CONCURRED, I'M NOT SURE AS I WAS NEVER CONTACTED REGARDING ANY RECALL ISSUE. ANYHOW NISSAN SAYS THAT THEY WILL NOT COVER MY ENGINE UNDER THEIR WARRANTY. THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO CHARGE ME FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION FEES THAT THEY'VE ALREADY BILLED ME FOR TO SEE IF THIS COULD AFTER ALL BE AN ISSUE OF WARRANTY, SO FAR THE TOTAL CONCURRED WITH NO REPAIRS IS $420, WITH THE ADDED INVESTIGATION IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL $480, $1000 OF WORTH OF WORK WITH NO REPAIRS MADE! I'M REFUSING TO PAY ANY FEES REGARDING THIS ISSUE AS IT IS NOT MY OBLIGATION UNDER NISSAN'S WARRANTY. I WILL NOT BE A SCAPEGOAT FOR A DEFECTIVE CRANKSHAFT OR ANY OTHER PART CAUSING THIS FAILURE, AS THIS IS A BREACH IN WARRANTY. I'M PREPARED TO PURSUE THIS ISSUE TO THE FULLEST EXTANT. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP. *NLM
THE ENGINE STALLED, WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. *JB
THE ENGINE STALLED, AND ALL POWER WAS LOST.*JB *TS
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING.*JB
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ON THE NISSAN XTERRA WITH THE VG33? V-6 ENGINE HAS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH CRACKING AND/OR SHEARING BOLTS. I MYSELF HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS, AS THOUSANDS OF OTHER XTERRA OWNERS HAVE. JUST GO TO HTTP://WWW.XTERRAOWNERSCLUB.COM, TO THE FORUMS, AND YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY HAVE HAD TO HAVE THIS REPLACED, SOME…
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THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS ON THE NISSAN XTERRA WITH THE VG33? V-6 ENGINE HAS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH CRACKING AND/OR SHEARING BOLTS. I MYSELF HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO THIS, AS THOUSANDS OF OTHER XTERRA OWNERS HAVE. JUST GO TO HTTP://WWW.XTERRAOWNERSCLUB.COM, TO THE FORUMS, AND YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY HAVE HAD TO HAVE THIS REPLACED, SOMETIMES TWICE. *JB
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING.*JB
NOTICED EXHAUST SMELL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. REPORTED TO DEPARTMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT VEHICLE HAD A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER XTERRA OWNERS AT AN ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUP (WWW.XTERRAOWNERSCLUB.COM) HAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS HAS OCCURED TO MANY OTHER …
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NOTICED EXHAUST SMELL IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. REPORTED TO DEPARTMENT AND WAS INFORMED THAT VEHICLE HAD A CRACKED EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHER XTERRA OWNERS AT AN ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUP (WWW.XTERRAOWNERSCLUB.COM) HAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS HAS OCCURED TO MANY OTHER XTERRA'S. I FEEL THAT THIS WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION AS IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON FAILURE WITH POTENTIAL TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF A DRIVER WERE OVERCOME BY CARBON MONOXIDE FROM THE LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLD BEING DRAWN INTO THE FRESH AIR INTAKE DURING A MODERATE TO LONG DRIVE.*AK
PURGE CONTROL VALVE. *AK
Official recalls
304V230000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
May 24, 2004
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SIX CYLINDER ENGINES AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOUR OR SIX CYLINDER ENGINES, THE FUEL PUMP TERMINAL ON THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT CAN DEVELOP A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC MOLDING. THIS CAN CAUSE THE TERMINAL STRIP TO CORRODE UNDER SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF CORROSION OCCURS, THE TERMINAL STRIP COULD EVENTUALLY BREAK CAUSING THE FUEL PUMP TO STOP OPERATION. THIS WILL RESULT IN NOT BEING ABLE TO START THE ENGINE OR CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A CRASH.
Remedy: IN THE FOLLOWING STATES, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT. THESE STATES ARE CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, TENNESSEE, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THE OTHER STATES, THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE FUEL PUMP TERMINAL ON THE SENDING UNIT FOR CORROSION. IF CORROSION IS PRESENT, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE UNIT. IF THERE IS NOT CORROSION, THE DEALER WILL APPLY SEALANT TO THE TERMINAL HOUSING TO HELP PREVENT CORROSION IN THE FUTURE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 28, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
03V307000 · Wheels
Aug 22, 2003
2000 NISSAN XTERRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN OCTOBER 15, 1999, AND FEBRUARY 29, 2000. THE ALLOY WHEELS USED ON THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND COULD DEVELOP CRACKS IN THE WHEEL SPOKES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SPOKE CRACKS DEVELOP, THE WHEEL COULD FAIL AND SEPARATE FROM THE MOUNTING HUB, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE FOUR ALLOY WHEELS WITH XTERRA SE MODEL BRIGHT ALLOY WHEELS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SPARE TIRE STEEL WHEEL IS NOT AFFECTED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261. INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE OBTAINED THROUGH NISSAN'S WEB SITE AT WWW.NISSANUSA.COM.
00V288000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Oct 2, 2000
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT. " THESE VEHICLES COULD HAVE A SHIFT CABLE LOCK PLATE THAT IS TOO BRITTLE AND CAN BREAK. THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER AND THE "PRNDL" INDICATOR MAY MOVE, BUT THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE TRANSMISSION COULD SHIFT OUT OF THE PARK POSITION, BUT THE GEAR INDICATED ON THE DISPLAY MAY DIFFER FROM THE GEAR ENGAGED IN THE TRANSMISSION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE DRIVER SELECTS 'DRIVE' AND THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTUALLY IN 'REVERSE', A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE LOCK PLATE.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.