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2001 Nissan Xterra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Nissan Xterra do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 78.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

85 reports with mileage · 65 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.

  • Visibility. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

15 crash reports5 fire reports8 injury reports

What owners actually said

150 reports
72,000 miles · Mar 6, 2011
Wheels

BOTH OF MY FRONT RIMS CRACKED ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. TWO OF THE FOUR PASSENGER SIDE SPOKES AND ONE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SPOKES IS STARTING TO CRACK. THERE WASN'T ANY IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. I ONLY NOTICED BECAUSE MY BRAKES BEGAN SQUEAKING AFTER A TRIP WITH MY 10YR OLD SON. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FRONT RIMS TO CHE…

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BOTH OF MY FRONT RIMS CRACKED ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. TWO OF THE FOUR PASSENGER SIDE SPOKES AND ONE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE SPOKES IS STARTING TO CRACK. THERE WASN'T ANY IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS. I ONLY NOTICED BECAUSE MY BRAKES BEGAN SQUEAKING AFTER A TRIP WITH MY 10YR OLD SON. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FRONT RIMS TO CHECK THE BRAKES, I NOTICED THE CRACKS. THEY ARE ALUMINUM 4 SPOKE 15"X7"RIMS. I FOUND A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V307000. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10386591

80,000 miles · Jan 21, 2011
Electrical SystemFire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A WATER HOSE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. HE WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A WATER HOSE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

NHTSA ODI #10378190

67,188 miles · Sep 5, 2010
Electrical System

INSTRUMENT GAUGE FAILURE. SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, ODOMETER, HEAT, AND FUEL GAUGES ALL GO TO ZERO. THIS OCCURS USUALLY ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER THE CAR IS RUNNING AND/OR THE TEMPERATURE IS VERY WARM OUTSIDE. SUV CONTINUES TO RUN 'NORMALLY' WHEN THIS OCCURS, BUT THIS CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD IN NOT KNOWING YOUR VEHICLE SPEED OR FUEL …

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INSTRUMENT GAUGE FAILURE. SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, ODOMETER, HEAT, AND FUEL GAUGES ALL GO TO ZERO. THIS OCCURS USUALLY ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER THE CAR IS RUNNING AND/OR THE TEMPERATURE IS VERY WARM OUTSIDE. SUV CONTINUES TO RUN 'NORMALLY' WHEN THIS OCCURS, BUT THIS CAN BE A SAFETY HAZARD IN NOT KNOWING YOUR VEHICLE SPEED OR FUEL LEVEL WHEN DRIVING. TYPICALLY, THE GAUGES RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN RUNNING AND PARKED IN A 'COOL' SPACE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS, BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE NO SOLUTION AVAILABLE OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM NISSAN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10353919

44,000 miles · Aug 6, 2010
Visibility

WINDOW REGULATORS ALL HAVE BEEN MALFUNCTIONING ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10347825

130,000 miles · Aug 5, 2010
Visibility

ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA, THE WINDOWS ARE NEARLY INOPERABLE ON FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THEY STARTED OUT SLOWLY AND GETTING STUCK HALF THE WAY UP, IT WOULD USUALLY TAKE ABOUT 4 ATTEMPTS TO GET WINDOW ALL THE WAY UP. THIS IS A SERIOUS NISSAN PROBLEM, AND ACCORDING TO OTHER FORUMS, OTHERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. THE WIN…

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ON MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA, THE WINDOWS ARE NEARLY INOPERABLE ON FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THEY STARTED OUT SLOWLY AND GETTING STUCK HALF THE WAY UP, IT WOULD USUALLY TAKE ABOUT 4 ATTEMPTS TO GET WINDOW ALL THE WAY UP. THIS IS A SERIOUS NISSAN PROBLEM, AND ACCORDING TO OTHER FORUMS, OTHERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM. THE WINDOWS NEED TO HAVE A RECALL ON THEM, IT IS VERY AGGRAVATING TO NOT BE ABLE TO ROLL THE WINDOWS UP OR DOWN, WHAT IF YOUR DOOR GETS HIT BY A CAR, AND DOOR IS INOPERABLE? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10347507

48,000 miles · Jan 6, 2010
Visibility

FIRST THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW STOPPED WORKING. SOUNDS LIKE BREAKING GLASS WHEN IT IS ROLLED DOWN. WILL ONLY ROLL DOWN 1 -2 INCHES AND WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE LEFT REAR WINDOW WILL ROLL DOWN BUT WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW WILL OCCASIONALLY ROLL DOWN BUT WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW WORKS F…

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FIRST THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW STOPPED WORKING. SOUNDS LIKE BREAKING GLASS WHEN IT IS ROLLED DOWN. WILL ONLY ROLL DOWN 1 -2 INCHES AND WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE LEFT REAR WINDOW WILL ROLL DOWN BUT WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW WILL OCCASIONALLY ROLL DOWN BUT WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW WORKS FOR NOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10298471

60,000 miles · Jul 29, 2009
Electrical SystemFire

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 25 MINUTES ON THE TURNPIKE AND PULLED OFF FOR GAS, THE SECOND I TURNED OFF THE CAR SMOKE STARTED TO POUR INSIDE FROM THE FRONT AREA AND ALSO POURING FROM THE UNDER HOOD AREA. THIS TURNED INTO AN ACTUAL FIRE NEXT TO A GAS PUMP. FIRE DEPT. WAS CALLED TO PUT IT OUT . ENGINE TOTALLY BURNED UP AND HOOD ETC... *T…

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I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 25 MINUTES ON THE TURNPIKE AND PULLED OFF FOR GAS, THE SECOND I TURNED OFF THE CAR SMOKE STARTED TO POUR INSIDE FROM THE FRONT AREA AND ALSO POURING FROM THE UNDER HOOD AREA. THIS TURNED INTO AN ACTUAL FIRE NEXT TO A GAS PUMP. FIRE DEPT. WAS CALLED TO PUT IT OUT . ENGINE TOTALLY BURNED UP AND HOOD ETC... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10278740

80,000 miles · Feb 24, 2009
Visibility

HEARD A SAND ON GLASS SOUND WHEN ROLLING UP MY 3 OF MY WINDOWS AND NOW DRIVER, PASSENGER AND REAR PASSENGER WINDOWS DO NOT WORK. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10259751

89,000 miles · Dec 4, 2008
Engine And Engine Cooling

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2001 NISSAN XTERRA XE V6 3.3L ENGINE. ALL MAINTENANCE DONE AT MOSSY NISSAN IS SAN DIEGO. I AM NOW HAVING TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET AFTER 89000MI. NISSAN DOES NOT OFFER ANY WARRANTY FOR THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE GASKET. THIS IS PROBLEMATIC AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10250688

85,000 miles · Nov 20, 2008
Fuel System, Gasoline

MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA SHUTS OFF WHILE IN MOTION. ALSO, WILL NOT START AT TIMES. OVERALL, CAR HAS SHUT OFF OR NOT STARTED PROBABLY ABOUT 10 OR SO TIMES. ACCORDING TO NISSAN THE RECALL ON THIS PART WAS ALREADY FIXED BEFORE I OWNED THE CAR (I BOUGHT IT PREOWNED)....BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN THEREFORE THEY HAVE N…

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MY 2001 NISSAN XTERRA SHUTS OFF WHILE IN MOTION. ALSO, WILL NOT START AT TIMES. OVERALL, CAR HAS SHUT OFF OR NOT STARTED PROBABLY ABOUT 10 OR SO TIMES. ACCORDING TO NISSAN THE RECALL ON THIS PART WAS ALREADY FIXED BEFORE I OWNED THE CAR (I BOUGHT IT PREOWNED)....BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN THEREFORE THEY HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM AT ALL. HOWEVER, SINCE THEY REPAIRED IT ONCE THEY HAVE WASHED THEIR HANDS OF IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10249434

Official recalls

3

04V230000 · 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.

02V299000 · Suspension:rear

Nov 12, 2002

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, WATER MAY ENTER THE REAR AXLE HOUSING DUE TO INADEQUATE SEALING OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) SENSOR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN CORROSION AND EVENTUAL FAILURE OF THE WHEEL BEARING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY COULD SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR AXLE FOR WATER INTRUSION AND ANY AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. THE ABS SENSOR WILL BE RESEALED TO PREVENT WATER INTRUSION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 10, 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.

02V300000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap

Nov 12, 2002

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK INLET SHUTTER VALVE DOES NOT MEET THE SEALING PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS SUCH AS HIGH AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AND WHEN WINTER GRADE GASOLINE IS BEING SOLD, FUEL COULD SPILL FROM THE FILLER INLET AS THE TANK IS BEING FILLED. IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, FUEL LEAKAGE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK INLET SHUTTER VALVE. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DECEMBER 10, 2002. 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.

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

2

DP03005 · Brake Rotor Warpage

Opened Jul 11, 2003 · Closed Jul 29, 2003

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:rotor

MR. KENT JONES OF KERNERSVILLE, NC, SUBMITTED A PETITION TO NHTSA BY E-MAIL DATED JULY 1, 2003, REQUESTING NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE BRAKE ROTORS ON MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA VEHICLES.THE PETITIONER ALLEGED THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS IN THESE VEHICLES WERE DEFECTIVE BECAUSE THE ROTORS OVERHEAT AND WARP FROM NORMAL USAGE.A REVIEW OF ODI'S DATABASE FOR COMPLAINTS REGARDING MY 2001 THROUGH MY 2003 NISSAN XTERRA VEHICLES IDENTIFIED ONLY TWO REPORTS RELATED TO BRAKE ROTOR WARPING; ONE FOR A MY 2001 AND ONE FOR A MY 2002.THE COMPLAINT FOR THE MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA WAS REPORTED BY THE PETITIONER.BRAKE ROTOR WARPING CAN RESULT IN BRAKE PULSATION AND SHAKING WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED.BRAKE PULSATION, TIRE OR SUSPENSION VIBRATION, AND SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE AN OBVIOUS ANNOYANCE TO THE DRIVER, BUT GENERALLY DO NOT CAUSE A DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF A VEHICLE.FURTHERMORE, EVEN IF LEFT UNCORRECTED, ANY POTENTIAL INCREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE WILL BE NEGLIGIBLE. THEREFORE, THIS CONDITION DOES NOT NORMALLY CONSTITUTE A SAFETY DEFECT, EVEN IF IT OCCURS WITH FAR MORE OFTEN FREQUENCY. IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF AN ALLEGED SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT AS DEFINED BY THE PETITIONER IN THE MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA VEHICLES AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN INVESTIGATION.THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA'S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY'S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

PE02052 · Fuel Spill During Refueling

Opened Jun 20, 2002 · Closed Dec 3, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

No summary supplied.