IllustrationFAULTY RADIATOR LEADS TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE NISSAN HAS KNOW OF THIS PROBLEM AND DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT COST OF REPAIR 5000 TO 6000 MANY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA AND PATHFINDERS OWNERS I KNOW HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM PLEASE HELP! *TR
2005 Nissan Xterra
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Xterra years
Owner complaints for the 2005 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
210–25K
8025–50K
15950–75K
21575–100K
261100–150K
34150K+
770 reports with mileage · 75 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.
- Power Train. Review the 412 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 242 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 167 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports6 fire reports6 injury reports
What owners actually said
845 reportsI HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA 4X4. JUST RECENTLY I FILLED UP MY GAS TANK TO FULL, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT MY FUEL GAUGE IT JUST STAYED AT THE HALF MARK. IT TOOK A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE IT CLIMBED TO FULL. MY MILEAGE WAS AT 44,950 MILES WHEN THIS FIRST OCCURRED. IT IS STILL HAPPENING EVERYTIME I HAVE TO FILL MY GAS TANK. I KEEP FILLI…
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I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA 4X4. JUST RECENTLY I FILLED UP MY GAS TANK TO FULL, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT MY FUEL GAUGE IT JUST STAYED AT THE HALF MARK. IT TOOK A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE IT CLIMBED TO FULL. MY MILEAGE WAS AT 44,950 MILES WHEN THIS FIRST OCCURRED. IT IS STILL HAPPENING EVERYTIME I HAVE TO FILL MY GAS TANK. I KEEP FILLING AT HALF BECAUSE I'M AFRAID I WILL RUN OUT OF GAS ON THE FREEWAY. I'VE NOTICED SOME OTHER 2005 XTERRA OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS BECAUSE OF THEIR MALFUNCTIONING PART. I CALLED NISSAN ABOUT THIS BUT THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE MY CAR VIN# WAS NOT UNDER IT. *TR
FUEL GAUGE STUCK AT 3/4 TANK AFTER FUEL UP. NEEDLE WILL NOT MOVE AND IS INACCURATE. SEVERAL OTHER REPORT SAME ISSUE RELATED TO FUEL SENDING UNITS ON NISSAN TRUCKS AND SUV'S 2005-2008. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS A…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000.
I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA AND RECENTLY I HAD MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COME ON. I FOUND OUT THAT EARLIER NISSAN XTERRAS AND PATHFINDERS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. IT WAS A CODE P0463, FUEL GAUGE DETECTIONPROBLEM. THE EARLIER MODELS GOT THIS TO BE A RECALL, BUT THE NEWER XTERRAS HAVE NOT. TO GET THIS FIXED I CAN ONLY GET IT DONE …
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I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA AND RECENTLY I HAD MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COME ON. I FOUND OUT THAT EARLIER NISSAN XTERRAS AND PATHFINDERS HAD THE SAME ISSUE. IT WAS A CODE P0463, FUEL GAUGE DETECTIONPROBLEM. THE EARLIER MODELS GOT THIS TO BE A RECALL, BUT THE NEWER XTERRAS HAVE NOT. TO GET THIS FIXED I CAN ONLY GET IT DONE BY THE DEALER AND IS AROUND A $600 REPAIR. *TR
MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA SE HAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE FSU (FUEL SENDING UNIT) HAS STOPPED WORKING. IN OTHER WORDS, THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT READ ACCURATELY. FOR EXAMPLE, YESTERDAY I FILLED THE TANK, AND THE GAS GAUGE READS ANYWHERE FROM A QUARTER-TANK TO A HALF-TANK (CHANGES SPORADICALLY). NISSAN HAS ISSUED A R…
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MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA SE HAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE FSU (FUEL SENDING UNIT) HAS STOPPED WORKING. IN OTHER WORDS, THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT READ ACCURATELY. FOR EXAMPLE, YESTERDAY I FILLED THE TANK, AND THE GAS GAUGE READS ANYWHERE FROM A QUARTER-TANK TO A HALF-TANK (CHANGES SPORADICALLY). NISSAN HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE FOR SOME 2006 AND 2008 MODELS, BUT FROM MY ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING WITH OTHER MODEL YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDESIGNED WITH THE 2005 MODEL, AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS HAVE SEEN ONLY MINOR UPDATES TO THIS REDESIGN. SO IT STANDS TO REASON THAT THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE 2005 MODELS, WHEN EVERYTHING WAS REDESIGNED. CLEARLY, NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE IN THE TANK IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS ONE COULD END UP RUNNING OUT OF GAS ON THE FREEWAY, OR OUT IN A RURAL AREA AT NIGHT, OR SOME OTHER UNSAFE SCENARIO. *TR
FUEL SENDING UNIT FOR A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA IS BAD. PART IS NOT A RECALL PART, BUT PART HAS FAILED FOR SO MANY CONSUMERS. *TR
MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA FUEL GAUGE HAS STOPPED WORKING AND NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND WILL NOT GO OFF. AFTER RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NISSAN XTERRA FOR MANY CONSUMERS. *TR
I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA THAT I BOUGHT PRE-OWNED. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY REAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. I HAD MY FUEL SENDING UNIT IN THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTION, WHICH HAS CAUSED ME TO FAIL AN EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND HAS CAUSED SEVERAL INSTANCES OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AS A RESUL…
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I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA THAT I BOUGHT PRE-OWNED. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY REAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE, AND HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP WITH SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. I HAD MY FUEL SENDING UNIT IN THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTION, WHICH HAS CAUSED ME TO FAIL AN EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND HAS CAUSED SEVERAL INSTANCES OF RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AS A RESULT OF A MALFUNCTIONING GAS LEVEL INDICATOR. AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE, IT'S APPARENTLY EXTREMELY COMMON AND NISSAN HAS FAILED TO RECALL THE PROBLEM. THEY RECALLED IT FOR EARLIER MODEL YEARS, BUT ALTHOUGH THEY'RE STILL USING THE SAME WEAK PART, HAVE YET TO RECALL IT FOR THE YEAR APPLICABLE TO ME (2005). *TR
THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA SE DOES NOT READ ACCURATELY. WHEN I FILL THE TANK THE DISPLAY NEEDLE DROPS TO BELOW "E" AND SHOWS THE FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THIS BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2009 WITH ABOUT 70K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. NISSAN RECENTLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM BUT LIMITED IT TO MODEL YEAR 2006…
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THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA SE DOES NOT READ ACCURATELY. WHEN I FILL THE TANK THE DISPLAY NEEDLE DROPS TO BELOW "E" AND SHOWS THE FUEL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES. THIS BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2009 WITH ABOUT 70K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. NISSAN RECENTLY ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM BUT LIMITED IT TO MODEL YEAR 2006 AND 2008 XTERRA'S. NISSAN WANTS TO CHARGE ME ALMOST $600+ TO FIX THE PROBLEM ON MY 2005. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH OF 'XTERRA FUEL GAUGE' WILL SHOW MANY MORE COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE WITH 2005 AND 2007 XTERRA'S. THESE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *TR
Official recalls
310V517000 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Oct 28, 2010
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECM RELAY INSIDE THE IPDM ASSEMBLY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 6, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
08V690000 · Air Bags:frontal
Dec 29, 2008
NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHICH USE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT CAN ENTER INTO THE FRONT CRASH ZONE SENSOR (CZS) HOUSING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CZS MAY INTERNALLY RUST RESULTING IN A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE TO ALERT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS. THESE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY MAIL AND WILL RECEIVE A STICKER TO PLACE IN THEIR WARRANTY BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
05V458000 · Trailer Hitches
Oct 5, 2005
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A NISSAN ACCESSORY TOW HITCH, INADEQUATE QUALITY OF SOME WELDED JOINTS IN THE HITCH ASSEMBLY MAY RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE HITCH FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN BEING USED TO TOW.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE TRAILER SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TOW HITCHES. ON OCTOBER 17, 2005, OWNERS WERE SENT AN INTERIM LETTER ADVISING THEM NOT TO USE THE TOW HITCH UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED. ANOTHER LETTER WAS SENT OUT ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005, NOTIFYING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR REPAIR. OWNERS MAY 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
1DP12004 · Transmission Failures
Opened Jun 11, 2012 · Closed Oct 22, 2016
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train; Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm); Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines; Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.
Additional source detail variants (5)
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.
Power Train:automatic Transmission
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.
Power Train
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject. Our report, documenting this review, is available in the document file for this defect petition.It will also be published in the Federal Register. Of the 2,505 referenced complaints, 638 relate to a potential hazard (unable to maintain speed, no motive power, engine stall) and 1,867 concern customer satisfaction issues including, but not limited to, repair cost, vehicle shudder and shake, and engine overheating.Taking into account the allocation of agency resources and priorities and the likelihood that additional investigation would result in a finding that an unreasonable risk to highway safety exists, we conclude that further investigation is not warranted and deny the petition.ODI Complaint ID numbers are referenced on the next page.