2000 Nissan Xterra Problems and Recalls (207 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2000 Nissan Xterra is Fuel system (28% of 207 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 207 complaints · 5 recalls
What problems show up on the 2000 Nissan Xterra?
58 of 207 filings named Fuel system (28% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (29 reports).
There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Fuel system 58 complaints · 28.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 25
- Fires 4
- Injuries 26
- Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 58 | 28.0% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 29 | 14.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 20 | 9.7% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 18 | 8.7% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 15 | 7.3% | 14 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 12 | 5.8% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 9 | 4.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 8 | 3.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 8 | 3.9% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 157 | 75.9% | 19 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 00V288000 was reported 178 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 04V230000 was reported 957 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2000-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2000-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2000-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2001-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2001-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 00V288000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 03V307000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V230000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E026000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E012000 |
Safety Recalls (5)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline and Fuel system.
-
Recall campaign 00V288000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 03V307000
Safety recall 03V307000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 04V230000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 06E026000
Safety recall 06E026000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
-
Recall campaign 09E012000
Safety recall 09E012000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 207 complaints · page 1 of 9
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Unknown
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My car keeps stalling out like it's not getting gas.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My car dies out while driving. I've replaced so many parts already and it keeps leaving me stranded.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The engine service soon have been on for quite some time now. I tried to take it to several Smog places to get it smogged , and the mechanic have told me that the Smog scanner cannot read the computer of my car.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE SHOULDER WHERE THEY GOT OUT THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND POURED WATER ONTO THE VEHICLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE HOWEVER THE FIRE INCREASED SLIGHTLY. THE CONTACT STATED BIGGER EFFORTS WERE MADE FROM HER AND ANOTHER DRIVER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS NOT MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED THE CONTACT LEARNED THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V230000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE), HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE 241,496.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
IMMEDIATELY AFTER I EXITED MY BUILDING GARAGE AND MADE RIGHT TURN ON CITY STREET ON A CLEAR SUMMER DAY AFTERNOON THE ENGINE SOUND BEGAN ROARING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATING. I TRIED TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE FORCIBLY HITTING ON THE BRAKES, SHIFTING GEARS TO NEUTRAL, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT ON GOING AND RAN-AWAY UNCONTROLLABLY TILL I MADE TWO LEFT TURNS AND ENDED UP ON A SIDE WALK WITH THE REAR TIRE BLOWN OUT AND THE CAR STOPPED AFTER COLLIDING WITH SOME PUBLIC UTILITY BOX. THE VEHICLE HAS INCOMPLETE RECALL #R0402 AND NHSTA RECALL #04V-230 REGARDING THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. THERE WAS A LOCAL POLICE REPORT #200057082. SUSPECTED CAUSES COULD BE FLAWS IN THE VEHICLE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM THAT PRODUCED FAULTY SIGNAL OF FULLY DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR PEDAL.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS 47 MPH IN A 45 MPH ROAD AND THE GUY BEHIND ME ILLEGALLY PASSED ME BY DRIVING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL HE WAS ABLE TO PASS ME CAUSING ME TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES AND SWERVE. *TR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 270,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ON SATURDAY I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BUT IT WENT AWAY QUICKLY AND I COULDN'T FIND ANY SOURCE IN THE VEHICLE, SO I ASSUMED I JUST DROVE PAST SOMETHING THAT SMELLED BADLY. ON SUNDAY THE SMELL RETURNED, STRONGER. I STOPPED AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AS I RAN TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. ONCE THE SMOKE CLEARED AND THERE WAS NO CONCERN OF A FIRE BREAKING OUT I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE AND FOUND THE "SMART ENTRANCE CONTROL UNIT," WHICH IS MOUNTED TO THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THE DASH AND CONTROLS THE POWER LOCKS AND KEYLESS ENTRY, TO BE NOTICEABLY HOT. I UNPLUGGED THIS BOX AND REMOVED IT FROM THE VEHICLE. THE BOX HAD HEAT VISIBLE DAMAGE ON ITS EXTERIOR. I OPENED THE BOX TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND FOUND A LARGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT I BELIEVE WAS A METAL OXIDE VARISTOR WAS THE SOURCE OF THE HEAT/SMOKE/POSSIBLE FIRE, AND NEARBY COMPONENTS SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT HEAT DAMAGE. I THINK THAT THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A COMPUTER MODULE MAY BE A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. IF I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF THE ODOR AND PULLED OVER AND QUICKLY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THIS COMPUTER IS POWERED EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, SO IT COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND CAUSED A HOUSE FIRE AS WELL. I CHECKED EVERY FUSE IN THE VEHICLE AND ALL FUSES ARE THE CORRECT AMPERAGE (NOBODY HAS INSTALLED A HIGHER CURRENT FUSE IN PLACE OF A LOWER CURRENT ONE). IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION IS INADEQUATE TO INTERRUPT POWER TO THE COMPUTER IF IT FAILS. MY POWER LOCKS/KEYLESS FUNCTIONED UP UNTIL THE INCIDENT AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE KEYLESS ENTRY COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER'S PART LABEL READS AS FOLLOWS: CONT ASSY'SMART ENTRANCE PART NO. 28595 7Z000 UTA PART NO. 601-1190-001 FCC ID: KOBUTAHZR
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE CRACKS IN THE WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2000 Nissan Xterra?
Owners named Fuel system most often — 58 of 207 reports (28%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2000 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2000 Nissan Xterra?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.