2002 Nissan Xterra Problems and Recalls (152 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2002 Nissan Xterra is Engine (16% of 152 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 152 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2002 Nissan Xterra?
25 of 152 filings named Engine (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (22 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Airbags, Fuel system, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2001 has 146 reports on file; this year has 152. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Engine 25 complaints · 16.5% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 21
- Fires 7
- Injuries 28
- Deaths 17
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine (ENGINE) | 25 | 16.4% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 22 | 14.5% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 17 | 11.2% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 14 | 9.2% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 10 | 6.6% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 10 | 6.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 9 | 5.9% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 9 | 5.9% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 6 | 4.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 84 | 55.3% | 8 crashes · 3 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 02V299000 was reported 154 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 03V061000 was reported 446 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 04V230000 was reported 475 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V554000 was reported 3,132 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V298000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V299000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 03V061000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V230000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E026000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V554000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE02038 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA02020 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP03005 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension, Airbags, Fuel system, and Steering.
-
Recall campaign 02V298000
Safety recall 02V298000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM TO GO INTO THE FAILSAFE MODE. UNDER THIS CONDITION, THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP WILL ILLUMINATE AND ENGINE SPEED WILL NOT EXCEED 2400 RPM REGARDLESS OF THE THROTTLE POSITION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 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.
-
Recall campaign 02V299000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 03V061000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RETAINING CLIP ON THE CLOCK SPRING ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 21, 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.
-
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 10V554000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- THE SHAFT MAY BREAK WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL DURING THESE LOW SPEED MANEUVERS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT AND JOINT WILL BE REPLACED WITH A SHAFT OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 13, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
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 9 of 152 complaints · page 1 of 7
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The registered owner of this vehicle is registered tp the arab known as the polish polako missing a leg and is claiming to be a wanna be fake cop police. Hes bald and on the thinner side and ugly. im being framed for rapes & murders that hes done along w\ everyone i know from my pass that are deseased and and still alive. I dont appreciate the trap house or the drug rape sex house that i own utilized by these drug sex rapist murders. Its so funny that people i know are dropping in that property and never coming out alive. i just did a few things to prove that im correct and the fake 5 proud boys are utilizing me from district 15 to get away with murder and rape. Yes.. they ate rapping men, woman and children and black mailing them by the millions. Im stationed under a goverment security from the Government Center that are being installed everywhere nation wide because Im the President of the United States and the schools all around where im at or go by are closed for what is going on at the property. i set a curfew into affect and everyone is watching who ate entering and but never leave alive. Everyone you see there on a daily basis are not who they claim to be.Im being framed for all the rapes and murders just when i got cancer and has lived passed all those time i been poison to death. i have seen it for myself online that i cant beleive it.... i looked like someone else thats doing the rapes and murders.. I dont think its funny any more but they think so. Nothing but meth addicts w\a raping desease. im so over it that im watching it for myself so everyone can see for them selfs. I rather die from cancer than to be poison from a drug overdozes i have had by the fake cop wanna be police with their drug issue & mental murder desease because Im the President Of the United States and not them. I have uploaded the VIN # of the vehicle online wirh the plates and I didnt have them register that vehicle for me or as a request. Nothing but delusional homocidles men!!!!!!.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the rear passenger’s seat occupied, the rear passenger’s seat belt thread unraveled, and the buckle detached and remained latched. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 164,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY WIFE'S CAR WAS IN NEED OF TWO FRONT TIRES SO I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO WHEELS 360- IT WAS THE ONLY SHOP OPEN AND I WAS CRUNCHED ON TIME. SHE IS AN EMT AND I AM AN EDUCATOR SO WE DO NOT HAVE MUCH SPARE TIME DURING THE WEEK. THE SHOP OVER CHARGED ME FOR TWO LOW QUANTITY TIRES. THERE WERE TWO WORKERS REPLACING THE TIRES ON MY VEHICLE. THE WORKER REPLACING THE WHEEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DAMAGED THE WHEEL STUDS BECAUSE HE WAS ON A HURRY. THE LEAD WORKER AND TWO OTHERS SPENT 2 HOURS TRYING TO FIX THE STUDS AND GET SOME OF THE LUG NUTS BACK ON. THEY MANAGED TO GET 5 OUT OF THE SIX ON. THEY INSISTED ON SENDING ME HOME WITH A WHEEL MISSING ONE LUG NUT. THEY ASKED ME TO COMEBACK TOMORROW OR SOME OTHER DAY TO FIX IT. IT WAS CLOSE TO 9 PM BY THAT TIME, AND I WAS FRUSTRATED. I DROVE HOME AND ON THE WAY HOME, THE CENTER HUB PLASTIC COVERING FELL OFF. IT EXPOSED THE AXLE/BEARING. I FEEL THAT VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING MY TODDLER AROUND. SHOPS LIKE THE ONE MENTIONED SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO OPERATE BECAUSE THEY COMPROMISE DRIVERS' SAFETY.I WOULD LIKE 1. A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE OVERPRICED TIRES AND 2. MY VEHICLE PROPERLY SERVICED SO THAT IT'S SAFE TO DRIVE.THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA'S AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY IN A COLLISION WITH A TELEPHONE POLE AT APX. 45 MPH. THE ACCIDENT WAS ON A BADLY MAINTAINED CITY STREET, THE STEERING HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC EVEN THOUGH I HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE APX. 6 MO.S AGO.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
LOSES PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES, THE STEERING WHEEL IS MOVING SIDEWAYS
CrashFireInjuryDeath
SERVICE ENGINE SOON
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TIRES ARE RECALLED AND CAUSE THE SPEEDOMETER TO REGISTER SLOWER THAN ACTUAL SPEED
CrashFireInjuryDeath
VEHICLE STALLS AT 100MPH ALSO ABS LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF RANDOMLY BRAKES AREN'T BAD BUT IT'S LIKE THEY'RE GOING OUT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WOBBLES WHEN STOPPING HARD OR ON WET ROADS ALSO WHEN ACCELERATATING AND DRIVING THE RPM GAUGE WILL JIMP UP FOR A SECOND AND MAKE THE ENGINE SOUND LOUDER WHILE IT DOES IT AND ALSO STEERING WHEEL FEELS LOOSE SOMEWHAT WHEN DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS AND BUMPS CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS UP BUT DOESN'T WORK HAPPENS EVERY DAY
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I HAD MY BRAKE BOOSTERS REPLACED ON 05/22/2019.I WAS BACKING UP SLOWLY ON 07/24/2020 IN A PARKING LOT OF A CONVENIENCE STORE. AS I WAS BACKING UP, I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THEY BECAME STIFF. I TRIED TO PUMP HARDER ON THE BRAKES AND THEY WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE IN WHICH IT WAS TO LATE AND MY CAR COLLIDED INTO A UTILITY POLE.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2002 Nissan Xterra?
Owners named Engine most often — 25 of 152 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2002 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Airbags, Fuel system, and Steering. 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 2002 Nissan Xterra?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. 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.