2004 Nissan Xterra Problems and Recalls (82 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2004 Nissan Xterra is Steering (21% of 82 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2004 Nissan Xterra?
17 of 82 filings named Steering (21% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (11 reports).
There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2003 has 70 reports on file; this year has 82. 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
- Crashes 10
- Fires 3
- Injuries 7
- Deaths 0
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 17 | 20.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 11 | 13.4% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 11 | 13.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 9 | 11.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 6 | 7.3% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 4 | 4.9% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 4 | 4.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 4 | 4.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 4 | 4.9% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 38 | 46.3% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
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 10V554000 was reported 1,016 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 04V581000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 07E046000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V554000 |
Safety Recalls (3)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Steering.
-
Recall campaign 04V581000
Safety recall 04V581000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS COULD CAUSE THE TOW HITCH TO LOOSEN OR SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE TOW HITCH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 3, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
-
Recall campaign 07E046000
Safety recall 07E046000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THIS HARNESS WOULD RESULT IN POWER FROM THE TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER GOING TO THE TOWING VEHICLE DASH LIGHT CIRCUIT RATHER THAN THE TRAILER BRAKES. THIS RESULT WOULD BE THE LACK OF TRAILER BRAKING WHEN THE TOWING VEHICLE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IT WOULD ALSO RESULT IN THE TOWING VEHICLES DASH LIGHTS BEING ACTIVATED WHEN THE VEHICLE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE FAILURE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE TRAILER BRAKE COULD RESULT IN REDUCED ABILITY TO STOP AND CONTRIBUTE TO A POSSIBLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- HOPKINS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ORIGINAL HARNESS WITH A REVISED HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 17, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT HOPKINS AT 800-835-0129.
-
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.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2004 Nissan Xterra?
Owners named Steering most often — 17 of 82 reports (21%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2004 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about 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 2004 Nissan Xterra?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. 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
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.