2006 Nissan Xterra Problems: Fuel system (774 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2006 Nissan Xterra is Fuel system (43% of 774 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 2026-09-07 774 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2006 Nissan Xterra?

336 of 774 filings named Fuel system (43% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (169 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Suspension, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2005 has 841 reports on file; this year has 774. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2006 Nissan Xterra

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Fuel system. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Fuel system. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Fuel system 336 complaints · 43.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 12
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 19
  • Deaths 1
Compare with 2005 →
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.

Which systems owners named Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) appears in 336 of 774 owner complaints (43.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 336 complaints, 43.4% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 336 · 43.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 169 complaints, 21.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 crash reports 2 fire reports 169 · 21.8% Engine (ENGINE): 142 complaints, 18.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 142 · 18.4% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 27 complaints, 3.5% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 27 · 3.5% Steering (STEERING): 18 complaints, 2.3% of reports Steering (STEERING) 2 crash reports 18 · 2.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 14 complaints, 1.8% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 14 · 1.8% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 10 complaints, 1.3% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 10 · 1.3% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 9 complaints, 1.2% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 9 · 1.2% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 5 complaints, 0.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 1 crash reports 5 · 0.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 351 complaints, 45.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 351 · 45.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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) 336 43.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 169 21.8% 2 crashes · 2 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 142 18.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 27 3.5% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 18 2.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 14 1.8% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 10 1.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 9 1.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 5 0.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 351 45.4% 2 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2006; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2007. 2006-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2009-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2009-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2009-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2009-Q4: 24 owner reports 24 2010-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2010-Q2: 54 owner reports 54 2010-Q3: 57 owner reports 57 2010-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2011-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2011-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2012-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2012-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2012-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2012-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2013-Q2: 27 owner reports 27 2013-Q3: 31 owner reports 31 2013-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2014-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2014-Q2: 31 owner reports 31 2014-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 2014-Q4: 13 owner reports 13 2015-Q1: 22 owner reports 22 2015-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2015-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2015-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2016-Q2: 22 owner reports 22 2016-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2016-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2018-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2018-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2019-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2006 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 07E046000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E046000 Recall campaign 08V690000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V690000 Recall campaign 10V075000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V075000 Recall campaign 10E019000 ◆ Recall campaign 10E019000 Recall campaign 10V517000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V517000 Investigation DP12004 ● Investigation DP12004
  • Campaign 08V690000 was reported 780 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V075000 was reported 1,148 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10E019000 was reported 1,369 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2006-Q2 Owner reports 3
2006-Q3 Owner reports 2
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 4
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 3
2008-Q1 Owner reports 3
2008-Q2 Owner reports 7
2008-Q3 Owner reports 7
2008-Q4 Owner reports 17
2009-Q1 Owner reports 19
2009-Q2 Owner reports 20
2009-Q3 Owner reports 23
2009-Q4 Owner reports 24
2010-Q1 Owner reports 23
2010-Q2 Owner reports 54
2010-Q3 Owner reports 57
2010-Q4 Owner reports 16
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 11
2011-Q3 Owner reports 8
2011-Q4 Owner reports 16
2012-Q1 Owner reports 8
2012-Q2 Owner reports 16
2012-Q3 Owner reports 15
2012-Q4 Owner reports 9
2013-Q1 Owner reports 18
2013-Q2 Owner reports 27
2013-Q3 Owner reports 31
2013-Q4 Owner reports 20
2014-Q1 Owner reports 16
2014-Q2 Owner reports 31
2014-Q3 Owner reports 26
2014-Q4 Owner reports 13
2015-Q1 Owner reports 22
2015-Q2 Owner reports 18
2015-Q3 Owner reports 16
2015-Q4 Owner reports 7
2016-Q1 Owner reports 17
2016-Q2 Owner reports 22
2016-Q3 Owner reports 14
2016-Q4 Owner reports 4
2017-Q1 Owner reports 6
2017-Q2 Owner reports 6
2017-Q3 Owner reports 3
2017-Q4 Owner reports 6
2018-Q1 Owner reports 11
2018-Q2 Owner reports 5
2018-Q3 Owner reports 6
2018-Q4 Owner reports 8
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 10
2019-Q3 Owner reports 5
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q1 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 3
2021-Q1 Owner reports 3
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 2
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 07E046000
Recall campaign 1 08V690000
Recall campaign 1 10V075000
Recall campaign 1 10E019000
Recall campaign 1 10V517000
Defect investigation 1 DP12004
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

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 Airbags, Suspension, and Fuel system.

  1. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 08V690000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 10E019000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    IF THE COLLAR WELD SEPARATES, THE VEHICLE HANDLING WILL DETERIORATE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 10V075000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AND STALL IN TRAFFIC, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW ONE THAT HAS A MODIFIED FLOAT ARM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 10V517000

    Safety recall 10V517000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 774 complaints · page 1 of 31
2026-02-19Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11719075
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a lot of ticking and stalling lights are blinking I think it’s may be the transmission and I smell gas inside the vehicle.
2024-10-10Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11619155
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger's side air bag intermittently. The front passenger's side air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was provided a cost for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
2024-04-28Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11585719
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE TIMING CHAIN HAS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO DIE ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY HIGHWAY I WAS ALMOST HIT BY A FEW CARS. i HAD TO DRIVE MY CAR GOING ONLY 40 MPH ALL THE WAY BECASUE THAT IS ALL IT WOULD DO. IT HAS A VERY LOUD NOISE AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE ROAD ANYMORE. I HAVE READ AND NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THESE BECAUSE ALOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEM YES MY CAR IS AVAILABLE FOR IMSPECTION i HAVE REGULAR KEPT MAINTENENCE ON IT NO THERE WERE NO WARNING LAMPS AT ALL JUST LOUD NOISE AND THEN NO COMPRESSION
2023-11-01Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11553070
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2023-10-31Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11552800
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2023-09-22Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11546089
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Timing chains making noises and I have change my oil and it still making the noise...
2023-05-01Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11519825
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car just shut off in traffic loosing all power and braking causing me to crash into the back of a stopped car at a red-light. After inspection from a mechanic shop, they informed me that something in the computer had fried causing the car to shut off, and it had also caused the transmission control unit module to go bad making the car not drive able.
2023-04-03Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11515117
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Engine noise: - Noise coming from time belt support - The timing chain guide wore out fast. - Timing chain guide inner plastic wore out causing chain to rely metal bracket then the metal causing noise and eventually break the the timing chain.
2022-08-30Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11481923
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Check engine light is on and fuel gauge does not work Can go from full to empty Stays on empty even though I know there is gasoline in tank Has caused us to run out of gas middle of nowhere
2022-08-23Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11480769
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the catalytic converter; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was an engine misfire and the other catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,900.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2006 Nissan Xterra?

Owners named Fuel system most often — 336 of 774 reports (43%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2006 Nissan Xterra?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Suspension, 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 2006 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources