Total Complaints
58 filings
NISSAN XTERRA · model year
58 NHTSA complaints, 9 crash reports, and 6 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2010NISSANXTERRA carries 58 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 9 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2010 XTERRA is air bags with 11 filings, followed by power train (10) and electrical system (8). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 6 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 54 investigation files overlapping the 2010 XTERRA, and 5 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
58 filings
Crashes Reported
9 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 11 |
| POWER TRAIN | 10 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 8 |
| ENGINE | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 4 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 |
| STEERING | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR
NISSAN HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A DEFECT IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER, AND XTERRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 22, 2010 TO MARCH 13, 2010. ON SOME OF THE POTENTIALLY AFFECTED VEHICLES, THE FASTENERS SECURING THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG MODULE, AND ALSO THE FASTENERS SECURING
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2010 TITAN, ARM
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 TITAN, ARMADA, QX56, FRONTIER, XTERRA, AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2009 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2010. THE LOWER CONTROL LINK ASSEMBLY HAS TWO CYLINDRICAL COLLARS FORMING THE INBOARD ATTACHMENT POINTS TO THE CHASSIS. DUE TO AN IMPROPER
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
EQUIPMENT
MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SEATS CONTAINING S
THE NISSAN WAS IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. THERE WERE 4 PEOPLE IN CAR WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY AND THOSE TWO PEOPLE RECEVED INJURIES BUT NOT LIFE THREATING. THE DRIVERS SIDE WHERE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES THE DRIVER HAD MAJOR SPINAL SURGERY INWHICH SHE HAD TO DO REHABILITATION TO WALK AGAIN FOR 8 MONTHS. THE BACK SEAT PASSENGER HAD TO BE AIR LIFTED TO A HOSPITAL AND 18 MONTHS LATER IS STILL PARALYZED AND UNABLE TO WALK. SHE IS CURRENTLY STILL IN A REHABILITATION HOME.
After getting the air bag control module reprogrammed per the recall, I was on a dirt road and the rollover airbags deployed when they shouldnât have. The dealership I got the recall done at is claiming the airbag system registered ârollover conditionsâ. When I asked what the conditions were they told me they were unable to provide them. I am concerned either their reprogramming didnât fix the issue or that they never actually reprogrammed it. Either way my airbags deployed when I was no where near a roll over situation and luckily no one was injured in this instance
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that he received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.
My air bag quit working. The light started going off. I took it to Nissan and they said I had to pay to have the light turned off before they would fix the recall. I could not afford to pay to have the light turned off. The line connecting to my transmission and radiator has failed. Transmission fluid is leaking into my radiator and coolant is leaking into my transmission. Both must be replaced. The repair shop looked up the recall and said that was why this happened. I cannot afford thousands of dollars to have this repaired. My car is 10 years old with 163k miles.
My air bag quit working. The light started going off. I took it to Nissan and they said I had to pay to have the light turned off before they would fix the recall. I could not afford to pay to have the light turned off. The line connecting to my transmission and radiator has failed. Transmission fluid is leaking into my radiator and coolant is leaking into my transmission. Both must be replaced. The repair shop looked up the recall and said that was why this happened. I cannot afford thousands of dollars to have this repaired. My car is 10 years old with 163k miles.
No warning lamps had my vehicle repeatedly looked at was told that my vehicle had no transmission warninfsigns was told by mechanic to replace the radiator I replaced the radiator and then the vehicle stopped running now I have transmission fluid mixed with my radiator fluid and the vehicle doesn't run at all I repeatedly took it back to the shop Tobe fixed was told igot a bad radiator yet I know it wasn't bad I contacted my insurance company everyone failed to inform me that this vehicle had aknown transmission problem by Nissan and failed to disclose it to me
THIS IS A COMPLIANT FOR THE WELL KNOWN RADIATOR ISSUE. OURS RUPTURED AND RUINED THE TRANSMISSION COSTING US ABOUT $6K IN REPAIRS.
THIS IS A COMPLIANT FOR THE WELL KNOWN RADIATOR ISSUE. OURS RUPTURED AND RUINED THE TRANSMISSION COSTING US ABOUT $6K IN REPAIRS.
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Xterra equipped with Interco Tires, Tire line: LTB-02 SST LTB, Tire Size: 31/11.5/16LT. The contact stated that the while her son was driving approximately 65 mph, a loud noise suddenly occurred. After stopping and inspecting the vehicle, the driver discovered that the front driverâs side tire had experienced tread separation. Approximately one month later the same failure occurred to the front passengerâs side tire. The cause of the failures was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.
Mileage: 5,000
The passenger side airbag sensor broke , sensor that detects a person in the seat and engages the airbag, took it to dealer to fix and was told Nissan no longer supports that part and should go to a junk yard and pull a a seat cushion and install it myself.
AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON
THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STEADILY FLASHES. I LIVE IN A COASTAL AREA WITH HIGH HUMIDITY AND AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A CORROSION ISSUE IN THE SENSOR
Mileage: 80,000
AT A LITTLE OVER 180,000 MILES NEED A NEW REAR DIFFERENTIAL. READ ON AN XTERRA FORUM THE SPTHIDER GEARS WERE NOT HEAT TREATED PROPERLY BY THE MANUFACTURER WHICH CAUSES REAR DIFFERENTIALS TO FAIL.THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR TOWED ANYTHING. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED.
Mileage: 180,000
AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES WHEN LIGHT IS RESET IT FLASHES AGAIN AFTER A FEW MILES HORN DOESN'T WORK UNABLE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS & PEDESTRIANS
Mileage: 130,000
AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES WHEN LIGHT IS RESET IT FLASHES AGAIN AFTER A FEW MILES HORN DOESN'T WORK UNABLE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS & PEDESTRIANS
Mileage: 130,000
AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES WHEN LIGHT IS RESET IT FLASHES AGAIN AFTER A FEW MILES HORN DOESN'T WORK UNABLE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS & PEDESTRIANS
Mileage: 130,000
DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK EITHER STAYS LOCKED AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, OR, THE LOCK DOES NOT LATCH SO THE DOOR SWINGS OPEN. THIS HAPPED BOTH WHILE PARKED AND WHILE DRIVING.
Mileage: 73,000
INTERMITTENT STALLING ISSUE. VEHICLE HAS 98,700 MILES ON IT AND HAS NOT HAD ANY OTHER ISSUES PRIOR TO THIS. ON THE FIRST OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, GOING BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH, TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE START TO SLOW DOWN, LOST POWER STEERING AND ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED (CHECK ENGINE, BATTERY, AIRBAG, SEATBELT, ETC.) BUT THE RADIO AND HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ON. PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED THE KEY IN THE OFF POSITION. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED UP IMMEDIATELY WITH NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS. WAS DRIVABLE WITH NO OTHER ISSUES FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE VEHICLE STALLED A SECOND TIME ABOUT A WEEK OR SO LATER, WHILE IT WAS STATIONARY, AT A STOP LIGHT ON A CITY STREET. AGAIN, ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE THE RADIO AND HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ON. TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO PROBLEMS AND NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATIONAL AND WAS ABLE T
Mileage: 98,680
SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-15 MPH. IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKES, ACCELERATION, AND POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE 405 FWY/SEPULVEDA PASS AREA DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR IN STOP-GO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD, AND SHUT OFF VEHICLE. WAITED 1 MINUTE AND VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES ON DRIVE TO WORK. FROM A REVIEW OF ONLINE RESOURCES THIS LOOKS EERILY SIMILAR TO ISSUE OUTLINED IN PRIOR RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA LISTED UNDER NTB10-137. THIS IS SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS, AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE!
Mileage: 173,000
SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-15 MPH. IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKES, ACCELERATION, AND POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE 405 FWY/SEPULVEDA PASS AREA DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR IN STOP-GO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD, AND SHUT OFF VEHICLE. WAITED 1 MINUTE AND VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES ON DRIVE TO WORK. FROM A REVIEW OF ONLINE RESOURCES THIS LOOKS EERILY SIMILAR TO ISSUE OUTLINED IN PRIOR RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA LISTED UNDER NTB10-137. THIS IS SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS, AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE!
Mileage: 173,000
Driver Airbag Inflator Rupture
Inner Tie Rod Failures
Side curtain air bags may deploy inadvertently
Reduced Power After Engine Stall
Loss of motive power due to broken crankshaft with no ability to restart.
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.