2005 Nissan XTERRA: complaints, problems and recalls

ON NOV. 4TH 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA AT ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR. A DEER RAN INTO THE ROAD. I APPLIED MY BRAKES BUT HIT THE DEER. MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON BUT MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO AMM COLLISION AND OVER $3500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE WAS DONE. THE AIRBAG HARNESS WIRE WAS CUT DURING THE ACCIDENT. AT THIS TIME, WE ARE UNSURE IF THE AIRBAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED OR WOULD HAVE DEPLOYED IF THE WIRE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CUT. I SPOKE WITH THE DEALERSHIP IN AUSTIN TX AND THE SERVICE DEPT GUY INDICATED THAT THE AIRBAG SHOU…

Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10144025 at NHTSA ↗

DT: CONTACT STATES THERE IS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN CONCERNING THE TRAILER HITCHES. THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THEIR VEHICLE ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. HE SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER, WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10144200 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING 2005 NISSAN XTERRA RECALL.*TS THE RECALL WARNED NOT TO TOW ANYTHING UNTIL THE HITCH WAS REPLACED. THE ESTIMATED TIME FOR REPLACEMENT WAS MID NOVEMBER. THE CONSUMER COMPLIED WITH THE RECALL. AT THE END OF NOVEMBER THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER ABOUT THE RECALL BUT THE WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TWICE AND EACH TIME WAS PROMISED A RETURN CALL AND WAS GIVE A CASE NUMBER. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT HEARD BACK FROM ANYONE AT THE MANUFACTURER. THE PART…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10146425 at NHTSA ↗

3 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD SQUEAL FOR 5-10 MINUTES WHEN 1ST STARTING, IT DID NOT MATTER IF IT WAS IN THE MORNING OR MID-AFTERNOON. I TOOK THE TRUCK INTO THE DEALER AND THE DRIVE BELT WAS REPLACED. ABOUT 2,000 MILES LATER THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRED, I TOOK THE TRUCK BACK TO THE DEALER AND THIS TIME THE AUTO TENSION PULLEY WAS REPLACED. ABOUT 1,000 MILES LATER THE TRUCK WAS ONCE AGAIN TAKEN BACK AND THIS TIME THE LEAD TECH ASSURED ME THE PROBLEM WOULD BE FIXED AND THE DRIVE BELT WAS REPLACED FOR A 2ND TIME. I …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10146520 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A NISSAN XTERRA IN SEPT. LAST YEAR. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TOW HITCH ASSEMBLY. I CALLED AND SCHEDULED TO GET IT REPLACED AT THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED. I CONFIRMED ON THE PHONE THEY HAD THE PART. I TOOK VEHICLE IN AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE SERVICE DEPT. CALLED ME TO SAY THERE WAS NO PART IN STOCK. THIS HAPPENED IN OCT. THEY TOLD ME THE SHIPMENT SHOULD BE IN NOV. THAT I WOULD BE FIRST ON THE LIST THEY WOULD GIVE ME A CALL. NOW WE ARE IN THE NEW YEAR AND I CALL THE SAME DEALER TO FIND OUT NISSAN HAS YET TO …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10146811 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED AN 05 XTERRA IN SEPTEMBER. AT ABOUT 6,000 MILES IT DEVELOPED A SQUEAK IN THE FRONT END. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES AND THE LAST TIME THEY WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE NOISE AND STOP IT. I ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND SHE TOLD ME I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW. I PUSHED FOR AN ANSWER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WAS NOT WELDED, CAUSING THE METAL TO RUB TOGETHER AND SQUEAK. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE WASHER FLUID TANK WAS RUBBING THE FRAME. THE ONLY THING WRITTEN ON MY SERVICE ORDER WAS T…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10148776 at NHTSA ↗

POWER WINDOW DEVICE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE SEEMED TO WORK FINE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RATTLING IF IT WAS NOT ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN. AND EVERYTIME THAT IT WOULD BE ROLLED UP IT SOUNDED LIKE A CHIPPING NOISE. I TOOK IT INTO TOWN CENTER NISSAN, KENNESAW, GA AND THEY REPLACED IT THE SAME DAY (2-27-06) AND IT HAS BEEN WORKING JUST FINE. THE VEHICLE CAME THAT WAY, BUT I HAD NO ISSUE IN GETTING IT REPLACED.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10151770 at NHTSA ↗

ON FEBRUARY 11, 2006, I WAS DRIVING NOT FAR FROM MY HOUSE, WHEN MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL. WE ROLLED FIVE TIMES BEFORE WE HIT THE FIRST TREE. WE WENT RIGHT OVER THAT TREE. THEN WE ROLLED ANOTHER THREE TIMES BEFORE WE WERE STOPPED BY A CHAIN LINK FENCE WITH A EUCALYPTUS TREE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF. MY VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10159151 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2005-10-05 (October 5, 2005)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A NISSAN ACCESSORY TOW HITCH, INADEQUATE QUALITY OF SOME WELDED JOINTS IN THE HITCH ASSEMBLY MAY RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE HITCH FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN BEING USED TO TOW.

Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE TRAILER SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TOW HITCHES. ON OCTOBER 17, 2005, OWNERS WERE SENT AN INTERIM LETTER ADVISING THEM NOT TO USE THE TOW HITCH UNTIL IT CAN BE REPAIRED. ANOTHER LETTER WAS SENT OUT ON NOVEMBER 21, 2005, NOTIFYING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR REPAIR. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2008-12-29 (December 29, 2008)

NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHICH USE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT CAN ENTER INTO THE FRONT CRASH ZONE SENSOR (CZS) HOUSING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CZS MAY INTERNALLY RUST RESULTING IN A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE TO ALERT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR.

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.

Reported: 2010-10-28 (October 28, 2010)

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS A DIODE FOR ELECTRICAL CURRENT NOISE REDUCTION. THE ECM RELAY MAY ALLOW SILICON VAPOR TO FORM AND, OVER TIME, THE SILICON EVAPORATES FROM THE DIODE MOLDING WHICH CAUSES SILICON OXIDE TO DEVELOP ON THE ECM RELAY CONTACT DUE TO ARCING.

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.