AI Damage2003 Nissan Xterra: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Nissan Xterra filed 72 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 72
- involving a crash
- 16
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 17% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 14% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 8% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- Steering: 12 complaints (17% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 11 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 11 complaints (15% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 10 complaints (14% of all), 10 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 7 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 3.3 L · petrol · turbo · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 72 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 12 | 4 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 4 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My son missed a sharp turn going approx 40 mph. Went up an embankment, off a 4 ft retaining wall and struck a guard rail with the front passenger side of the xterra. Airbags failed to deploy.
The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained neck and back injuries, but did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
Tl contact owns a 2003 nissan xterra. The contact stated that when applying the brakes at low speeds the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the house. The driver was injured and was not transported to the hospital. A police report was filed.
While driving home my 2003 nissan xterra jerked to the left, taking me into oncoming traffic.
Tl*- the contact statedon the 2003 nissan xterra the air bag did not deploy on the driver's side. The car was being driven at 40 mph in fog, at night, when itbstruck a dear. The air bag on the driver side did not deploy, but the passenger side air bag deployed, but there was no one on the passenger's side.
While driving 45 mph, the driver applied the brakes, the brakes failed. The driver was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and collided with a tree and rolled over three times. Both frontal air bags failed to deployed. The driver sustained major injuries and was taken to the hospital .
Brake pedal faded to the floor,while trying to stop for a red light.resulting in a three car accident.when I made contact with the car in front of me my airbag did not deploy although my empty passanger seats did.although there were no skid marks and the officers that responded did not ticket me for failure to…
Drivers airbag did not deploy while the empty passengers did. Complete brake failure resulting in a three car accident. 2003 nissan xterra 3,700 miles.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 4,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 12% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Xterra has 172 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 72, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
- Xterra 2000214 sources
- Xterra 2001150 sources
- Xterra 2002157 sources
- Xterra 200484 sources
- Xterra 2005845 sources
- Xterra 2006780 sources
- Xterra 2007557 sources
- Xterra 2008119 sources
- Xterra 200919 sources
- Xterra 201038 sources
- Xterra 201124 sources
- Xterra 201216 sources
- Xterra 20134 sources
- Xterra 201410 sources
- Xterra 201510 sources
- Xterra 201630 sources
- Xterra 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Nissan Xterra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, fuel system, service brakes. Total complaints: 72. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (11%), brake failure (8%), fuel system, fuel smell (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2003 Nissan Xterra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2003 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.