AI Damage2005 Nissan Xterra: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Nissan Xterra filed 845 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 845
- involving a crash
- 7
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 49% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 34% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 4% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 2% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 1% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 412 complaints (49% of all).
- Fuel system: 291 complaints (34% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 167 complaints (20% of all).
- Engine: 114 complaints (13% of all).
- Electrical system: 39 complaints (5% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 845 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 412 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 291 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 167 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 114 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 19 | 4 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The tree caused the side windows to smash and about a 8-10" indentation into the roof and the vehicle occupancy compartment. The side curtain airbags did not deploy. Luckily the driver window smashed away, and my head did not impact the window.
Traveling at 45mph car hit curb and was then diverted to median where the front bumper hit a large tree and the passenger air bag did not deploy. Passenger was severely injured. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
2005 nissan xterra stalled causing the vehicle to jerk while in reverse. The vehicle had struck a steel beam causing significant damage. The fuel gauge was misreading, showing my truck had gas while in reality it was empty.
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.
The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled inadvertently on several occasions. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road on several occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving.
The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power. The service engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle stalled with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact stated that the vehicle moved forward and stopped suddenly intermittently.
The plastic on my sun visor broke and with the use of it the wires inside the mirror light become exposed and almost caused a fire
Two years ago, in 2020 while driving my car on the road and with kids inside (with a 1 year old and a 6 year old child), the car began to shake and turned off (we were stranded in the middle of the road, at a traffic light).
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 327 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Xterra has 172 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 845, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
- Xterra 2000214 sources
- Xterra 2001150 sources
- Xterra 2002157 sources
- Xterra 200372 sources
- Xterra 200484 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 2005 Nissan Xterra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, fuel system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 845. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (20%), fuel system, fuel smell (16%), transmission slipping (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.