AI Damage2006 Nissan Xterra: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Nissan Xterra filed 780 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 780
- involving a crash
- 12
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel system 35% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 34% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 14% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 12% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 7 Steering 3% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 3% of all complaints
- Fuel system: 276 complaints (35% of all).
- Powertrain: 268 complaints (34% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 106 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 104 complaints (13% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 94 complaints (12% 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.
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speednamed in 3 complaints
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 780 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 276 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 268 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 106 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 104 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 94 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 41 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Suspension | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 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.
Both my passenger and driver side seat belts both released the seat belts they didn't lock during the accident usually they lock and won't release my driver side is not locking in place as the passenger.
The vehicle rolled over several times and was destroyed; however, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained broken ribs and abdominal/torso contusions. The driver was pregnant and the unborn child was fatally injured due to the injuries. The driver received medical attention. A police report was filed.
The contact's vehicle flipped and the front driver side seat belt unfastened without warning. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries that did not require medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop where it was not diagnosed nor repaired.
Proceeding to hit several others before it came to a stop and alot of shaking around and fortunately I had my seat belt on or otherwise would have been ejected thru the windshield on the last impact for sure hitting the largest tree of all, stopping me from entering into a creek about 5 feet away, when I was taken to…
And noise was heard like two metal piece hitting against each other the driver stopped did an inspection didn't see any visual signs got back into the vehicle, traveled about 8 to 10 miles.
Tl contact owns a 2006 nissan xterra. While depressing the brake pedal to park the vehicle, it suddenly accelerated uncontrollably and crashed into a parked vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The driver was not injured, but both vehicles sustained damages.
Vehicle had surged forward unexpectedly on a number of occasions (6) in the past while stopped or coming to a stop at intersections. Dealer had inspected the vehicle and could not find the source of the problem. This happened most recently in a parking lot resulting in a collision with a parked car.
The vehicle had a catastrophic failure of the power steering system which resulted in the truck veering off a bridge. There were no obvious issued with the vehicle leading up to the event. The truck had just received its 30,000 mile service and was in great mechanical condition.
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 374 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 780, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- 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 2005845 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 2006 Nissan Xterra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel system, powertrain, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 780. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (23%), fuel system, fuel smell (23%), transmission slipping (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 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 2006 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 2006 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.