AI Damage2010 Nissan Xterra: common problems
Owners of the 2010 Nissan Xterra filed 38 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 38
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 29% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 29% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 11% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Air bags: 11 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 11 complaints (29% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 8 complaints (21% of all).
- Engine: 4 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (11% 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-speed
Drive: RWD, 4WD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 38 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 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.
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 hood was crushed to the first third of the front passenger wheel well, transmission and radiator fluids were leaking from the suv, grill was obliterated, front passenger headlight was crushed into the battery (that leaks due to the accident), and the front bumper was impinging the front passenger wheel from freely…
As I got out of the vehicle, it lurched forward and I attempted to get back into the vehicle to apply the brake. It lurched a second time before I was able to get inside. I attempted to get inside the vehicle a second time to apply the brake but was not able to due to the car lurching forward again..
The vehicle started shaking before he lost control. The contact stated that the alignment was abnormal when the vehicle was purchased but he was unaware of the bad wheel alignment. The manufacturer was at fault and should not have sold the vehicle. The failure mileage was 200.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 6,094 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Xterra has 172 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 38, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- 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 2006780 sources
- Xterra 2007557 sources
- Xterra 2008119 sources
- Xterra 200919 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 2010 Nissan Xterra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 38. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (11%), airbag warning light (8%), won't start (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2010 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 2010 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 2010 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.