AI Damage2013 Nissan Xterra: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Nissan Xterra filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 50% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 25% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 25% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 25% of all complaints
- Engine: 2 complaints (50% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (25% 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: 4WD, RWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 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.
My 2013 nissan xterra pro4x accelerated on its own with me standing next to it. It is a manual transmission and the emergency brake was on. It reversed rapidly and caught me under it. I suffered permanent nerve damage in my arm and extreme scaring on both legs. After it ran me over, it crashed into my garage.
This vehicle was never heavily loaded and was always driven on paved roads. The bottom leaf in each of the rear leaf springs broke within one year of one another. The first time I noticed the broken leaf and had it repaired before the broken piece of leaf could come out of the assembly.
Hot pads/rotors observed during even cold and or wet conditions above normal until at highway speed brakes overheated triggering calipers to cease up at a stop at approx.
All cruise control lights on the dash were off and no check engine warnings were on. This did not help the situation. When brake was on, vehicle quit acceleration, so with brake on, pulled on to shoulder and placed vehicle in park and immediately shut the engine off with key in full off position.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Xterra has 172 complaints (18 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
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 201038 sources
- Xterra 201124 sources
- Xterra 201216 sources
- Xterra 201410 sources
- Xterra 201510 sources
- Xterra 201630 sources
- Xterra 99993 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Nissan Xterra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, fuel/propulsion system, powertrain. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: overheating, coolant loss (25%), smoke, burning smell, fire (25%), unintended acceleration (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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.