2001 Nissan Xterra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
197 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Nissan Xterra, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 40,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2001 sits among all Xterra years
What owners report
“I have a 2001 nissan xterra, purchased in july 2001. The window regular motor quit working on one of the rear windows, with less than normal use. This happened within 100 miles out of warranty.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Xterra
“While driving,the vehicle stalled the driver tried to restart,but was unable to do so. The driver had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic informed the driver that the fuel pump needed replacement due to corrosion. Please fill in additional information.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Xterra
“Major electrical fire which destroyed the engine room harness , shorted the power transiistor in the distributor, desstroyed the hood release cable and burned the windshield washer tubing, and also multiple fuses and relays.this condition occured due to the manufacturer crushing the wiring for the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Xterra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 107 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 39,695 and 95,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SIX CYLINDER ENGINES AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FOUR OR SIX CYLINDER ENGINES, THE FUEL PUMP TERMINAL ON THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT CAN DEVELOP A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC MOLDING. THIS CAN CAUSE THE TERMINAL STRIP…
Fix: IN THE FOLLOWING STATES, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL-SENDING UNIT. THESE STATES ARE CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA,…
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK INLET SHUTTER VALVE DOES NOT MEET THE SEALING PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK INLET SHUTTER VALVE. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DECEMBER 10, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE…
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, WATER MAY ENTER THE REAR AXLE HOUSING DUE TO INADEQUATE SEALING OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS) SENSOR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR AXLE FOR WATER INTRUSION AND ANY AFFECTED COMPONENTS WILL BE REPLACED. THE ABS SENSOR WILL BE RESEALED TO PREVENT WATER INTRUSION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 02V300000.
Technical service bulletins
75 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and visibility & wipers — are on file for the 2001 Nissan Xterra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2001 Xterra TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2001 Nissan Xterra reliable?
The 2001 Nissan Xterra drew 197 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2001 Nissan Xterra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Nissan Xterra are visibility & wipers (43 complaints), fuel system (31), and electrical (26).
At what mileage do 2001 Nissan Xterra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Nissan Xterra problems around 67,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 39,695 and 95,000 miles.
Does the 2001 Nissan Xterra have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 Nissan Xterra. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.