2008 Nissan Xterra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
174 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Nissan Xterra, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 18/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 108,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2008 Nissan Xterra has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2008 sits among all Xterra years
What owners report
“Complete failure of transmission during rush hour. Vehicle needs a new transmission and radiator at a cost of $5,500.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Xterra
“The timing chain tensioners in the engine of this car began making a loud whining sound, which is a typical problem with these engines. Nissan was aware of these faulty tensioners back in 2004, when they issues a technical service bulletin. Http://www.nissanproblems.com/trends/timing-chain/”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Xterra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 145 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 96,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 57,400 and 128,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. THE MOLDED FUEL TANK SHELLS CAN DEFORM, CAUSING THE FUEL SENDER FLOAT ARM TO CONTACT AN EMBOSSMENT MOLDED INTO THE TANK SHELL CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW ONE THAT HAS A MODIFIED FLOAT ARM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS.…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 5,523 MY 2008 TITAN, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, 'TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.' THE TIRE PLACARD LISTS AN INCORRECT VEHICLE…
Fix: NISSAN WILL MAIL A CORRECT TIRE PLACARD AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 25, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
CERTAIN CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE ABS AND ESC CONTROL MODULES SOLD FOR INSTALLATION ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME OF THE HYDRAULIC VALVES IN THE ESC MODULE WERE BUILT WITH EXTRA CHECK BALLS.
Fix: EACH VEHICLE MANUFACTURER WILL FILE A DEFECT REPORT AND REMEDY PLAN FOR THEIR VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDED THESE MODULES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. VEHICLES WILL BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. OWNERS…
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM/VEHICLE DYNAMIC CONTROL (ABS/VDC) ACTUATOR IS DESIGNED WITH ONE BALL IN THE VALVE SECTION. SOME ABS/VDC ACTUATORS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH MORE THAN ONE BALL IN THE VALVE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS/VDC ACTUATOR WITH A NEW ONE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 31, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
93 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and airbags — are on file for the 2008 Nissan Xterra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 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 2008 Nissan Xterra reliable?
The 2008 Nissan Xterra drew 174 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 18/100, scored against the model's worst year (2005).
What are the most common 2008 Nissan Xterra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Nissan Xterra are transmission & drivetrain (47 complaints), engine (31), and airbags (23).
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Xterra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Nissan Xterra problems around 96,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 57,400 and 128,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Nissan Xterra have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 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.