2008 Nissan Xterra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Xterra years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Nissan Xterra. That ranks 7th out of 16 Xterra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (47 complaints, 39%), typically at around 106,500 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 3 fires, 6 injuries. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 119owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 Nissan Xterra problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 47 | 39% | 106,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 23 | 19% | 58,250 | — | — |
| Engine | 23 | 19% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 11 | 9% | 73,700 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 8% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 7% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 7% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 7% | 164,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 6% | 80,800 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 3% | 31,165 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% | 18,400 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 3% | 32,213 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 3% | 37,133 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 3% | 172 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 26,948 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 2% | 50,086 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | 62,800 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% | 137,505 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 26,857 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 57 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 53,330 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Nissan Xterra recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driverÂs 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 PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)
Problem: 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.
Risk: Overheated batteries could result in a fire.
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 september 16, 2010. Owners may contact garmin directly at 1-866-957-1981 or nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tank
Problem: 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 panel fuel gauge to show that the vehicle has approximately one quarter tank when the fuel tank is empty.
Risk: This could cause the vehicle to run out of gas and stall in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
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 begin on or before march 22, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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 hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. In those areas of the country which use heavy concentrations of road salt in the winter, a mixture of snow/water and salt can enter into the front crash zone sensor (czs) housing. If this occurs, the czs may internally rust resulting in a signal interruption. If this happens, the red air bag warning light will illuminate to alert the vehicle operator.
Risk: This issue could result in the non-deployment of the driver and passenger front air bags in a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
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. These owners will be notified of the warranty extension by mail and will receive a sticker to place in their warranty booklet explaining the extended warranty coverage. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: 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 capacity weight.
Risk: This standard specifies requirements for tire selection to prevent overloading.
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: 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.
Risk: In abs/vdc actuators with more than one ball, it is possible that fluid flow could be blocked and cause a reduction in brake force in one or both front wheels or affect operation of the abs and/or vdc. This could result in a reduction in brake effectiveness without warning increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Transmission Failures (DP12004) — opened Jun 11, 2012, closed Oct 22, 2016.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact shifted the vehicle into drive, and the vehicle unexpectedly went into reverse with no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the failure reoccurred. The contact stated…
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the…
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated…
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time…
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan XTerra. The contact's son was driving the vehicle at approximately 25 MPH when he hydroplaned on a wet road and crashed into a wall built along the side of the road. The contact stated that her son crashed into the wall head-on. The contact stated that the driver's…
Other Nissan Xterra years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Xterra | 10 | 0 |
| 2014 Xterra | 10 | 0 |
| 2013 Xterra | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 Xterra | 16 | 2 |
| 2011 Xterra | 24 | 2 |
| 2010 Xterra | 38 | 4 |
| 2009 Xterra | 19 | 3 |
| 2008 | 119 | 6 |
| 2007 Xterra | 557 | 1 |
| 2006 Xterra | 780 | 3 |
| 2005 Xterra | 845 | 3 |
| 2004 Xterra | 84 | 2 |
| 2003 Xterra | 72 | 3 |
| 2002 Xterra | 157 | 5 |
| 2001 Xterra | 150 | 3 |
| 2000 Xterra | 214 | 3 |
See all Nissan Xterra problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Xterra?
Owners most often report power train, air bags, engine problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 47 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Nissan Xterra?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 Nissan Xterra a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Xterra model years, the 2008 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.