2009 Nissan Xterra Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Xterra years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 12th of 16 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 19 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Nissan Xterra. That ranks 12th out of 16 Xterra model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (6 complaints, 32%), typically at around 78,000 miles. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 19owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 6 | 32% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 32% | 101,300 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 16% | 8,247 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 16% | 103,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 11% | 54,502 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 11% | 43,243 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 5% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 5% | 41,485 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 5% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 Nissan Xterra recalls (3)
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.
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.
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.
I took my car to complete Recall NumberPC945, I was told that my car has an issue with the driver side air Bag - Clockspring Assembly / Spiral Cable: REPLACE SPIRAL CABLE - C1163/B1049 and also another issue related to the driver side airbag that is under the steering wheel. I was quoted over $2000…
Cracked cooler tube caused transmission oil & coolant to mix causing transmission failure.
A faulty radiator caused my transmisson and coolant to leak together causing damage to the transmission. Now my transmission needs to be replaced
I purchased this 1 owner trade in 4/11/19. As of 5/9/19 i started to experience pronounced issues with losing power around 40 mph . Diagnostics confirmed that it was due to a leak in the cooling coil which resulted in coolant in my transmission fluid which damage the transmission. I have filed a…
I took my xterra in because it constantly blew hot air. Upon inspection i was informed of the tsb issued by nissan that the radiator tubes can crack and mix coolant with transmission fluid and that i was low on coolant because of that. The tech informed me that the leak was minimal but needed to be…
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 | 19 | 3 |
| 2008 Xterra | 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 2009 Nissan Xterra?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, electrical system problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 6 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Nissan Xterra?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 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 2009 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.