2010 Nissan Xterra
The Verdict
The 2010 Nissan Xterra has 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (13 complaints) and engine (9 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 91/100, it earns a "Smooth Ride" rating. If you're shopping for a Nissan Xterra, consider the 2013 model year which has 89% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2013 has 89% fewer complaints
View the 2013 Nissan Xterra dashboard →
Klunk Score: Smooth Ride
This vehicle year has significantly fewer complaints than average. A reliable choice.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Get notified if a recall hits this car.
We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2010 Nissan Xterra. No spam, no marketing.
Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
THE NISSAN WAS IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT AND THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. THERE WERE 4 PEOPLE IN CAR WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DID DEPLOY AND THOSE TWO PEOPLE RECEVED INJURIES BUT NOT LIFE THREATING. THE DRIVERS SIDE WHERE THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY CAUSED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES THE DRIVER HAD MAJOR SPINAL SURGERY INWHICH SHE HAD TO DO REHABILITATION TO WALK AGAIN FOR 8 MONTHS. THE BACK SEAT PASSENGER HAD TO BE AIR LIFTED TO A HOSPITAL AND 18 MONTHS LATER IS STILL PARALYZED AND UNABLE TO WALK. SHE IS CURRENTLY STILL IN A REHABILITATION HOME.
After getting the air bag control module reprogrammed per the recall, I was on a dirt road and the rollover airbags deployed when they shouldn’t have. The dealership I got the recall done at is claiming the airbag system registered “rollover conditions”. When I asked what the conditions were they told me they were unable to provide them. I am concerned either their reprogramming didn’t fix the issue or that they never actually reprogrammed it. Either way my airbags deployed when I was no where near a roll over situation and luckily no one was injured in this instance
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that he 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 for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.
My air bag quit working. The light started going off. I took it to Nissan and they said I had to pay to have the light turned off before they would fix the recall. I could not afford to pay to have the light turned off. The line connecting to my transmission and radiator has failed. Transmission fluid is leaking into my radiator and coolant is leaking into my transmission. Both must be replaced. The repair shop looked up the recall and said that was why this happened. I cannot afford thousands of dollars to have this repaired. My car is 10 years old with 163k miles.
No warning lamps had my vehicle repeatedly looked at was told that my vehicle had no transmission warninfsigns was told by mechanic to replace the radiator I replaced the radiator and then the vehicle stopped running now I have transmission fluid mixed with my radiator fluid and the vehicle doesn't run at all I repeatedly took it back to the shop Tobe fixed was told igot a bad radiator yet I know it wasn't bad I contacted my insurance company everyone failed to inform me that this vehicle had aknown transmission problem by Nissan and failed to disclose it to me
THIS IS A COMPLIANT FOR THE WELL KNOWN RADIATOR ISSUE. OURS RUPTURED AND RUINED THE TRANSMISSION COSTING US ABOUT $6K IN REPAIRS.
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Xterra equipped with Interco Tires, Tire line: LTB-02 SST LTB, Tire Size: 31/11.5/16LT. The contact stated that the while her son was driving approximately 65 mph, a loud noise suddenly occurred. After stopping and inspecting the vehicle, the driver discovered that the front driver’s side tire had experienced tread separation. Approximately one month later the same failure occurred to the front passenger’s side tire. The cause of the failures was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.
The passenger side airbag sensor broke , sensor that detects a person in the seat and engages the airbag, took it to dealer to fix and was told Nissan no longer supports that part and should go to a junk yard and pull a a seat cushion and install it myself.
AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON
THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STEADILY FLASHES. I LIVE IN A COASTAL AREA WITH HIGH HUMIDITY AND AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A CORROSION ISSUE IN THE SENSOR
AT A LITTLE OVER 180,000 MILES NEED A NEW REAR DIFFERENTIAL. READ ON AN XTERRA FORUM THE SPTHIDER GEARS WERE NOT HEAT TREATED PROPERLY BY THE MANUFACTURER WHICH CAUSES REAR DIFFERENTIALS TO FAIL.THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD OR TOWED ANYTHING. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED.
AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES WHEN LIGHT IS RESET IT FLASHES AGAIN AFTER A FEW MILES HORN DOESN'T WORK UNABLE TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS & PEDESTRIANS
DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK EITHER STAYS LOCKED AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, OR, THE LOCK DOES NOT LATCH SO THE DOOR SWINGS OPEN. THIS HAPPED BOTH WHILE PARKED AND WHILE DRIVING.
INTERMITTENT STALLING ISSUE. VEHICLE HAS 98,700 MILES ON IT AND HAS NOT HAD ANY OTHER ISSUES PRIOR TO THIS. ON THE FIRST OCCASION THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, GOING BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH, TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT. THE VEHICLE START TO SLOW DOWN, LOST POWER STEERING AND ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED (CHECK ENGINE, BATTERY, AIRBAG, SEATBELT, ETC.) BUT THE RADIO AND HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ON. PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED THE KEY IN THE OFF POSITION. RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED UP IMMEDIATELY WITH NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS. WAS DRIVABLE WITH NO OTHER ISSUES FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE VEHICLE STALLED A SECOND TIME ABOUT A WEEK OR SO LATER, WHILE IT WAS STATIONARY, AT A STOP LIGHT ON A CITY STREET. AGAIN, ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE THE RADIO AND HEADLIGHTS REMAINED ON. TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO PROBLEMS AND NO DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATIONAL AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME WITH NO ISSUES. I TOOK IT TO A TRUSTED MECHANIC AFTER BOTH INTERMITTENT STALLS. HE RAN DIAGNOSIS TESTS AFTER BOTH INCIDENTS AND NO CODES SHOWED UP. THE MECHANIC BELIEVES IT IS THE ECM RELAY THAT IS CAUSING THE ISSUE AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH. A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED BETWEEN STALLS THINKING THIS WAS THE CULPRIT. THE SECOND STALL OCCURRED THE DAY AFTER THE NEW BATTERY INSTALL.
SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-15 MPH. IMMEDIATE LOSS OF BRAKES, ACCELERATION, AND POWER STEERING. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE 405 FWY/SEPULVEDA PASS AREA DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR IN STOP-GO TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD, AND SHUT OFF VEHICLE. WAITED 1 MINUTE AND VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES ON DRIVE TO WORK. FROM A REVIEW OF ONLINE RESOURCES THIS LOOKS EERILY SIMILAR TO ISSUE OUTLINED IN PRIOR RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA LISTED UNDER NTB10-137. THIS IS SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS, AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE!
NISSAN XTERRA HAS FAULTY ABS ACTUATOR AND IS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD. THE VEHICLES ABS, BRAKE, SLIP, AND VDC LIGHTS WILL COME ON WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE LIGHTS WILL GO OFF AND COME BACK ON PERIODICALLY. AFTER INSPECTION AT DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A BAD ABS ACTUATOR.
MY 2010 XTERRA LIGHTS FOR ABS SLIP AND VDC GO OFF AFTER THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO MOVE ONLY. IF THE AUTO IS IDLE THE LIGHTS DO NOT COME ON AT ALL. I DO HAVE A TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT THAT COMES ON AND OFF ALSO BUT IT STAYS ON ON ONCE IT FINALLY GOES ON. I BELIEVE THIS IS PART OF THE NISSAN XTERRA 2009 RECALL AND SHOULD BE HANDLED IMMEDIATELY AS SUCH.
MY AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON, TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY TOLD ME THAT MY AIR BAGS HAVE BEEN DISABLED BECAUSE OF A FAULT IN THE SPIRAL CABLE IN MY STEERING COLUMN. THEY TOLD ME THE PART COST $460 TO REPLACE. THEY SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WHICH CAUSED THE SEAT BELTS TO BE DEACTIVATED. THEY TOLD ME TO FIX IT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A SAFETY FEATURE SUCH AS AN AIR BAG SHOULD NOT HAVE A WARRANTY EXPIRATION. WHEN I TOLD THEM I DIDN'T HAVE THE $460 THEY SAID MAKE SURE YOU WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT BECAUSE YOUR AIR BAGS WILL NOT WORK. THE IRONIC THING IS THAT I WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF A SAFETY RECALL BECAUSE THE AIR BAGS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY DEPLOY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT SEEMS NISSAN DOESN'T CARE IF YOUR AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IF IT IS NOT STILL COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY.
CRACKED RADIATOR LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN IT MIXES WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, IT RUINED TRANSMISSION AND RADIOTOR. OVER AN $4000 BILL!
THE VALVE ASSEMBLY AND ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTERS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $3761.00.
38 total