"How reliable is the 2006 Nissan Xterra?"

"Based on 1034 NHTSA complaints, the 2006 Nissan Xterra has a median complaint mileage of 89559 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2006 Nissan Xterra?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Nissan Xterra is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 1034 total complaints filed."

2006 Nissan Xterra: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 1034 complaints

1034

Total Complaints

89,559mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

55,000 25th Percentile

89,559 Median Mileage

118,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

240

Fuel System, Gasoline

204

Engine

104

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Auxillary Tank

Fuel System, Other

Electrical System

Unknown Or Other

Steering

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I PURCHASED MY 2006 XTERRA ON FEB 18TH, 2006. WITHIN 2 WEEKS I NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING DURING RAIN SHOWERS WHEN PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK THE VEHICLE HOME AND IT LEAKED ONCE AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE..."

"DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH DOWN A SLOPED DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE STALLED. AS A RESULT, THE BRAKES AND POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILED. THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DESCENDING. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, BUT THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE. ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 240 complaints

25th: 96,530 mi Median: 112,000 mi 75th: 131,250 mi

Fuel System, Gasoline 204 complaints

25th: 44,025 mi Median: 52,000 mi 75th: 71,750 mi

Engine 104 complaints

25th: 94,586 mi Median: 112,117 mi 75th: 136,500 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 94 complaints

25th: 73,000 mi Median: 90,000 mi 75th: 118,000 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 78 complaints

25th: 82,000 mi Median: 101,000 mi 75th: 119,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 117 FL: 74 TX: 74 VA: 62 CO: 50 PA: 44 NY: 39 NC: 37 NJ: 34 MD: 30

Who Files Complaints?

3.4%

Original Owners

96.6%

Second+ Owners

Nissan Xterra — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2000	258	72,300	Fuel Pump	30
2001	197	66,000	Power Window Devices And Controls	18
2002	213	82,000	Steering	32
2003	97	57,000	Steering	26
2004	110	62,640	Steering	12
2005	1175	93,000	Power Train	11
2007	770	95,000	Power Train	3
2008	174	95,000	Power Train	11
2009	26	78,000	Air Bags	0
2010	58	90,149	Air Bags	9
2011	27	54,000	Air Bags	0

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28