2009 Nissan Xterra: Reliability Data
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Severity Assessment
Sample Complaint Reports
"WE PURCHASED A NEW 2009 NISSAN XTERRA ON JUNE 5, 2009. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE FOLLOWING DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS COME ON FOR NO KNOWN REASON: BRAKE, ABS, SLIP, TIRE SENSOR & VDC. ODOMETER FAILS TO OPERATE, MILEAGE NEEDLE RETURNS TO THE START POSITION AND DOES NOT SHOW SPEED, AND FAILS TO REG..."
"PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE IN 2ND GENERATION NISSAN XTERRA. CLUTCH BURNT OUT AT UNDER 5000 MILES WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING IN SNOW IN 4WD LO. I HAVE 20 YEARS MANUAL DRIVING EXPERIENCE, AND HAVE NEVER BURNED OUT A CLUTCH. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO PAY FOR IT BECAUSE IT IS A WEAR ITEM. MANY OTHERS H..."
"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE HORN BUT HAD TO APPLY EXTREME FORCE FOR IT TO SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEH..."
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.
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
Nissan Xterra — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
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
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