CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2003 Nissan Xterra doesn't seem to have any problem trends. The only thing prospective owners should be aware of are the less-than-perfect (but acceptable) crash test ratings.

There are a very few transmission complaints, but nothing like the huge defect that shows up starting in with the 2005 model year.

2.7

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,000 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Nissan Xterra cooling system problems

cooling system problem

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2003 Nissan Xterra Owner Comments

problem #1

Apr 082009

Xterra 4WD

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a 2003 Nissan Xterra 4WD. It has 55,000 miles and only been serviced at Nissan dealership. I noticed a sweet smell coming from the engine when the car was warm so when I took in for oil change asked them to check it out. Told me the heads were warped and needed to be ground down, new gasket, belts and sparkplugs D/T the head leaking. This is the second head gasket problem I've had with a Nissan I've owned. The other one was under warranty and was told it was a freak thing. I believed them, and had no problem buying another Nissan. Now same problem and I have to pay $2,250 for replacement. No one can tell me why. I contacted Nissan Corp for reimbursement on this. Im still waiting for a reply, but after searching the net I see that this is a familiar problem with Nissan. I will not be buying another Nissan product.

- Toledo, OH, USA

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