CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2005-2007 Xterra appears to have a widespread defect where coolant leaks into the transmission, causing transmission failure around 90,000 miles. Repair costs are typically upwards of $3,500.

The same defect exists in the Pathfinder & Frontier as well. And according to the New York Times & a class action lawsuit, the defect actually extends through 2010 model year. More info here.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,210 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.

2005 Nissan Xterra fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2005 Nissan Xterra Owner Comments (Page 9 of 12)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #77

Nov 062009

Xterra

  • 52,000 miles

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

Nissan Xterra 2005 first the car dies on the road and would not start. I took it into a shop and they replaced the ipdm, latter that day I put fuel in the can and the fuel gage did not work and the check engine light came on.

- Bothell, WA, USA

problem #76

Oct 182009

Xterra

  • 43,126 miles
My 2005 Nissan Xterra off road addition was running fine, had no major issues. The fuel gauge indicator suddenly started jumping up and down between full and empty, the service engine soon light also came on. I brought the truck to a local auto parts store and they read a code PO463 with their ECU reader. With some research I found this to be a fuel sending unit/fuel level issue. The Nissan dealership stated this is a common problem, some sort of corrosion issue and it would be around $500-700 to fix the issue. I ended up doing repairs (replaced the fuel sending unit) myself to save money, but I think if this is a "common problem" perhaps a recall is in order?

- Brooktondale, NY, USA

problem #75

Aug 102009

Xterra

  • 40,000 miles
2005 Nissan Xterra has a common problem with fuel sensor unit. Distance to empty function no longer works and service engine soon light remains on due to a failure in the fuel sensor unit.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #74

Apr 072009

Xterra

  • 50,000 miles

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

Own a 2005 Nissan Xterra, and my check engine light went on around 50,000 miles. I researched code and it is the fuel level sensor is malfunctioning. Consequences are I have no idea what my gas level is at and there is no warranty on my vehicle anymore.

- Freehold, NJ, USA

problem #73

Sep 202009

Xterra

  • 51,485 miles
1. (the events leading up to the failure)-I went to the gas station to fill up because my 2005 Nissan Xterra was less than 1/4 tank full. I filled it up all the way and drove off. I looked at the gas gauge and it still read under 1/4 tank. Soon after the ses (service engine soon) light came on. 2. (the failure, how often it occurs, its consequences)- I looked up online what the possible issue could be. In searching over several forums, and over 100 complaints, I found the issue to be error code: P0463 (fuel level sensor). It occurs everyday. The consequences, I never know how much fuel is in my tank. As a matter of fact. I ran out of gas suddenly in the middle of nowhere. I was lucky enough someone helped me get fuel. This is a major issue. 3. (what was done to correct the failure) I have done nothing so far, because it is such a common issue, that it should be recalled. It is roughly a $600 repair issue that should be recalled by Nissan. I only have 51,513 miles on my 2005 Nissan Xterra.

- Eden Prairie, MN, USA

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problem #72

Jun 172009

Xterra

  • 60,000 miles
I own a 2005 Nissan Xterra. I have had a code that reads P0463 that has caused my service engine soon light on. The fuel level gauge is malfunctioning and it is misreading the level of fuel that I actually have. How is this not a recall issue. Instead I have to pay 600 dollars to help prevent me from running out of fuel on the highway and creating a dangerous situation.

- Santa Monica, CA, USA

problem #71

Oct 152009

Xterra

  • 39,100 miles

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

2005 Nissan Xterra. Defective fuel sensor gives erroneous gasoline gauge readings and activates a warning light "service engine soon". repair involves removal of fuel tank. Internet searches reveal that this a common complaint among Nissan vehicles. Nissan has not issued a recall on this.

- Medford, MA, USA

problem #70

Apr 052008

Xterra

  • 35,000 miles
Normal operation of vehicle. The fuel level was mis reading level of fuel, soon afterwards an error code P0463 (fuel level sensor malfunction) on your 2nd gen X has occurred. It has been constantly reading the error. I check the fuse box and reset the cpu, but the problem still remains. Cost to replace is $600 which I can not afford. I am writing this to pressure Nissan to recall and replace this part. My car has now 58K miles on the odometer.

- Yardley, PA, USA

problem #69

Aug 202009

Xterra

  • 78,000 miles
I filled up my vehicle with gas drove a few miles then the gas gauge showed empty and the check engine light came on. I thought it was leaking gas but found out that it is a fuel sensor system. The gauge continues to go to empty whenever my gas fall below half full.

- New Britain, CT, USA

problem #68

Aug 152009

Xterra

  • 43,500 miles
Fuel sending unit malfunction after 40,000 miles, so fuel gauge does not register the correct amount of fuel in the fuel tank. Regular maintenance performed since vehicle was acquired new in 2005. Gauge will take approximately 30 minutes to register full after fill-up and then almost immediately drop back to 3/4 or slightly below and remain there. I have found numerous threads on this issue in various online forums from owners of 2005 and later Xterra SUVS and frontier pick up trucks. All state that Nissan will not replace the defective part over 36,000 miles and the repair is listed at $600 or more after the original warranty expires. Nissan has issued a tsb and is aware that the part is defective, but refuses to conduct a recall, even though this seems to be a very common problem. I live in the western United States and, by necessity, have to travel fairly long distances to get to "civilization". due to this fact, I think it is pretty important and consider it a safety issue that I know how much gas I have in the tank, especially since winter is just a few weeks away and the weather here can be quite severe during that time. I also have a second, 2006 model Xterra that is approaching 40,000 miles, which I'm sure will have the same problem with at some point in the next few months.

- Etna, WY, USA

problem #67

Sep 152009

Xterra

  • 48,900 miles

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

2005 Nissan Xterra fuel sender is failing. Dealer informed me the sender is failing and "offered" to replace it for $500! looks like this is a known problem which could result in an accident! where is the recall on this part?

- Mercer Island, WA, USA

problem #66

Jul 102009

Xterra

  • 55,000 miles
Car started running poorly and using more gas. Service engine light came on.

- Fort Collins, CO, USA

problem #65

Aug 152009

Xterra

  • 53,300 miles
Fuel gauge shows incorrect fuel amount in tank. The tank will show more than a quarter of a tank and then all of a sudden drop to dead empty and the low fuel light will come on. This also triggers the trip computer to read '---' for the dte (distance to empty) reading. This is a common problem that Nissan has issued a technical service bulletin on (ntb07-069B).

- Woburn, MA, USA

problem #64

Jan 012009

Xterra

  • 54,000 miles
My fuel sensor and evap valve have both failed on my '05 Nissan Xterra. I use it off-road, which is supposedly why the evap valve failed. So many people are having these problems that they are clearly a manufacturing defect. Nissan should be ashamed not to stand by the quality of their product; they should be replacing it for free.

- Emeryville, CA, USA

problem #63

Sep 112005

Xterra

  • 50,000 miles
2005 Nissan Xterra, 50K miles something with the fuel sensor is not working. My fuel tank was below 1/4 of a tank. I went to go fill it up and when I looked at the gage it still read the same number. After a few seconds of driving the "check engine" light went on. I went online and read a few forms with counting over 100 people who had the same problem at roughly the same mileage. I believe that the dealer should put a recall on this product. (P0463 computer error).

- Eden Prairie, MN, USA

problem #62

Jun 282008

Xterra

  • 48,000 miles
I bought a brand new 2005 Nissan Xterra in January of 2006. At approximately 48,000 miles the fuel sending unit went bad. After filling up with gas, the gauge did not move from almost empty and the engine service light came on. After driving around 60 miles, the gauge began to move, but eventually stalled on a half tank of gas. After a few weeks the gas gauge started working again, but now about 14 months later, the same thing is happening constantly. I have no idea how much gas I have in the tank. I was told it would cost over $500 to repair. After researching, I found that this is a common problem with Nissan vehicles. There needs to be a recall before an accident happens.

- Kinston, NC, USA

problem #61

Sep 032009

Xterra

  • 26,000 miles
I drive a 2005 Nissan Xterra and have 27,100 miles on it. When the car hit 26,000 miles, the "service engine soon" light came on. I had the car looked at by my mechanic and he said that there was a defect in the fuel sensor line which doesn't register the amount of gas being used. The gas gauge is extremely erratic and I don't know how much gas I have. I've been stuck a couple times because the car ran out of gas and the fuel gauge said that I had half a tank. This is a dangerous issue because there are usually passengers in the vehicle (small children) and to have to pull a car over on a highway because it ran out of gas is quite a problem, especially if I have to lug children out of the car and walk the highway looking for a gas station. I've read online where numerous people have complained about the exact same issue. Why would something like this not be recalled" how may people have to die or become seriously injured before something is recalled" please, please look at this issue and hopefully resolve before someone's life is either ended because of death or injury. Thank you.

- Rockledge, PA, USA

problem #60

Aug 162009

Xterra

  • 62,103 miles
Nissan Xterra 2005, fuel sending unit and service engine soon light. Erratic read on the gas needle, going from fuel to half and then to empty while tha gas tank is full. Error code P0463.

- Coto Laurel, PR, USA

problem #59

Aug 052009

Xterra

  • 67,200 miles
I had less than a 1/4 of a tank of fuel on my 2005 Xterra S and I stopped to fill it up. Gas gauge seemed to be working fine when I parked it. Later moved the vehicle, the check engine soon light came on and the fuel gauge read E, and the low fuel light came on.

- Albany, NY, USA

problem #58

Jan 152008

Xterra

  • 50,000 miles
2005 Xterra - code P0463 - fuel sending unit error. A similar problem was found on the 2000-2004 Xterra models and a recall was performed. This has become a very common occurrence now for owners with models 2005 and newer. Nissan needs to remedy this situation with a recall for newer vehicles.

- Cary, NC, USA

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