There are 10 owner-reported electrical system complaints for the 2002 Nissan Xterrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIRES UNDERNEATH THE STEERING COLUMN WERE BURNT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 204,391.
THE DISTRIBUTOR HAS BALL BEARINGS UNDER THE SOLENOID AND PHOTO FOR CAM SENSOR THAT COMES APART AND GOES EVERY WHERE INTERNALLY. IT CAUSED ME TO GO OFF THE HIGHWAY AND ALMOST GOT HIT BY A TRUCKER WHEN IT COMPLETELY STOPPED MY CAR WITH OUT WARNING OF ANY KIND ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WAS NO SENSOR INDICATOR UNTIL I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND IT ONLY REGISTERED THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OF AN ON TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. IT ALMOST CAUSED MY WHOLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO BURN OUT AS WELL. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AND PULL THE MATERIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND BUILDS OF MATERIAL FOR THE INTERNAL ITEMS OF THIS, ESPECIALLY THE BALL BEARING THAT CAME APART. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON MALFUNCTIONING ITEM ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR. I'M AN INDUSTRIAL AND BUILD INSPECTOR AT CENTURY FASTENERS CORP. PLEASE REVIEW THIS AS IT COULD BE FATAL TO SOME ONE WHO DOSE NOT KNOW HOW TO CONTROL A SITUATION LIKE THIS. PLEASE AND THANK YOU,[XXX] 2002 NISSAN XTERRA AND ALL RELATED MODEL ENGINES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THE ALARM ON THE VEHICLE ACTIVATED CONSTANTLY; HOWEVER, THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
VEHICLE: 2002 NISSAN XTERRA SE TAIL LIGHTS, FRONT SIDE MARKER LIGHTS, DASH PANEL ILLUMINATION FAILED DUE TO WIRE CHAFING BEHIND DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT MARKER LIGHT. THE BACK OF THE BULB SOCKET FOR THE FRONT SIDE MARKER LIGHT PINCHES IT'S CONNECTION WIRE AGAINST THE HEAD OF A 10MM SCREW LOCATED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE BULB SOCKET. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BULB SOCKET AND THE CHASSIS SCREW. THE SIDE MARKER LIGHT IS MOUNTED IN THE TOP EDGE OF THE FRONT BUMPER WHERE IT WRAPS AROUND THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE BUMPER MOVES UP AND DOWN WHEN THE ROAD SURFACE IS NOT SMOOTH, WHICH CAUSES THE WIRE TO BE RUBBED AGAINST THE HEAD OF THE CHASSIS SCREW, WHICH WEARS THE INSULATION FROM THE WIRE AND RESULTS IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT BETWEEN THE DAMAGED WIRE AND THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SHARE THE FUSE WHICH ALSO PROTECTS THE TAIL LIGHTS, SO WHEN THE SHORT OCCURS THE TAIL LIGHTS BECOME INOPERATIVE. UNTIL WE FINALLY FOUND THE PROBLEM, MY DAUGHTER HAD TO DRIVE HOME AT NIGHT WITHOUT TAIL LIGHTS ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, SHE WAS STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE HER TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. I INSPECTED THE SIDE MARKER LIGHT ON THE OPPOSITE (PASSENGER) SIDE OF THIS VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT WAS MUCH MORE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BULB SOCKET AND THE CHASSIS. *JB
THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS ALL WENT OFF AT NIGHT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE CONSUMER PULLED OFF THE ROAD, REPLACED A FUSE AND CONTINUED ON. ONE WEEKS LATER, THE FUSE BLEW AGAIN. THE DEALER FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT WIRING HARNESS MARKER WAS RUBBING AGAINST THE FRAME AND IT HAD SHORTED OUT. *NM *BF *NM
ALL PARKING LIGHTS, SIDE MARKER LIGHTS, AND INSTRUCMENT LIGHTS STOP WORKING. THE "TAIL LAMP" FUSE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IS BLOWN. *AK
ONE BY ONE MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA WINDOW REGULATORS HAVE ALL FAILED. THEY HAVE FAILED DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER AND HAVE CAUSED A GREAT INCONVENIENCE AND USE OF MY TIME TO KEEP GETTING THEM FIXED. I KNOW OF OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE TONS OF INTERNET SITES WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS. WHY HASN'T A RECALL BEEN ISSUED?*JB
PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR STARTING. FIRST PROBLEM CAR DIED JUST AFTER STARTING. ODOMETER TRIP AND A @ B HAD BEEN SET BACK TO ZERO AND CAR STEREO PRESETS ALL ERASED. NEXT MORNING CAR WOULD NOT START. WAITED AN HOUR, CAR STARTED. TOOK IN THEY ADJUSTED THE IDLE. THE CAR WAS FINE OTHERWISE. THIS WAS JUST OVER ONE MONTH AGO. YESTERDAY WENT TO LEAVE WORK CAR WOULDN'T START. NO POWER THEN I GOT THE RADIO TO WORK. THEY GOT THE CAR STARTED, THEN SHUT OFF TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. IT WAS. WOULDN'T START. CALLED TOWING, BUT AFTER BANGING ON MY STEERING WHEEL, CAR WOULD START. I DROVE TO NISSAN WHO NOW AFTER 9 HOURS THREE TECHNICIANS CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THEY SAY YOU CAN COME PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE. UNLESS THEY WITNESS THE PROBLEM THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SAID NEXT TIME LEAVE IT ALONE AND CALL THEM AND THEY WILL HAVE IT TOWED. THIS NISSAN HAS ONLY BEEN SERVICE THROUGH THE DEALER. *JB
I HAVE SERIOUS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION WITH MY 2002 NISSAN XTERRA. THE ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSES MY AMP TO BLOW AND STEREO TO DIE. I HAVE BROUGHT MY TRUCK IN OVER 7 TIMES (*CURRENTLY IN DEALERSHIP'S SERV DEPT FOR EXACT SAME PROBLEM) AND MY TRUCK HAS BEEN "OUT OF SERVICE" FOR 23 DAYS (*CURRENTLY IN DEALERSHIP'S SERV DEPT AS WE SPEAK) SINCE THE PROBLEM ORIGINALLY OCCURRED.THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM FOUND W/IN MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR STEREO, ONLY AMPS AND FUSES REPLACED (7 TIMES AND COUNTING).*AK
ENGINE WILL STALL OUT WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING. CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026