There are 8 owner-reported fuel 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. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V230000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER NISSAN XTERRA WHEN THE VEHICLE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED IN TRAFFIC IN A MULTI-LANE STREET WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC. SHE HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND, WITH THE HELP OF OUR SON, PUSH IT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CLEAR THE STREET. THE FAILURE WAS FOUND LATER TO BE A BAD FUEL PUMP AND BAD FUEL SENDING UNIT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT DID THE DIAGNOSIS AND ISOLATED THE FAULT TO THOSE TWO COMPONENTS. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT, AS WELL AS THE FUEL FILTER AND STRAINER. DURING THE CONVERSATION WITH THE REPAIR SHOP (NOT A NISSAN DEALERSHIP) THEY MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A NISSAN RECALL OUT FOR THE SENDING UNIT, AND THAT I OUGHT TO BE REIMBURSED BY NISSAN. WHEN I CONTACTED NISSAN THEY TOLD ME I COULD NOT BE REIMBURSED BECAUSE THE RECALL / REPAIR HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE ON THIS SAME VEHICLE IN 2005. IF THE RECALL WAS DONE CORRECTLY BY THE DEALERSHIP, THIS ITEM SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS THE FUEL SENDING HARNESS WHICH SHORTED AND CAUSED THE PLASTIC FUEL LINE TO MELT AND STARTED A SMALL FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO TOOK A COMPLAINT AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD REVIEW THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 138,000.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND A THERE IS AN OBVIOUS SMELL OF GASOLINE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IN THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THEM AS THEY RUST AROUND THE TOP OF THE TANK. THIS IS A SEPARATE ISSUE FROM THE FUEL SENDING UNIT RECALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE TO THESE VEHICLES. *TR
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN MY ENGINE DIED. I CRUISED IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO START IT AGAIN, BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I COULD SMELL GAS. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED, WE INITIALLY DETERMINED FUEL PUMP FAILURE. ONCE THE REPAIR WAS INITIATED, WE FOUND THAT THE WIRE TO THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS CORRODED AND HAD HEATED UP ENOUGH TO CAUSE A PEA SIZE HOLE IN THE PLUG. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT FAILURE COMPLETED ON MY VEHICLE IN 12/2004, BUT INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE UNIT, THEY ONLY SPRAYED SEALANT ON THE WIRE (BECAUSE NO CORROSION WAS FOUND) TO PREVENT CORROSION IN THE FUTURE. WE REPLACED THE SENDING UNIT, FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER. THE OLD PART IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. I AM FILING A COMPLAINT WITH NISSAN. I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. *TR
2002 XTERRA DIED WHILE DRIVING. FUEL SENDER CORRODED AT THE PUMP AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TS THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE ISSUE, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED NISSAN DEALER IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE FREE. THE CONSUMER PROCEED TO HAVE THE WORK DONE BY HER LOCAL MECHANIC INSTEAD. *JB
ENGINE WOULD STALL WHILE AT LOW SPEED. ALSO AUTO WOULD NOT START AND THER WAS A SEMLL OF PLASTIC BURNING
WHEN DRIVING AT A DETERMINED SPEED CONSUMER NOTICED A LOSS OF FUEL ON THE FUEL GAUGE. CONSUMER HAD CONTACTED DEALER ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT FUEL TANK FAILED. *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