There are 11 stored owner reports matching the engine leading-label group for the 2003 Nissan Xterra in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 11 of 11 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)ENGINE OVERHEATING ALL COOLING PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED STILL OVERHEATING WITH NO KNOWN ISSUE FOUND VERY COMMON IN THE 2000 TO 2004 MODELS AND YET NO RECALLS TO FIX THE ISSUE AND KEEPS BLOWING RADIATOR HOSES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A PREMATURE FAILURE OF COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE RADIATOR, WHICH IMPACTED THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE RADIATOR AND FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL CAMPAIGN AND PROVIDED NO SOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
JUNE 12 2016 AT THE TRI-PAR IN SLINGER, WI I WAS FILLING UP THE GAS TANK, WHEN GAS BEGAN SPILLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE'S WHEEL WELL. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED IT AFTER I NOTICED IT. THE STATION ALONG WITH THE SLINGER FIRE DEPARTMENT ESTIMATED A GALLON WAS SPILT. IT APPEARS THE VEHICLE'S GAS TANK NECK HAS RUSTED OUT. THEY DEEMED THE VEHICLE NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND RECOMMEND WE HAVE IT TOWED HOME, WHICH WE DID.
WE WERE DRIVING ON VACATION AND THE CAR STOPPED. IT STARTED BACK UP AND THEN AFTER A COUPLE OF MILES STOPPED AGAIN. WE WERE STRANDED AND DIDN'T GET HOME FOR THREE DAYS.I HAVE TAKE CODES OFF THE ENGINE AND IT SHOWED A 0462 CODE. WENT BACK TO GET XTERRA WITH A CAR DOLLY AND DOLLY BROKE AND CAR CAME UNDONE. THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF A BAD SENDING UNIT. *TR
DURING A DRIVE HOME FROM A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY, MY XTERRA BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. A FAINT POP, LIKE A BACKFIRE, HAPPENED. AFTER I HEARD THE NOISE, A CONSISTENT TICKING OR PINGING SOUND STARTED COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF MY XTERRA. THE SOUND IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ACCELERATION. ONCE I GOT HOME, I STARTED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE ONLINE. FOUND THAT 2000-2004 XTERRAS HAVE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKING DUE TO WEAK MATERIAL. I AM AN ACTIVE MEMBER ON WWW.CLUBXTERRA.ORG AND MANY OTHER MEMBERS REPORT THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS QUITE A SET BACK FOR MOST PEOPLE AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE IF IT IS NOT TAKEN CARE OF IN A TIMELY MANNER. NISSAN SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING FAULT AND ISSUE A RECALL. EVERYONE I KNOW THAT OWNS AN XTERRA HAS OR HAD THIS ISSUE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS FAILED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THE EGR SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
RADIATOR IS FALLING OUT OF TRUCK ,DUE TO SERIOUS RUST ON FRAMING, HOOD LATCH IS STARTING TO BREAK FREE HOOD COULD FLY UP ONTO WINDSHIELD . *TR
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN 09. VEHICLE FAILED EMISSIONS DUE TO PROBLEM WITH EVAC SYSTEM. GASKET AT FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. WITHIN A YEAR, ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THERE WAS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE EVAC SYSTEM. AFTER $ 862.00 DOLLARS THAT WERE SPENT ON VEHICLE FOR O RING AND GASKET REPAIRS, VEHICLE PASSED EMISSIONS. WITHIN 8 MONTHS, ENGINE LIGHT WAS BACK ON DUE TO EVAC SYSTEM. MECHANIC STATES THAT THERE IS MAJOR CORROSION OF THE FUEL TANK AND THAT HE HAS SEEN THE SAME THING ON MANY NISSAN VEHICLES OF THIS AGE DUE TO THE MATERIAL USED TO CONSTRUCT THE FUEL TANK AND BELIEVES THAT IT IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND THAT NISSAN STARTED USING A DIFFERENT MATERIAL ONCE THE PROBLEM WAS KNOWN. THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE SMELLS OF GASOLINE AND MECHANIC STATES THAT ANYONE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF VEHICLE COULD CAUSE AN EXPLOSION IF A SPARK WAS CREATED. *TR
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 $2,250.00 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. *TR
SINCE 2006, SENSOR LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND OFF. IN 2008 FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION DUE TO SENSOR LIGHT. HAD REPAIRED BY A STATE CERTIFIED REPAIR FACILITY, AS REQUIRED BY STATE OF MASS, FOR SENSOR AND CAT CONVERTER IN MAY 2008. IN AUG 2008 SENSOR LIGHT CAME BACK ON. HAD RESET - WAS SAME ISSUE THAT WAS REPAIRED IN MAY 2008. *TR
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES. AFTER THE LAST REPAIR, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE. *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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.