2000 NISSAN XTERRA Complaints

THE STEP BOARDS OF THE 2000 NISSAN XTERRA ARE CORRODING. I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE OR UNUSUAL USAGE OF THE STEP BOARDS THAT WOULD HAVE CASUED THE CORROSION. OTHERWISE, THE VEHICLE, BOTH MECHNAICALLY AND BODY, IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. *AK I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO TWO BODY SHOPS AND BOTH AGREE THE STEP BOARDS NEED TO BE REPLACED AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED. ESTIMATES FOR NEW STEP BOARDS AND INSTALLATION RANGE FROM $500 TO $670. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY LOCAL NISSAN DEALER INDICATES THE STEP BOARDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE VERY DURABLE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE CORRODED. HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO GET ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM NISSAN TO REPLACE THE STEP BOARDS. MY DIRECT REQUEST TO NISSAN WAS ALSO TURNED DOWN. SINCE I HAD TO ENTER A DATE IN THE FORM BELOW, I ENTERED THE DATE NISSAN TELEPHONED ME AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE ASSISTING ME IN MY EFFORT TO REPLACE THE STEP BOARDS. MY FILE NUMBER WAS 567.8334. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS OR DEATHS DUE TO THE DEFECT. HOWEVER, THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE FACTORY INSTALLED PART ON THE VEHICLE.

HEAT SHIELD ON BOTTOM OF 2000 NISSAN XTERRA SE BECAME LOOSE AND REQUIRED TIGHTENING TO STOP RATTLING ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE BOUGHT CAR NEW IN THE END OF 1999 FROM A DEALERSHIP IN CHICAGO - MAYBE 6-12 TIMES. WHILE DRIVING ON 1/17/07, BRAKES JUST GAVE OUT. WHEN CAR BROUGHT TO SHOP, IT TURNS OUT THE HEAT SHIELD WAS RUBBING ON THE STEEL BRAKE LINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE/BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE AND VIBRATION/RUBBING HAD FINALLY ERODED THE STEEL BRAKE LINE TO THE POINT IT BEGAN TO LEAK. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED FIVE TIMES. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 00V288000, REGARDING THE POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE OWNER DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION ABOUT THIS RECALL. UPDATED 12/28/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE CONTACT NOTICED EXHAUST SMELL INSIDE THE CAB. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT AN LOOSE UNDERBODY SHIELD WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE RATTLING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE CONTACT NOTICED 14 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE NETS WEBSITE REGARDING CRACKED RIGHT HAND EXHAUST MANIFOLD, AND EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE INHALING CARBON MONOXIDE POSED A SERIOUS RISK. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

FIRST AT 80,000 MILES AND THEN AGAIN AT 108,000 I HAVE HAD FAILURES OF MY PASSENGER SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IN A 2000 NISSAN X-TERRA. IT STARTED AS A QUIET TICKING DURING ACCELERATION, AND NOW IT IS A TICKING DURING IDLING. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POLLUTION & THE POSSIBILITY OF TOXIC GASES IN THE PASSENGER DEPARTMENT. GOING TO HTTP://WWW.XTERRAOWNERSCLUB.COM/FORUMS.HTML I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS A MORE THAN COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL NISSAN TRUCKS & SUVS. *NM

FOR SEVERAL YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A "RATTLING" NOISE AND THE VEHICLE HAS HAD A PROBLEM SHIFTING GEARS AT TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG (OF COURSE THIS IS THE SAME DEALERSHIP THAT FORGOT TO PUT THE OIL CAP BACK ON AFTER CHANGING THE OIL ONE DAY). FINALLY THE TRANSMISSION JUST BROKE. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HEARD A HORRIBLE SCRAPING METAL NOISE AND MY CAR BASICALLY JUST LUNGED FORWARD. IT SEEMED TO STAY IN 1ST GEAR BUT WOULDN'T GO INTO ANY OTHER GEAR INCLUDING REVERSE. THANKFULLY I WAS LESS THAN A BLOCK FROM HOME AND WAS ABLE TO PARK IT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE UNTIL I HAD IT TOWED. I HAD IT TOWED TO DON IRBY'S TRANSMISSIONS LLC (THE BEST TRANSMISSION PLACE IN TOWN) AND THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION (RE4R01A). I KNOW THAT THE 2000 NISSAN XTERRA'S HAD A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND I REALLY WONDER IF/WHY MINE WASN'T INCLUDED...BECAUSE I REALLY DO FEEL THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. MY XTERRA DRIVES LIKE A NEW CAR AGAIN! IT HASN'T DRIVEN AND PERFORMED THIS GREAT IN YEARS!!*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC, BUT THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 00V288000, REGARDING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

IN MAY 2005 THE POWER WINDOW FOR THE DRIVER'S DOOR ON MY 2000 XTERRA (4WD-V6) BEGAN TO ONLY GO UP INTERMITTENTLY (NO PROBLEM GOING DOWN). NOW THE DRIVER'S WINDOW WILL NOT GO UP AT ALL. THE OTHER THREE WINDOWS (PASSENGER AND REAR) ARE ALSO BEGINNING TO EXHIBIT INTERMITTENT AND SLOW MOVEMENT IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION. A TEST OF THE CONTROLLER AND MOTOR INDICATE THE COMPONENTS ARE RECEIVING POWER. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OTHER NISSAN MODELS (ALTIMA & PATHFINDER) AND 01-02 XTERRA WITH SIMILAR COMPONENTS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE BEEN RECALLED. *NM

ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, THERE ARE TOW BRAKE LINES THAT ORIGINATE FROM THE ABS UNIT THAT CARRY BRAKE FLUID TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM. NEAR THE WHEEL WELL, ONE CAN SEE THAT THE BRAKE LINES ARE WRAPPED WITH HEAT SHIELDING AND ARE TOUCHING THE HEAT SHIELD THAT COVER THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. OVER THE USE OF THE VEHICLE THE HEALTH BUILD UP FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEAT UP THE HEAT SHIELD AND THUS BURNS THE HEAT SHIELDING ON THE BRAKE LINES. PLUS WITH THE VIBRATION CAUSED BY THE DRIVING OF THE VEHICLE, ALLOWS THE METAL BRAKE LINE TO PUNCTURE, THUS CREATING A HOLE IN THE BRAKE LINE WHERE BRAKE FLUID CAN EXIT. THIS RESULTS IN A LOSS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE VEHICLE. THE HEAT SHIELD THAT IS AROUND THE BRAKE LINE IN THIS AREA DOES NOT PROTECT THE BRAKE LINE FROM HEAT STRESS AND THE VIBRATION THAT TAKES PLACE WITH THE USE OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. FIRST PROBLEM CONCERNED POWER STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A GRINDING NOISE. THE DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THEY SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THERE WAS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 10001332 CONCERNING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. IN ORDER TO GET THE WINDOW TO AUTOMATICALLY ROLL UP IT MUST BE MANUALLY ASSISTED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A DEALER. *AK