2005 NISSAN XTERRA Complaints

2005 NISSAN XTERRA STARTED VIBRATING WHILE SHIFTING GEARS AND THEN WENT INTO "SAFE MODE" WHERE DRIVER HAS LITTLE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TURNS OUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES RUN THROUGH THE RADIATOR. THE CONNECTION FAILED AND LEAKED COOLANT INTO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING IT TO FAIL AND NEED TO BE REPLACED ($4500 FIX). THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2005 NISSAN TRUCKS/SUVS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA 4-WHEEL DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING IT IN SNOW, ICE, WET ROADS OR SIMPLY STOPPING QUICKLY, I HEAR A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END. IT HAPPENS WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES COMING TO A STOP. IT HAS TO BE A CONDITION WHERE THE WHEELS MAY LOCK UP. ALSO, THE BRAKES LET THE VEHICLE "LOOSE" FOR SEVERAL FEET AND/OR SECONDS BEFORE THE GRINDING BEGINS. I AM USED TO THE FLUCTUATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH AN ABS SYSTEM. HOWEVER, I HAD NEVER HEARD A SOUND THAT REMINDED ME OF GRINDING ALUMINUM CANS IN A COFFEE MILL. I TOOK IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT WHEN THIS FIRST HAPPENED (DECEMBER 2005; LAST INCIDENT, APRIL 2010) AND THEY HAVE ASSURED ME THAT THIS IS HOW THE ABS IS SUPPOSED TO SOUND, FEEL AND WORK. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THE SAME FEELING/SENSATION AND ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. I TOLD HIM NISSAN SAYS THAT IS HOW THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO WORK. IT DOESN'T SOUND ACCEPTABLE THAT AN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY WOULD PRODUCE A SAFETY SYSTEM THAT SOUNDS/FEELS LIKE YOUR DIFFERENTIAL IS BEING GROUND INTO LITTLE METAL PIECES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY RAN OUT OF FUEL. THE CONTACT CALLED AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE FUEL SENSOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF ANY RECALLS, SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIR EXPENSES. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL SENSOR FAILED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE CONTACT PUTTING A LOCKING GAS CAP ON THE VEHICLE; THEY WOULD OFFER NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 131,737. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000.

I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION TO FILL UP MY TANK 2 WEEKS AGO AND AFTER FILLING UP THE TANK LEFT THE GAS STATION AND REALIZED THAT THE GAUGE DID NOT MOVE. IT WAS STILL STUCK AT 1/4 OF A TANK. I DROVE THE CAR ALL WEEK AND THE FUEL GAUGE SLOWLY WENT UP TO 1/2 OF A TANK HOWEVER I KEPT TRACK OF THE MILEAGE AND HAD TO FILL THE TANK AGAIN BY THE NEXT WEEK. THE TANK AGAIN WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND MY WIFE WHO ALSO DRIVES THE VEHICLE DOES NOT KEEP TRACK OF THE MILEAGE AS CLOSELY AS I DO AND I AM WORRIED THAT SHE WILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RUNNING OUT OF FUEL ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY DURING RUSH HOUR. AFTER THE 2ND WEEK OF THE FUEL GAUGE NOT WORKING PROPERLY TODAY I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON FOR THE ENTIRE 35 MILES THAT I TRAVELED TO WORK. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE AND FOUND THAT IT MAY BE THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. I SEE THAT THE 2006 XTERRA'S HAVE BEEN RECALLED HOWEVER MINE IS A 2005 AND WONDER WHY IT IS ALSO NOT BEING RECALLED? I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY WIFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *TR

AFTER CHECKING A SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING ON MY 2005 NISSAN XTERRA, I FOUND THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS THE PROBLEM AS INDICATED BY THE P0463 CODE CAME UP AFTER INSPECTION. CLEARLY THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM ON PAST MODELS AND CONTINUES TO BE A DEFECT IN CURRENT MODELS, AS MANY FELLOW NISSAN OWNERS HAVE EXPRESSED THERE CONCERN OVER A PART WHICH MAY BE ESSENTIAL TO THE FUNCTIONING OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

SUMMARY: 2005 NISSAN XTERRA FUEL GAUGE READING EMPTY WHEN FULL AND SLOWLY RISING BACK TO THE CORRECT DISPLAY LEVEL THEN DROPPING TO MID-LEVEL DISPLAYING INCORRECTLY. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND STAYS ON SOMETIMES TURNING OFF AND ON AT ODD TIMES. THIS EVENT HAPPENS EVERYDAY AND I HAVE NOW RELIED ON THE TRIPOMETER TO TELL MY FUEL LEVEL. PRIOR EVENTS LEADING TO MALFUNCTION: I WAS DRIVING ON A 9 HOUR LONG TRIP DURING WINTER. I WAS ABOUT 4 HOURS INTO THE TRIP AND MY FUEL GAUGE ODDLY DROPPED TO EMPTY SO I FILLED UP BUT NO CHANGE OCCURRED. ON THE WAY UP IT STARTED TO WORK AGAIN SO I FIGURED IT WAS A FLUKE AND TRUSTED THE GAUGE. MY CAR STALLED ABOUT 8 HOURS IN AND I HAD TO WAIT IN THE COLD FOR 2 HOURS FOR AAA. REPAIRS MADE: NO REPAIRS WERE MADE BUT I HAVE LOOKED FOR QUOTES ON THE REPAIR AND I KEEP GETTING DIFFERENT ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEM. ONE SAID THE FUEL GAUGE SENSOR NEEDS TO BE RESET (200 DOLLAR FEE) AND ANOTHER SAID THE FUEL PUMPS NEED TO BE REPLACED (700 DOLLAR FEE). SIMILARITIES TO COMMON RECALL: THE ISSUE I HAVE IS SO COMMON TO THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V075000 RECALL. THIS RECALL IS ON THE 2006 AND 2008 NISSAN XTERRA, FRONTIER, AND PATHFINDER. IT INVOLVES: THE MOLDED FUEL TANK SHELLS CAN DEFORM, CAUSING THE FUEL SENDER FLOAT ARM TO CONTACT AN EMBOSSMENT MOLDED INTO THE TANK SHELL CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FUEL GAUGE TO SHOW THAT THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER TANK WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE 2005 XTERRA OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE, AND ONLINE THAT IS THE CONSENSUS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND WORK RESOLVING THIS ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE AN 05 NISSAN XTERRA. THE GAS GAUGE SHOWS THE GAS TANK EMPTY EVEN WHEN IT CONTAINS FUEL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON WHEN THE TANK REACHES 1/4 CAPACITY (BASED ON ODOMETER ESTIMATE) AND WILL STAY ON FOR HUNDREDS OF MILES (AFTER REFUEL). CODE RETURNED: P0463. WHY ARE 06 - 08 XTERRAS COVERED? EVEN IF THE 05'S ISSUE IS COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF THE 06 AND UP (WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE), IT WOULD SEEM THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THANK YOU. *TR

I HAVE 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. IT HAS A FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM. IT IS ALWAYS GIVING ME THE WRONG READING OF HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE IN MY TANK EVEN AFTER I COMPLETELY FILL UP. THIS STARTED TO HAPPEN SUDDENLY WITH NOTHING THAT CAUSED IT. THIS IS A HAZARD BECAUSE I AM HAVING TO CONSTANTLY ESTIMATE HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE LEFT AND CONSTANTLY FILLING UP MY TANK TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE ENOUGH FUEL. *TR

WE HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA, ONE DAY WE FILLED IT AT A GAS STATION AND NOTICED RIGHT AFTER LEAVING THE STATION THAT THE GAUGE STILL SAID A QUARTER OF A TANK, SO WE PULLED INTO ANOTHER GAS STATION A FEW MILES DOWN TO SEE IF IT WOULD TAKE MORE GAS AND IT ONLY TOOK $0.60 WORTH, SO WHEN WE STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WAS ON. AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE GAUGE SLOWLY STARTED RISING TO THE FULL MARK. WE HAD TO FILL IT AGAIN BEFORE WE GOT BACK FROM OUR TRIP AND IT DID THE SAME THING, DIDN'T REGISTER OUR FULL TANK AND THEN SLOWLY WENT UP TO THE FULL MARK, AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT HAS STAYED ON THE WHOLE TIME. WE CANT TELL IF WE STILL HAVE FUEL OR NOT. *TR