2005 NISSAN XTERRA Complaints

FAILURE CODE PO463 ON NISSAN XTERRA YEAR 2005 , FUEL LEVEL SENSOR VERY HIGH RISK OF WRONG READING ON FUEL GAUGE CAUSING VEHICLE TO STRAND MOTORIST DUE TO RUNNING OUT OF FUEL THIS REPAIR IS ABOUT $600.00 PER NISSAN AND IS VERY COMMON ON THIS MODEL PLEASE HAVE THIS PLACED ON A RECALL LIST FOR THIS FACTORY DEFECT THANKS DAVID LEADERS *TR

THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY '05 XTERRA READ E AFTER FILL UP. AFTER ECM RESET EVENT RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. ON TWO OCCASIONS ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY. MISTAKENLY, I ATTRIBUTED THIS TO BAD FUEL AND/OR COLD ENGINE. THAT IS UNTIL YESTERDAY, DURING RUSH HOUR AT 60MPH THE ENGINE CUT OFF IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. NARROWLY ESCAPING A MAJOR ACCIDENT, THIS WOULD HAVE INVOLVED MULTIPLE CARS. I MERCIFULLY COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED TO RESTART. I REPEATED THIS PROCEDURE UNTIL ON THE FOURTH ATTEMPT IT RESTARTED AND I MADE IT TO WORK. THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AS I WAS LEAVING WORK THAT DAY ALSO. AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC AND SIMPLE QUERY ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND MY P0463 CODE TO BE RELATED THE FUEL SENDING UNIT, A WELL KNOWN AND ALL TOO COMMON ISSUE. IN FACT A RELEVANT SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED BY NISSAN. MOREOVER, A RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR EARLIER MODEL XTERRAS. FREQUENCY OF THIS ISSUE AND MY SAFETY CONCERNS HAVE PROGRESSIVELY WORSENING. I REFUSE TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. (IMAGINE AN ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE TURNING LEFT WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC.) THOUGH NISSAN CUSTOMER CARE AND MY DEALER INDICATE NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED, I AM WORKING WITH BOTH THE RESOLVE. TO ME $26,000 IS A SUBSTANTIAL PURCHASE, AND COMMENSURATE PRODUCT QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT IS EXPECTED. ABSENT NISSAN STANDING BEHIND ITS PRODUCT, THE ESTIMATED DEALER REPAIR COST IS $500+. THE POTENTIAL COST OF NOT REPAIRING THE FUEL SENDING UNIT ON ANY AFFECTED NISSAN VEHICLE IS IMMEASURABLE. *TR

NISSAN'S X-TERRA OFF-ROAD EDITION MODEL IS EXPERIENCING FUEL GAUGE FAILURES AT OR AFTER 45,000 MILES. I HAVE OWNED TWO IDENTICAL VEHICLES, SOLD ONE, HAVE ONE REMAINING THAT MY MOTHER DRIVES. BOTH SUV'S HAVE EXPERIENCED IDENTICAL FUEL GAUGE FAILURES. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALS THAT I AM FAR FROM BEING ALONE IN EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUES AS THE PATHFINDER MODEL IS ALSO SEEING THE SAME FAILURES INDICATING THERE'S A DEEPER PROBLEM HERE. THE FAILURES ARE STARTING TO OCCUR AS EARLY AS 45,000 MILES WHICH IS SLIGHTLY OUTSIDE THE STANDARD 36,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS IN TURN ENDS UP PUTTING THE COST FOR REPAIRING THIS DEFECT BACK ON THE CUSTOMER TO THE TUNE OF $500 TO $700. MUCH OF THIS COST IS DUE TO THE LABOR CHARGE INCURRED IN PULLING OFF THE FUEL TANK TO ACCESS THE SENDING UNIT. IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT A FUEL SENDER GAUGE FAILURE AT 45,000 MILES AS THERE ARE MILLIONS OF VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT DO NOT EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AT ALL DURING THEIR OPERATIONAL LIFETIMES. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT THE NHTSA WILL INVESTIGATE AND FORCE NISSAN TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE FUEL SENDING GAUGE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA; AND A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE GAS GAUGE STOPPED ACCURATELY REPORTING THE LEVEL OF GAS IN THE TANK. IN ADDITION, THE "SERVICE" LIGHT CAME ON (AND STAYED ON) PREVENTING ME FROM PASSING INSPECTION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER OCCURRENCES OF THIS PROBLEM WITH VARIOUS NISSAN MODELS IN THE "2005" (ETC) YEAR. THIS IS A RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE REPAIR (APPROXIMATELY $500) FOR A FUEL GAUGE SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENT; AND IF NOT REPAIRED, WE WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM ALL RUN THE RISK OF RUNNING OUT OF GAS, POSSIBLY UNDER DANGEROUS HIGH SPEED ROAD CONDITIONS! DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS IS APPARENTLY A "FAULTY PART" SUPPLIED BY NISSAN, THE COMPANY HAS NOT OFFERED TO POST A RECALL AND/OR PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, AND THE POSSIBLE DANGEROUS REPERCUSSIONS OF NOT KNOWING WHEN THE VEHICLE WILL RUN OUT OF GAS, I BELIEVE THAT NISSAN SHOULD REPLACE THIS PART AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

I FILLED MY GAS TANK WHEN IT WAS AT 1/2 FULL FOR A TRIP OUT OF TOWN. I GOT ABOUT 1 MILE FROM THE GAS STATION AND MY SES LIGHT CAME ON AND I NOTICED MY FUEL GAUGE STILL READ 1/2. I PULLED OVER BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WOULD CHECK MY GAS CAP TO SEE IF THAT WAS WHAT MADE THE LIGHT COME ON. IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES FOR THE GAS GAUGE TO FINALLY REACH FULL WITH MY LIGHT STILL ON. THE LIGHT REMAINED ON UNTIL MY GAS WENT BACK DOWN TO 1/2 TANK. I FILLED MY TANK AGAIN TONIGHT (12-1-09) BECAUSE IT WAS AT 1/4 OF A TANK LEFT. AGAIN, MY GAUGE STILL READ THE SAME AS BEFORE I FILLED THE TANK AND I AM ASSUMING THE LIGHT WILL COME BACK ON WHEN I DRIVE IT AGAIN. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT IS LEFT FOR THE VEHICLE OWNER TO PAY FOR EVEN THOUGH IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. MANY OWNERS, INCLUDING MYSELF, WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER NISSAN VEHICLE. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN X-TERRA AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS BURNED UP. THIS ISSUE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR. I HAD TO TAKE THE CAR IN BECAUSE I WAS HAVING A TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND THE NISSAN DEALERSHIP DID NOT THINK IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THE SERVICE MANAGER RODE IN THE BACK AND THOUGHT IT TO BE THE WHEEL BEARINGS. THEY SWITCHED THAT OUT BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. LONG STORY SHORT AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME IT ENDED UP BEING AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHICH WAS REPLACED BUT EVER SINCE I GOT THE VEHICLE BACK IN 1/09 IS HAD THE WHISTLING NOISE WHEN GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WHEN YOU LET OFF THE GAS IT WHISTLES. BOTTOM LINE IS THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN JANUARY 2009 WITH THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND IT WAS BLOWN OFF BY THE DEALERSHIP AND NOW IT HAS BLOWN AND NISSAN WILL NOT STAND BEHIND IT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER NISSAN. MINE HAS HAD 2 TRANSMISSIONS REPLACED AND NOW THIS ALL WITHIN A YEAR. REAR-ENDS SHOULD NOT GO OUT THIS EASILY. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. APPROX. 2 WEEKS AGO I WENT TO FILL UP THE TANK AND THE GAS GAUGE DID NOT MOVE, AND THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD NOT HAD ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM UP UNTIL THAT DAY. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IS WAS SOME FUEL SENSOR THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED THAT WOULD BE 400.00 TO FIX (WHICH I PRICED I A DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS ~ 30 DOLLARS CHEAPER). I DECLINED TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WENT OFF AND THE GAUGE WAS WORKING AGAIN, BUT THEN THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN AFTER I FILLED MY CAR UP AGAIN. I HOPE THAT THIS PART WILL GET RECALLED SINCE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THIS PART IN THEIR VEHICLE. MY CAR HAS A LITTLE UNDER 70,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

EVERY TIME I FILL UP THE GAS TANK, THE GAUGE DOES NOT SHOW THE ACTUAL NEW LEVEL. IT WILL SHOW THE PRE-FILL UP LEVEL FOR 2 DAYS. AT THE SAME TIME THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS A KNOW DESIGN ERROR IN THE FUEL LEVEL SENSOR. IT OCCURS EVERY TIME I FILL UP MY GAS TANK. *TR

FUEL GAUGE NOT ACCURATE CAUSING SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TO GO ON. I CAN RUN OUT OF FUEL AT ANYTIME CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE FREEWAY OR ROADS. *TR

NISSAN XTERRA 2005 FIRST THE CAR DIES ON THE ROAD AND WOULD NOT START. I TOOK IT INTO A SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE IPDM, LATTER THAT DAY I PUT FUEL IN THE CAN AND THE FUEL GAGE DID NOT WORK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *TR