2005 NISSAN XTERRA Complaints

I HAVE A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. AFTER FILLING UP WITH GAS MY GAS GAUGE READ EMPTY AND AFTER A FEW MILES THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON. THIS IS A FAULT WITH THE FUEL SENDING UNIT THAT IS VERY COMMON AMOUNG OWNERS OF XTERRAS, FRONTIERS AND PATHFINDERS. COST TO REPAIR IS ABOUT $600.00. THIS SAME ISSUE WAS CLASSED AS A RECALL FOR THE 2002 MODELS HOWEVER NMO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE NEWER MODELS. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AS THE CAR COULD JUST STOP RUNNING AT ANY TIME. WITH THE AMOUNT OF OWNERS HAVING THE SAME COMPLAINT AND THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A RECALL ON EARLIER MODELS, WE THINK THAT NISSAN SHOULD ISSUE ANOTHER RECALL ON OUR VEHICLES AND FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

FUEL SENDING UNIT FAILURE: FUEL GAUGE FAILS INTERMITTENTLY. SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ON AT FUEL LEVEL >3/4 AND <1/4. WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO REGISTER ANY LEVEL AFTER A FILLUP. *TR

FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT I JUST GOT BACK FROM THE DEALER W/ MY 2005XTERRA SE. I HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM. MY SES LIGHT COMES ON AND MY DTE GAUGE READS ---- WHEN THE FUEL GAUGE GETS DOWN TO 1/4 OF A TANK. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT REGISTERED ERROR CODE PO463 AND THAT I NEED A NEW FUEL SENDING UNIT. SINCE MY XTERRA HAS 56000 MILES ON IT IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. THEY TELL ME APPROX $600.00 TO FIX. IN MY CASE THE SES LIGHT RESETS AFTER APPROX 300 MILES. AS LONG AS I KEEP THE GAS MORE THAN 1/4 OF A TANK THE SES LIGHT WON'T COME ON. *TR

I FILLED THE TANK IN OUR 05 XTERRA ONLY TO FIND THAT THE GAS GAUGE WAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE FILL UP. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE GAUGE DROPPED TO EMPTY, AND THEN THE FUEL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. NOW, THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK AT ALL AND THE REPAIR ESTIMATES ARE $675+. NISSAN WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A PROBLEM, YET MUCH INTERNET RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT THIS OCCURS ON MOST XTERRAS. THIS XTERRA IS THE PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 3, AND TWICE NOW THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS BECAUSE OF THIS. *TR

I HAD 1/2 OF A TANK OF GAS AND WENT TO FILL UP. AFTER FILLING UP MY GAS TANK, I TURNED ON THE CAR, AT WHICH POINT THE NEEDLE DID NOT REGISTER THE FULL TANK. AFTER DRIVING A COUPLE MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED THE LAST TWO WEEKS IN A ROW. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ONLINE, I CAME ACROSS MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. APPARENTLY IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. A SIMILAR PROBLEM WAS FOUND ON THE 2000-2004 XTERRA MODELS AND A RECALL WAS PERFORMED WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP AFTER NOT GETTING ANY FUEL, POSING A GREAT DANGER. IT SEEMS THAT SOMETHING IN THE UNIT IS FAULTY AND WILL CORRODE OVER TIME. THERE IS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT EVERYONE WHO IS HAVING THE PROBLEM IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR OVER 2 YRS AND WITH AROUND 39K-49K. IF THIS PROBLEM EXISTED IN PREVIOUS MODELS, AND IT WAS RECALLED, THE 2005-2007 XTERRAS, FRONTIERS, AND PATHFINDERS SHOULD GET THIS FIXED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CUSTOMER!! WHY WAIT FOR ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE DEATHS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROBLEM LIES IN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE VEHICLE. LOYAL NISSAN CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT ON NISSAN'S PART. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN XTERRA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED UNEXPECTEDLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,500. UPDATED 03/23/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/29/09.*JB

I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE ON MY 2005 NISSAN X-TERRA AT ABOUT 47,000MILES. WHEN I FILL THE TANK THE LIGHT DOES NOT GO OFF AND WILL NOT REGISTER A FULL TANK ON THE GAUGE. SOMETIMES THE GAUGE WILL READ A QUARTER LEFT. IF THIS HAPPENS THE NEXT TIME I START THE CAR IT WILL SO EMPTY. BASICALLY I DO NOT HAVE A FUEL GAUGE, I HAVE TO REMEMBER MY MILEAGE OTHERWISE I WILL BE STRANDED. *TR

THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC EVENT LEADING UP TO FAILURE; I PURCHASED MY CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED '05 XTERRA 4 MONTHS AGO AND DROVE IT UP UNTIL YESTERDAY WITHOUT PROBLEM. WHEN I TURNED ON MY VEHICLE AFTER WORK, MY "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT WAS ON. I STOPPED TO FILL UP WITH GAS ON MY WAY HOME, AND NOTICED MY GAS GAUGE WOULD NOT PASS THE 3/4 TANK POSITION. EVENTUALLY, AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 50 MILES OR SO, MY GAS GAUGE (SOMETIMES) RETURNS TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT ALWAYS REMAINS ON. AT THIS POINT, NO CORRECTIVE MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN. BUT IN DOING MY RESEARCH, ALL SIGNS POINT TOWARDS THIS BEING A FUEL SENDING UNIT PROBLEM THAT IS COMMON IN BOTH 01-04 NISSAN VEHICLES (FOR WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL) AND 05-PRESENT NISSAN VEHICLES (FOR WHICH THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL). *TR

SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND OBD CODE P0463 FUEL LEVEL SENSOR CIRCUIT HIGH INPUT WILL NOT RESET. DEFECTIVE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT. *TR

THE ANCHOR PINS FOR THE ASSIST CYLINDERS ON THE REAR HATCH ARE RUSTING BADLY. I'VE TOLD MY WIFE NOT TO OPEN THE HATCH UNTIL THE DEALER CAN GET IN NEW PARTS WE ORDERED. WE ASKED THE DEALER IS THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND THEY SAID NO. SINCE WE DID NOT BUY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND MILEAGE IS 86000 THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I CONTACTED NISSAN USA AND GOT THE SAME ANSWER. THE REAR HATCH IS MADE FROM METAL AND IS HEAVY. IF ONE OF THESE RUSTY PINS FAILS THE HATCH WILL FALL ON SOMEONE'S HEAD. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL TO CHECK THE PINS FOR RUSTING AND REPLACED IF THEY ARE RUSTED. THE NEW PARTS ARE REDESIGNED AND I WONDER WHY THE PART WAS REDESIGNED? 2005 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THIS BODY STYLE SO THERE MAY HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS IN SOME OF THE COMPONENTS USED ON THIS VEHICLE. THE NEW PARTS ARE ABOUT $60.00 AND I'LL PUT THEM ON. HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST NISSAN IF THIS HATCH FALLS ON MY WIFE? *TR