Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Nissan Xterra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The engine service soon have been on for quite some time now. I tried to take it to several Smog places to get it smogged , and the mechanic have told me that the Smog scanner cannot read the computer of my car.
Immediately after I exited my building garage and made right turn on city street on a clear summer day afternoon the engine sound began roaring and vehicle suddenly accelerating. I tried to control the vehicle forcibly hitting on the brakes, shifting gears to neutral, turning off the engine but the vehicle kept on going and ran-away uncontrollably till I made two left turns and ended up on a side walk with the rear tire blown out and the car stopped after colliding with some public utility box. The vehicle has incomplete recall #r0402 and nhsta recall #04v-230 regarding the fuel sending unit. There was a local police report #200057082. Suspected causes could be flaws in the vehicle electronic throttle control system that produced faulty signal of fully depressed accelerator pedal.
On Saturday I smelled a burning smell while driving on the highway but it went away quickly and I couldn't find any source in the vehicle, so I assumed I just drove past something that smelled badly. On Sunday the smell returned, stronger. I stopped and shut the engine off, and smoke began pouring out from under the left side of the dash as I ran to disconnect the battery. Once the smoke cleared and there was no concern of a fire breaking out I began to investigate the cause and found the "Smart entrance control unit," which is mounted to the far left side of the vehicle under the dash and controls the power locks and keyless entry, to be noticeably hot. I unplugged this box and removed it from the vehicle. The box had heat visible damage on its exterior. …
2000 Nissan Xterra 2wd vehicle. Second owner. Owned for 6.5 years. No modifications were made to vehicle by either original owner, or myself. Only dealer installed optional component was a trailer hitch. Car traveled less than 1000 miles in last calendar year. On date in question, car was started and driven at 8:00 am approximately 5 miles to a parking deck. Car then sat in parking deck until 12:00 pm. Car was then driven back to its original origin and parked by approximate time of 12:30 pm. Shortly after 9:00 pm, car was believed to be source of ignition which resulted in a house fire and destroyed house structure, as well as four other vehicles. Car was investigated by former chief arson investigator for atlanta, ga. His determination as to source of fire was wire harness inside Xterra. …
I started the car this morning. The odometer, tachometer and speedometer did not work. The odometer was blank. I drove the car and the speedometer or tachometer did not work. This same thing happened to me at night, about a year ago. The panel lights also did not work. The next day, everything worked fine. It did not correct itself this tome. The instruments are still not working.
My car dies out while driving. I've replaced so many parts already and it keeps leaving me stranded.
My car stalled at high speed (60 MPH) on an interstate. I was able to start it and take to dealership where they diagnosed issue as bad speedometer controller. Dashboard failure sent message to transmission that car wasn't running, causing a stall. Very unsafe!!! The dealership ordered the part on 8/10 and told me the car would be ready for pickup on 8/13. At that time I had some maintenance work done as well, after being informed my car would be ready on 8/13. On 8/13 I was informed that the dealership had done the other work on my car (120K maint, battery, and fixed knock sensor) but the speedometer controller was on backorder. It has been over a month. I tried driving the vehicle but again three times experienced a stall, all while driving on interstate so consider the car not drivable and was lucky to not have been hit. …
X-terra stopped while driving on the interstate 4 times in two days. Finally had to have it towed to Nissan dealer after 5th time it stopped, this time in rush hour traffic. Mechanic couldn't find anything wrong even on computer, then on second day decided it was the fuel pump, and replaced it, and then determined that it was not the fuel pump, but a wiring problem that burnt out the fuel sending unit. Cost was over $700.00, plus tow bill, and rental car. Also manifold is cracked, and was before waranty expired, but dealer where it was bought said that the waranty did not cover it and advised us to have a local mecahnic to fix it because it would be cheaper. Have now learned that both fueld sneding unit, and manifold are a problem on many xterras.
The following gauges do not work on my dash: speedometer, tachometer, engine temperature, fuel, odometer, and oil gauges. The cruise control does not work and the anti-theft device arms itself at any time it wants to, the hazards lights randomly flash as I am driving. All of the problems occurred within one year of purchase. The car has been serviced several times concerning these problems at kendrick Nissan, yet they still continue to occur. Now I am being told that I have to pay, again, to have it diagnosed for the same problems I have been having for past two years.
Our 2000 Xterra had been fairly reliable until it died out on the highway. Replaced the distributor 3 months ago, and it died out again while driving, last week, after having yet another distributor put in. The mechanic suggested that the Nissan-issued re-built distributors are the problem. He's now putting a third one in, but he's getting it from a different source than Nissan. I was stunned to know that Nissan knows about this problem but still sells inferior parts. This is nothing to fool around with and I'm lucky that I didn't cause or get involved in an accident.
Electrical complaints in other Xterra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Nissan Xterra, 12% of the model year's 214 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Nissan Xterra electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2000 Nissan Xterra, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Nissan Xterra electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.