Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
I have driven my 2000 Nissan Xterra for almost 2 years now with normal driving, no off road driving or abuse of my vehicle. Recently I discovered that after a few weeks of an overwhelming smell of exhaust in my passenger cabin that the exhaust manifold is in fact cracked. Now on many occasions I have a very young child in my vehicle so I've had to leave him outside till the exhaust smell has dissipated and I can only assume it's no longer making it's way into the cabin. I can't imagine that this could possible be good for anybody. In any event I figured I would just have to get the problem fixed but as I did some research I realized that I'm not alone and there are thousands of other owners with the same problem. I will have manifold replaced at my own cost so I can again feel safe that I'm not breathing in exhaust. …
The vehicle stalled while idling. While idling car begins to vibrate, RPM drop down and ultimately car stalls. Leading up to this incident, when accelerating from a stop, when pressing on gas pedal, car does not engage and appears to die out; fortunately it catches and continues on. Thought it was isolated incident, however, this LED to the idling problem. Took vehicle to mechanic, and he could not identify problem as no engine codes registered, and no obvious malfunction was present. This is a very dangerous situation, as car could stall out while moving. This needs to be addressed immediately before a stall occurs on the highway and someone gets hurt. A review of Nissan websites has reflected a persistent problem with this specific vehicle. …
My 2000 Nissan Xterra with less than 51,000 miles developed a crack in the passenger side exhaust manifold. I have maintained this vehicle at a very high level and even though it is designed to be driven off road my vehicle's off road experience is the occasional gravel road. The vehicle is not driven "hard" or beyond normal driving conditions. The cracked developed without any indication other than a strange "hissing" sound from the engine and a slight exhaust odor inside the vehicle. No one was injured but it appears that exhaust leaking into the driver/passenger compartment of the vehicle could be potentially dangerous on long trips or prolonged stop and go traffic during rush hour. The part has been replaced at my expense.
Driving approx. 5 minutes when car warning lights (check engine) and all dash warning lights came on immediately there after, car engine shuts off. Car engine would turn on when started but as soon as you engage the transmission by moving from park to drive, and press the gas pedal, car engine would again cut off. At no other time prior to this did check engine light come on, oil light, or water temperature gage show any malfunction. The professional mechanic that checked my car and ran diagnostic testing can't find any problems. He says he has driven the car but, can't guarantee this will not happen again.
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.
I was transporting a mechanic to a job site, when the mechanic noted a cracked exhaust manifold. After talking with another 2000 Xterra owner, he sited the same fault on his vehicle. I did research and found the fault is wide spread. I then talked with several mechanics, and they all agreed the exhaust manifold should not fail with that frequency at those miles. After further research I found that nissian has problems not just with the Xterra but also earlier models of the fronter. Statistical and mechanical evidence suggets a defect in the exhaust manifold.
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.
Coolant is leaking at the head gasket on my single owner 2000 Nissan Xterra xe v6 4wd. I had this checked by 3 different certified technicians and they all pointed out the same issue. The car has only 65K miles on it. The cost of repairing this is more than $1200. Seems like lot of nissans has similar issue, yet no recalls on this problem. I have owned cars that had more than $100K miles and never had to replace the head gasket. Currently, a temporary seal is put in place, yet, I see few drops of coolant on the garage floor.
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.
3 time problem with the high pressure line in my 2000 Nissan Xterra. Got a copy of the Nissan 5 year repair history for the vehicle, and found out that at 22,3?? The line had to be replaced. It has now failed a third time and because it is out of warranty Nissan said they will not fix it for me. Clearly this is a faulty part to begin with and I should not have to be charged for its third failure.
Engine complaints in other Xterra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2000 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2000 Nissan Xterra, 16% of the model year's 214 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Nissan Xterra engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling 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 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling 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.