Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH when the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact was able to coast to the side shoulder where they got out the vehicle. The contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the front end of the vehicle. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and poured water onto the vehicle to put out the fire however the fire increased slightly. The contact stated bigger efforts were made from her and another driver to put out the fire. A fire report was not made. The vehicle was towed. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle had not been officially diagnosed the contact learned that their vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 04V230000 (fuel system, gasoline), however, the vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware. …
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.
In a 2000 Nissan Xterra an event similar to the recent Toyota problems occurred (several times) about 7-8 years ago. In one case the car jumped a curb and hit a tree. It was drivable, so no police report was filed- as no damage was done to anything other than the car- which had about $2000 body damage. The car was repaired and Nissan said they were unable to duplicate the problem. As a result our insurance went up and we had to pay the deductible (about $500). It happened once more a few months later, with no damage resulting. In both cases the car was slowing from <20mph to a stop, and pavement was slick but not real wet- when the accelerator revved up for no reason. It has not happened since. The engine was replaced about 2 yrs later. Nissan has a record of a complaint filed, but I lost the number. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Nissan Xterra. While driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump melted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
My car dies out while driving. I've replaced so many parts already and it keeps leaving me stranded.
As I was merging into traffic on a very busy highway my 2000 Nissan Xterra's engine cut out. Luckily I was able to roll off the road into a gas station without causing an accident. The vehicle would not restart and seemed as though it was out of gas even though the tank was full. The part that failed is the fuel sending unit (Nissan part # 25060-4s415) which has wiring that corrodes. When the sending unit fails the fuel pump is turned off, which in turn shuts the engine off. The failure of the fuel sending unit is very serious. The vehicle's engine can shut off at any moment causing obvious safety concerns. I have read about a handful of Xterra owners on the internet that have experienced this problem. If there are 10 or so people writing about it on the internet, I'm sure there are many more who have experienced this problem that are not on the internet. …
While driving across country in my 2000 Xterra last summer(2002), the speedometer and all gauges on dash stopped working. I went to a Nissan dealer in colorado and they told me there was nothing they could do unless it stayed stuck. The problem was that every time I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on, it would work again. Finally, a year and a half later while I was driving on an extremely busy road, the engine shut off while I was in the fast lane going 70 MPH. Not only did I have to glide across 3 lanes to a shoulder, there was little shoulder to park on because we had a previous snow storm the road was not as wide as usual. I had to be towed to Nissan and wait 2 weeks for a fuel sending unit because they were on national back order. …
While driving on a major highway in the fast lane, at 65 MPH, all my dash lights came on and my speedometer started to drop from 60-50-40 down to 0. Luckily, it was around 10:30 p.m and there were not many cars on the road and I was able to get over to the right shoulder safely. I had my vehicle towed to my reliable mechanic, where he identified the problem as being the fuel pump (part # 25060-4s415, which is on national backorder due to so many problems). This could mean that an Xterra owner could wait for as long as 3-6 weeks to receive the part. With this faulty fuel pump, what happens is the sending unit fails, due to corrosion of the wires, the fuel pump shuts off, which in turn, shuts the engine off (at any time); a very dangerous situation! As of yet, this item has not been recalled. …
April 11th my 2000 Xterra stalled while driving. I restarted it and 5 minutes later it stalled again. The third time it died and wouldn't start again. I had it towed to my house and since it was raining I figured I would try it again in the morning (hopefully whatever was wet would dry out and it would be fine). The next morning it did start and I was able to make it to the highway where it died again (middle lane of a 5 four lane highway!). This time I had it towed to the dealer. I was a little surprised to hear the mechanic tell me what was wrong before he even looked at it (he had a fuel sender unit sitting on his workstation that he had just pulled out of another x with the same problem). Apparently when the x-terra hits 50K to 70K miles the fuel sender units go bad and need to be replaced. The connection for the fuel pump corrodes (green oxide) and also cracks creating an open. …
Tl contact owns a 2000 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that his son was driving the vehicle and it would stall after he filled it with gasoline. He drove for approximately five miles before the stalling began. The ignition would not start, but there was no significant loss of power. He took the vehicle to Firestone and they performed an engine diagnostic test and found that the fuel sending unit was defective. The dealer stated that the fuel sending unit was included in NHTSA campaign id number 04V230000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump). The contact was informed to take the vehicle to the dealer to have the repair made for free. The dealer performed a diagnostic test, verified the defect, and replaced the unit. The dealer then called the contact and informed him that the vehicle was not starting, and they would have to change the fuel pump. …
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
On certain pickup trucks equipped with six cylinder engines and sport utility vehicles equipped with four or six cylinder engines, the fuel pump terminal on the fuel-sending unit can develop a crack in the plastic molding. This can cause the terminal strip to corrode under some environmental conditions.
Remedy: In the following states, dealers will replace the fuel-sending unit. These states are connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, new hampshire, new…
Fuel System complaints in other Xterra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2000 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2000 Nissan Xterra, 31% of the model year's 214 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (36 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Nissan Xterra fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-230 (fuel pump, May 24, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Nissan Xterra fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion 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.