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 2006 Nissan Xterra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Car just shut off in traffic loosing all power and braking causing me to crash into the back of a stopped car at a red-light. After inspection from a mechanic shop, they informed me that something in the computer had fried causing the car to shut off, and it had also caused the transmission control unit module to go bad making the car not drive able.
Upon turning a corner after coming to a complete stop at a stop sign in my neighborhood, I went to accelerate and match the speed of oncoming traffic. The gear failed to shift appropriately (transmission) and giving the car gas simply revved the engine. Luckily the approaching car responded well and slowed to avoid a rear collision while I eased off the pedal and then gently accelerated again to my local mechanic. Upon his examination of my 2006 Xterra, he determined that the transmission fluid and coolant were mixing and destroying both my radiator and transmission. A quick search on the internet revealed that this dangerous problem is common among Nissan owners! When I purchased the vehicle from smithtown Nissan in 2010 and subsequently, there was absolutely no notification or recall regarding this dangerous hazard. This is unacceptable and life-threatening. …
I was on my way back from the mall when I heard my fan/belt start to squeal. Not thinking anything of it I kept on driving next thing I know I'm pressing harder on my gas peddle just to go faster. My rpms where going to high and I was only going 65. I was on the high when this happen so I didn't notice till I had to go up a bridge and that's when I really notice my engine struggling to get power, it sounded like it was doing a lot when it really wasn't. I knew I had to go to the mechanic to get it looked at they told me it was a lose bolt. Next thing I'm driving home and my car was doing the same thing again but this time it wasn't going into gear in drive, so I tried 3 gear still nothing so I went to 2 and it stuck. I parked it on a side street in ocean city and called trip a and had it towed to Nissan of atlantic city to see what was wrong. …
I have a faulty fuel sending unit that has been recalled by Nissan but does not acknowledge my VIN as part of the recall. I am having the same issue as many Nissan owners regarding an inaccurate fuel gauge as a result of faulty fuel sending unit. As noted in the recall (campaign id# pc042): "Nissan is conducting a voluntary safety recall campaign on certain my2006 and 2008 frontier, Xterra, and pathfinder vehicles to address a potential fuel gauge inaccuracy. Specifically, the issue can cause the fuel gauge to show that the vehicle still has some fuel, typically about one quarter tank, when the fuel tank is actually empty. …
Fuel sending unit ceased to function. Dealership said the vehicle was not on the recall list. Full tank registers after 50 or so miles and then drops to empty around 120 miles. We are forced to fill the tank full, reset the odometer and never go past 325 miles. Twice I have been travelling at freeway speeds when the car steering locks up and vehicle loses power. Both times I have been lucky to be able to limp off to the side of the road without incident. Both times occurred late at night and alone. One location I was forced to walk along the road until my phone registered a signal. I believe this occurred around 70,000 miles. To date, we have not fixed the problem and if we lived in an emissions controlled city, we probably would not be driving it right now as it has thrown a code and activated the check engine light. I'm curious to know who qualified to have this repaired. …
Nissan service bulletin ntb07-069b check engine light on, resulting in me running out of gas in traffic, the last time inches away from causing an accident as the truck completely died without warning while I was in motion on a major highway. Contacted Nissan and they told me my truck was not affected by this recall, yet here I am with the same problem as everybody else with only 60,000 miles on a 2006 vehicle. They are refusing to help resolve the situation and insist I pay to have them replace a part and pay labor to replace such part. I have taken very good care of this vehicle including keeping it low miles. There is no reason a "normal" fsu should fail after 60000 miles. I am now unable to renew my registration causing me and my family to drive around illegally as this is our only transportation. …
These vehicles seem to have a safety flaw. When depressing the brake pedal the amount of travel is such that it is a common occurrence to depress the gas pedal at the same time causing the car to lurch forward. I have had two different Nissan dealers (henderson, nevada and boise, idaho) inspect my vehicle and was told in both cases there is nothing that can be done...its the way the automobile was manufactured. During my last dealer inspection in boise, idaho the mechanic brought a new 2015 model into the garage and put the two cars side by side. The difference in brake pedal travel was approximately 1/8 of an inch, so the problem has evidently never been addressed by the manufacturer. Today, my vehicle lurched forward when braking because the gas pedal was depressed while braking. …
I am a 64 yr old woman driving across the country alone when my fuel gauge indicated I have gas when I did not. Luckily I was not in traffic. This is a dangerous situation when in the remote areas that I travel in utah where gas stations can be 100 miles apart and no cell coverage. I had only 67365 miles on the vehicle and didnt expect to have problems. I found that 2006 xterras were recalled for those made in a 3 month period, however my vehicle is 2 months prior to their voluntary recall. Same gas tank and sending unit as those recalled. (campaign id #: pc042 NHTSA #: 10v-075) I am guessing Nissan did a partial voluntary recall in hopes the NHTSA wouldnt investigate the issue. Now the fuel gauge shows half a tank just after a fillup and then gradually jumps to full after the vehicle sits or is driven for a bit. The engine light stays on unless cleared. …
I purchased this vehicle used and found out that the fuel gauge does not work. Even after completely filling the fuel tank up the gauge shows "e", empty. It will, on occasion, show 1/4 tank when the fuel level is low. Due to this my vehicle has run out of gas on several occasions while driving at various speeds in various locations and often I have my child in the car with me. I have had to be pushed out of traffic on busy streets due to the vehicle being out of gas and me not being able to know I am running low on gas. It is very scary and quite dangerous. I have spoken with Nissan on several occasions, as there are recalls on this year vehicle for this same exact issue, but they state to me that my vehicle does not fall into the recall. I am told that the recall is for the same year vehicle but not all models. …
Fuel sending unit is faulty, causing truck to stall on a major highway twice with no warning (while showing there was still gas, but tank empty). Driving with my 5 year old son and almost being crashed into because of this hazard. Nissan had a recall out on few VIN #'s in which mine was supposedly not included. Nissan says they are not obligated to do anything about this problem which seems to be common with this vehicle when I look it up. The repair costs around $600 to fix. My truck has failed inspection because of this issue, so now in order for me to drive and not be pulled over, I have to somehow gather $600 together to fix this. I'm a single parent who cannot afford to fix this, and as I see all over the internet, many people have had to replace this same part multiple times on the same vehicle. Doesn't sound proper to me when it's a safety hazard.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Auxillary tank
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2006 and model year 2008 frontier, xterra and pathfinder vehicles. The molded fuel tank shells can deform, causing the fuel sender float arm to contact an embossment molded into the tank shell causing the instrument panel fuel gauge to show that the vehicle has approximately one quarter…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit inside the fuel tank with a new one that has a modified float arm. This service will be performed free of charge.
Fuel System complaints in other Xterra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2006 Nissan Xterra?
NHTSA has 368 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2006 Nissan Xterra, 47% of the model year's 780 complaints. The component named most often is storage › auxillary tank (38 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Nissan Xterra fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-075 (auxillary tank, Mar 3, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2006 Nissan Xterra fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 3 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.