Most common 2008 Nissan Xterra problems
Share of the 119 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Xterra complaints by model year
Best Xterra years: 2012, 2014, 2015. Years to avoid: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2000, 2001. Compare all years →
2008 Nissan Xterra recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational system(global positioning system)
Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected GPS units can overheat.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners and the repairs will be performed by garmin technicians by replacing the battery and inserting a spacer on top of the battery free of charge. The safety recall began on September 16, 2010.
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.
Air bags › Frontal
Nissan is recalling 242,720 my 2005-2009 pathfinder, frontier and xterra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island,…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front czs with a redesigned sensor. The recall began on January 26, 2009. Owners in the other states will receive extended warranty coverage for the sensor to 10 years.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Nissan is recalling 5,523 my 2008 titan, frontier and xterra vehicles for failing to comply to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, 'tire selection and rims for motor vehicles.' the tire placard lists an incorrect vehicle capacity weight.
Remedy: Nissan will mail a correct tire placard and installation instructions to owners of the affected vehicles. The recall began on February 25, 2008. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
On certain sport utility vehicles, the antilock brake system/vehicle dynamic control (ABS/vdc) actuator is designed with one ball in the valve section. Some ABS/vdc actuators were manufactured with more than one ball in the valve.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS/vdc actuator with a new one. The recall began on December 31, 2007. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Nissan Xterra:
Transmission Failures
On February 29, 2012 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter petitioning the agency to conduct a defect investigation into MY 2005-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, Frontier, and Xterra vehicles [the subject vehicles] for automatic transmission failures related to failed transmission coolers.NHTSA conducted a comprehensive review of data related to this subject.
What 2008 Nissan Xterra owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 47 →
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact shifted the vehicle into drive, and the vehicle unexpectedly went into reverse with no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle, and the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the instrument panel displayed that the gear shifter was in reverse while shifted into drive. The instrument panel also displayed that the gear shifter was in neutral while shifted into reverse. The contact stated that to prevent the vehicle from rolling away, the wheels were chocked, and parking brake was engaged. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.
Total transmission and radiator failure. a dealership "fixed" the coolant contamination problem when nissan offered the warrantied coverage for what's known as SMOD. all the dealership did was flush the transmission and radiator. they did not repair or replace any components even after being berated by my husband to do so and to do it under the covered warranty.($5k for tranny replacement that we couldn't afford) they claimed the flush had fixed the xterra. less than 3,000 miles later I was driving on the highway with my 2 children in the car and the vehicle just shut off. no warning lights or behaviors just shut off at 70+mph on the highway. while sitting broke down [pulled off highway edge as far as I could after vehicle died and before it coasted to a complete stop] we were then rear-ended and my 2 kids spent 2 days being monitored in a children's hospital. …
Engine & cooling all 31 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle began to lose power and all the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road where it began to smoke under the hood. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket failed and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact called royal Nissan at [phone] (located at 9325 airline hwy, baton rouge, la 70815) and was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 34416631. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.
Purchased a 2008 Nissan Xterra x VIN [redacted] mileage 77107 on June 6, 2015. After owning this vehicle for just over 2 years we had very bad experience my wife was doing her daily errands as she was returning home with our child in the back seat here vehicle began to accelerate and loose acceleration potentially causing her to be accident. When she returned home the vehicle wouldn't even turn over I had it towed to my mechanic and he informed me that this has a defective radiator cooler tank that ruptures and forces coolant into the transmission through the cooler lines and subsequently I was looking at over $3500 dollars in repairs. For a know problem reported Nissan has been aware of. Its very disheartening $3500 in repairs for a know problem it hurts in fact its affected even my surrounding family members, my mother is or was proud owner of Nissan altima 2015. …
Air bags all 23 →
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan XTerra. The contact's son was driving the vehicle at approximately 25 MPH when he hydroplaned on a wet road and crashed into a wall built along the side of the road. The contact stated that her son crashed into the wall head-on. The contact stated that the driver's side air bag had not deployed, and the passenger side air bag had. The contact's son had broken his left thumb and had an injury on his left leg below his knee that produced some nerve damage. The passenger had suffered four cracked ribs. Both driver and passenger were transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The police were on the scene and wrote a report. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact was informed by her insurance that the vehicle was a total loss. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2008 Nissan Xterra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Nissan Xterra a good car?
Based on 119 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Xterra rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Xterra at the same age. It is one of the Xterra years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Nissan Xterra?
The transmission & drivetrain — 47 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission. Next are the engine & cooling (31) and air bags (23).
How many recalls does the 2008 Nissan Xterra have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2008 Nissan Xterra, the most recent from February 10, 2023 (frontal). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Xterra?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2014 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2000 and 2001. See the full Nissan Xterra years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Xterra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 95,000 miles; 25% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.