Most common 2009 Nissan Xterra problems
Share of the 19 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 →
2009 Nissan Xterra recalls (3)
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2009 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 2009 Nissan Xterra owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
I purchased this 1 owner trade in 4/11/19. As of 5/9/19 I started to experience pronounced issues with losing power around 40 MPH . Diagnostics confirmed that it was due to a leak in the cooling coil which resulted in coolant in my transmission fluid which damage the transmission. I have filed a claim under the class action required extended warranty. As I was unaware of this issue and didn't know what was happening and honestly afraid to find out since I still owe 5000 dollars on the car I put off getting the diagnostics. The final straw came when I was merging onto the highway and lost power trying to merge into fast traffic. I finally called a local repair shop for diagnostics on 5/31/19 and took the first available appointment on 6/4/19. I was told there May be an extended warranty and to call the dealership. …
Cracked cooler tube caused transmission oil & coolant to mix causing transmission failure.
Air bags
I took my car to complete Recall NumberPC945, I was told that my car has an issue with the driver side air Bag - Clockspring Assembly / Spiral Cable: REPLACE SPIRAL CABLE - C1163/B1049 and also another issue related to the driver side airbag that is under the steering wheel. I was quoted over $2000 to fix the issue. The recall is to replace the decal over the airbag and I think the issue is bigger than that, the issue is the airbag clock spring/ spiral cable that malfunctions and not only the plastic plate. A quick Google search will show you that this is a known issue that impacts thousands of Xterra owners. Nissan is fraudulently just replacing the plastic Nissan Emblem when the issue is way bigger than that and could cause bodily harm to the driver if the air bag doesn't deploy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated and the brake lights failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the stop lamp needed to be replaced. In addition, the ac failed and the blower amp needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.
Engine & cooling
I took my Xterra in because it constantly blew hot air. Upon inspection I was informed of the TSB issued by Nissan that the radiator tubes can crack and mix coolant with transmission fluid and that I was low on coolant because of that. The tech informed me that the leak was minimal but needed to be replaces asap. The radiator was replaced and lines flushed and also had to take my car into a trans expert to flush and inspect the transmission
Cracked cooler tube caused transmission oil & coolant to mix causing transmission failure.
2009 Nissan Xterra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 16 / 20 / 18 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Nissan Xterra a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Xterra rates better than average: 78% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Xterra at the same age. 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 2009 Nissan Xterra?
The transmission & drivetrain — 6 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year, most often about manual transmission. Next are the air bags (6) and engine & cooling (4).
How many recalls does the 2009 Nissan Xterra have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2009 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 2009 Nissan Xterra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 73,000 miles; 44% 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.