Most common 2010 Nissan Xterra problems
Share of the 38 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 →
2010 Nissan Xterra recalls (4)
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.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010 titan, armada, qx56, frontier, xterra, and pathfinder vehicles manufactured from November 19, 2009 through March 3, 2010. The lower control link assembly has two cylindrical collars forming the inboard attachment points to the chassis.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on May 20, 2010. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags › Frontal › Sensor/control module-inactive
Nissan has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain model year 2010 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra vehicles manufactured from February 22, 2010 to March 13, 2010. On some of the potentially affected vehicles, the fasteners securing the passenger front air bag module, and also the fasteners securing the steering shaft positioning…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the steering column and the passenger front air bag fasteners and any missing fasteners will be replaced and all loose fasteners will be retightened to the proper torque specifications free of…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2010 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 2010 Nissan Xterra owners say
Transmission & drivetrain
No warning lamps had my vehicle repeatedly looked at was told that my vehicle had no transmission warninfsigns was told by mechanic to replace the radiator I replaced the radiator and then the vehicle stopped running now I have transmission fluid mixed with my radiator fluid and the vehicle doesn't run at all I repeatedly took it back to the shop Tobe fixed was told igot a bad radiator yet I know it wasn't bad I contacted my insurance company everyone failed to inform me that this vehicle had aknown transmission problem by Nissan and failed to disclose it to me
I started the car to let it warm up. The manual gearshift was in neutral and the emergency brake was engaged. As I got out of the vehicle, it lurched forward and I attempted to get back into the vehicle to apply the brake. It lurched a second time before I was able to get inside. I attempted to get inside the vehicle a second time to apply the brake but was not able to due to the car lurching forward again.. On the third "lurch" it continued to drive forward, hitting my mother's parked car and pushing it back approximately 3-4 feet into the back wall of her carport. Finally, the engine died and I was able to restart it, back it away from my mother's car, and assess the damage to her vehicle and my body. I purchased this used vehicle 12 days ago.
Air bags
After getting the air bag control module reprogrammed per the recall, I was on a dirt road and the rollover airbags deployed when they shouldn't have. The dealership I got the recall done at is claiming the airbag system registered "rollover conditions". When I asked what the conditions were they told me they were unable to provide them. I am concerned either their reprogramming didn't fix the issue or that they never actually reprogrammed it. Either way my airbags deployed when I was no where near a roll over situation and luckily no one was injured in this instance
My air bag quit working. The light started going off. I took it to Nissan and they said I had to pay to have the light turned off before they would fix the recall. I could not afford to pay to have the light turned off. The line connecting to my transmission and radiator has failed. Transmission fluid is leaking into my radiator and coolant is leaking into my transmission. Both must be replaced. The repair shop looked up the recall and said that was why this happened. I cannot afford thousands of dollars to have this repaired. My car is 10 years old with 163k miles.
Electrical system
Intermittent stalling issue. Vehicle has 98,700 miles on it and has not had any other issues prior to this. On the first occasion the vehicle was in motion, going between 5 and 10 MPH, turning into a parking lot. The vehicle start to slow down, lost power steering and all dashboard lights were illuminated (check engine, battery, airbag, seatbelt, etc.) but the radio and headlights remained on. Placed the vehicle in park and turned the key in the off position. Restarted the vehicle and it started up immediately with no dashboard warning lights. Was drivable with no other issues for several days. The vehicle stalled a second time about a week or so later, while it was stationary, at a stop light on a city street. Again, all the dashboard lights illuminated while the radio and headlights remained on. Turned the key to the off position and attempted to restart the vehicle. …
Sudden loss of power while driving between 10-15 MPH. Immediate loss of brakes, acceleration, and power steering. Vehicle was in motion on the 405 fwy/sepulveda pass area during morning rush hour in stop-go traffic conditions. Was able to pull to side of road, and shut off vehicle. Waited 1 minute and vehicle restarted with no further issues on drive to work. From a review of online resources this looks eerily similar to issue outlined in prior recall issued by NHTSA listed under ntb10-137. This is serious and dangerous, and could easily result in loss of life!
2010 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 | 5-speed automatic | 4WD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | 4WD | 16 / 20 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Nissan Xterra a good car?
Based on 38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 Xterra rates better than average: 62% 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 2010 Nissan Xterra?
The transmission & drivetrain — 11 complaints, 29% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (11) and electrical system (8).
How many recalls does the 2010 Nissan Xterra have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2010 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 2010 Nissan Xterra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 84,000 miles; 35% 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.