Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was driving on the innerloop of the beltway 495 from falls church va, to Chevy chase md after work around 330 pm. I was on the middle lane on the American legion bridge when all of a sudden my truck lost power and I had no control or was able to accelerate. The RPM's were moving but the truck barely moved. I put my hazards on and slowly moved to the right shoulder where other cars could have hit me. Nissan's failure to recognize the seriousness of this faulty radiator that has affected the transmissions of both the Xterra's, pathfinders, and frontiers is unacceptable. I was told that since I am over 100,000 and that I am not covered under this warranty for Nissan's issue. I want to make sure you are aware that this could possible lead to a more serious accident with these transmission issues.
My family and I was going down a big hill when the transmission went to the lowest gear on its own almost stopping us dead in its tracks 20 MPH and we was on the interstate making big semi trucks locking brakes and almost hitting us running 70 plus MPH. My daughter in the back,so we made it to the side of the road shut it off and we was fine agin.I took it home and transmission fluid was in the radiator , then looking on the internet thousands of nissans are hav ing the same problems but yet no recalls!!! It almost cost our lives for a company to sorry to fix their product! So what do I do im scared to drive it help asap
Driving home from work my vehicle started to tremble and shudder at speeds above 30-40 MPH. Eventually after much hesitation and loud engine revving I decided to pull over and turn the vehicle off. Turned it back on and got about a few hundred feet down the road when the same problem occurred. The transmission wasn't responsive with the engine causing me to cut someone off just to pull of the road safely. I have heard the common issue with Nissan's transmission/coolant contamination and decided to look further into the issue after getting towed home. $100 down the drain. Sure enough my coolant reservoir and radiator cap were smothered in a thick goop known as the infamous "smod". There is trans fluid mixed into my coolant and more than likely, coolant in my transmission. This is design flaw in Nissan. …
While driving and trying to enter a major highway at about 40 MPH and trying to accelerate, I had to pull out to the shoulder because the truck wouldn't shift to a higher gear...I had to get out of the highway because the truck wasn't able to accelerate and remained on 1st shift struggling to get to 2nd and then 3rd....I got home and heard the engine or radiator make bubbling noise....after 3 or 4 hours I opened the radiator and saw all sorts of gunk like bubblegum...it was still warm and it oozed out falling all over my driveway...I payed a mechanic $300 to change the radiator thinking it was the problem ...only to find out it was much more and more money also....I looked for another mechanic and he said it would cost $4000 to fix everything... I've wasted more than $3000 trying to figure out what the problem is.. …
I have a 2005 Nissan Xterra. I am the original owner and have been driving it over 16 years. Two years ago, in 2020 while driving my car on the road and with kids inside (with a 1 year old and a 6 year old child), the car began to shake and turned off (we were stranded in the middle of the road, at a traffic light). Since it was my only means of transportation I kept driving it (no kids inside anymore--which was another HUGE inconvenience having to coordinate and at times pay for babysitters). During my continued usage, it will continue to fail to accelerate causing great danger on the freeway and or on public roads. After a while, I managed to drive it to a transmission shop, who told me they had to either hold onto the car or have it towed--as it was deemed unsafe to drive. …
Nissan knows about this issue in fact it involves multiple years and models. The radiator cracks and leaks into the transmission ruining both. They entered into a settlement agreement but set the bar so high that it is impossible to meet. This car technically has low mileage for a 10 year old vehicle yet misses the top parameter by 16,000 miles. This is unacceptable .
On 9/11/2016, while attempting to park my 2004 Nissan Xterra, there was a terrible accident. I pulled in front of a maechanics bay at Firestone in newport news, va. While parking my SUV, with my foot firmly on the brake, the SUV rapidly accelatred and drove through the building and badly injured a mechanic standing in the bay. I was braking as hard as I could, and the SUV kept accelarting and would not stop. I did not have my foot on the gas pedal. At the time of this accidnet, the SUV was at a total stop while shifitng it into park. It was located in the parking lot of Firestone on warwick blvd. In newport news, va. This vechile was in as new condition with only a litte over 12,000 miles. It was a total loss. There was damage to the building, antother vechile in the bay, the driver of the SUV, and severe inuries to the mechanic standing on the floor of the bay. …
Cruise control: when actuating the accelerate button the vehicle surges excessively as if one was pushing the gas pedal all the way to the floor causing a very dangerous situation. This is a consistant problem that appears to have no resolution with the deler or manufacturer.
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with a supercharger, under certain conditions, such as full throttle in low gear when the engine is not fully warmed up and at cold ambient temperature, the amount of intake air flow through the air flow meter May exceed the maximum preset diagnosis limit value.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module. Owner notification began January 15, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…
NHTSA investigations
Fuel spill during refueling
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Xterra years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2006 (14), 2005 (12), 2002 (11), 2000 (9) and 2007 (7) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2006.
Is there a recall for Nissan Xterra acceleration problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 02V-298 (vehicle speed control, Nov 12, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Xterra acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 112,000 miles; 20% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (4 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (2).
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.