Airbag complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 | 30% | 82,000 miles |
| 2012 | 4 | 25% | — |
| 2011 | 9 | 38% | 42,000 miles |
| 2010 | 11 | 29% | 84,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 32% | 78,000 miles |
| 2008 | 23 | 19% | 58,000 miles |
| 2007 | 26 | 5% | 110,000 miles |
| 2006 | 20 | 3% | 90,000 miles |
| 2005 | 19 | 2% | 80,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 5% | 89,000 miles |
| 2003 | 10 | 14% | 18,000 miles |
| 2002 | 19 | 12% | 98,000 miles |
| 2001 | 8 | 5% | 80,000 miles |
| 2000 | 15 | 7% | 65,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The side curtain airbags on my 2014 Nissan Xterra deployed unexpectedly, without any collision or impact. Nissan's Dispute Resolution Programs team is currently investigating (Incident #56613207). I was currently driving and luckily was able to pull over without any further issues but it could've been much worse if there was heavier traffic on the road. The vehicle was taken to a Nissan dealership for inspection following the unexpected deployment. Nissan's Technical Specialist attempted to download the Event Data Recorder (EDR) data during that visit but encountered an error and was unable to retrieve it. es. Nissan's Incident Investigation Specialist and a Technical Specialist have been involved through Nissan's Dispute Resolution Programs (Incident #56613207). No there were never any warnings or any dash lights to give warning. It was an immediate and unexpected airbag deployment.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that he received an unknown Nissan manufacturer safety campaign notice in reference to the air bags. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (denny menholt billings Nissan 2100 king ave w, billings, mt 59012) where the vehicle was serviced. The contact stated that the air bag warning sensor remained illuminated after the repair. A week later, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the sensor needed to be replaced. The sensor was not replaced due to the cost of the part. The manufacturer was not contacted or made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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.
Nissan consumer affairs Case #48955822 Manufacturer Recall NumberPC948 NHTSA Recall Number23E-012 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary THE RESIN EMBLEM ON THE DRIVER S AIRBAG MODULE COVER IN AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY HAVE REDUCED DURABILITY DUE TO POTENTIAL SUPPLIER PRODUCTION PROCESS VARIATION. IN THIS CONDITION, OVER TIME THE POSTS OF THE EMBLEM MAY DEVELOP CRACKS, AND THE EMBLEM AND RETAINER COMPONENTS COULD DETACH IN THE EVENT OF AN AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. I attempted to reach a buy back agreement with Nissan consumer affairs and the request was denied with no reason given. I have requested a remedy to this recall with no response. I refuse to drive a vehicle that is deemed too unsafe to sell. I demand Nissan to buy this vehicle back.
The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Xterra. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that an unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available for the recall repair. 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 and offered to buy back the vehicle however, the offer was declined. The contact was provided a case number but no further assistance. VIN tool confirms parts not available
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.
Related 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.
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…
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.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
On certain vehicles, the electrical connector for the driver air bag May come loose. If the connector comes loose, the supplemental air bag warning light flashes intermittently.
Remedy: Dealers will install a retaining clip on the clock spring electrical connector. Owner notification began April 21, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…
NHTSA investigations
Driver's air bag system malfunction
Driver's air bag system failure
In its letter dated February 21, 2003 to NHTSA, Nissan stated that it will conduct a safety recall of approximately 27,385 my 2002 Nissan xterra vehicles produced from 6/12/01 (start of production) to 11/1/01 as well as approximately 37,177 my 2002 Nissan altima vehicles produced from 6/13/01 (start of production) to 10/25/01.vehicles manufactured after these dates are not affected.Nissan stated that the clockspring…
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Xterra years have airbag problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (26), 2008 (23), 2006 (20), 2002 (19) and 2005 (19) model years. Airbag complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Nissan Xterra airbag problems?
Yes — 4 recalls, including 23V-067 (frontal, Feb 10, 2023); 10V-115 (sensor/control module-inactive, Mar 24, 2010); 08V-690 (frontal, Dec 29, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Xterra airbag problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the frontal (39 mentions), followed by the frontal › sensor/control module (4).
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.