Transmission complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 6 | 60% | 100,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 10% | 86,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 38% | 24,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 4% | 22,000 miles |
| 2010 | 11 | 29% | 84,000 miles |
| 2009 | 6 | 32% | 104,000 miles |
| 2008 | 47 | 39% | 108,000 miles |
| 2007 | 231 | 41% | 110,000 miles |
| 2006 | 268 | 34% | 109,000 miles |
| 2005 | 412 | 49% | 104,000 miles |
| 2004 | 6 | 7% | 6,000 miles |
| 2003 | 2 | 3% | 154,000 miles |
| 2002 | 6 | 4% | 22,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 4% | 100,000 miles |
| 2000 | 22 | 10% | 81,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Bought my x-terra brand new and was told is has a bumper to bumper 36,000 mile warranty, at 22,000 the car would not shift into gear. Had it towed to a Nissan dealership that is saying the clutch is bad from normal wear and tear and not covered under the warranty. We've read a lot of other reviews of this happening to other people as well and want to report it. Both drivers in our household are experienced clutch driver with a combined 20+ year experience. I called Nissan customer service to further investigate and they called the dealership and just "took their word for it" nothing was really investigated at all. Poor customer service on both ends. I called the dealership we bought it from that is 4+ hours away from our current home and they said they would've taken car of it and fixed it under the warranty. We can't have it towed 4+ hours away after being taken apart. …
My Nissan Xterra 2005 has a transmission problem caused by coolant fluid in transmission. They are charging me for a rebuilt transmission $6,000.00. This is what my car costs. If they have told me before about the problem I could have fix it for little money. Now they don't answer my calls. Should I throw my car in a junker now? This is a major problem caused by a defect from the car. They never send any letters regarding this transmission problem.
1) Rubber stopper under clutch pedal has failed multiple times, preventing vehicle from starting in various locations, usually parking lots and mostly after dark which presents potential safety concerns. This is a rubber part that allows vehicle to start only when clutch is depressed. I request that several/multiple of these be provided at no cost to keep in glove compartment since the poor quality of part manufacturing will most definitely cause future failure of each in the future. In addition, an explanation and instructions for removing broken part and replacing with new part is difficult for one person since you have to crawl up under the dashboard, locate the part, remove the broken part and correctly replace with a new part. I have purchased 7 pieces which have all broken and been charged approximately $7 each. …
Premature clutch failure on my manual transmission. Less than 48000 miles on the odometer and the clutch is gone. This is far too little travel for the clutch to be failing at. Degradation has advanced rapidly over a matter of weeks and days and now I fear having my family ride in the vehicle in case they becoming stranded or need to avoid a crash and cannot due to loss of power. General consensus is that the clutch is too small for this truck. Nissan claims this is a wear item and will not cover replacement under warranty, or admit there is an issue at all. Nissan is quick to blame driver's for 'riding the clutch' as the reason for the failure. This is a cop out, particularly when one considers the number of Xterra owner's experiencing this issue.
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.
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. …
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.
Related recalls (1)
Power train › Automatic transmission
Vehicle description: pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the automatic transmission shift cable lock plate.
NHTSA investigations
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Xterra years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (412), 2006 (268), 2007 (231), 2008 (47) and 2000 (22) model years. Transmission complaints make up 49% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Nissan Xterra transmission problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V-288 (automatic transmission, Oct 2, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Xterra transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles; 7% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (100 mentions), followed by the manual transmission (18).
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.