2002 Nissan Xterra Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 5about this part
- Share
- 3%of 157 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 75,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the body and structure of the 2002 Nissan Xterra, 3% of the 157 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 75,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“2002 Nissan Xterra: the spare tire holder winch mechanism in ne regions rusts (from what I gather in on line research the problem is rampant) and freezes not allowing you to lower the tire to replace a flat. I had a flat on a very busy road. I could not lower the spare and bent the rod. Called aaa. Had to have flat tire taken off and repaired before I could move again. Very dangerous to not be able to repair flat. After I went to tire store. They were not able to release winch and indicated they see the issue very often in Nissan suvs. …”
NHTSA complaint #10339134, filed 2010-06, 120,000 miles“Vehicle has lot of wind noise and air coming through the door seals when driving on freeways. Contacted dealer and they changed the sunroof gasket and weather strip. But the problem is still there. If you have any info on this problem can you please forward to us.”
NHTSA complaint #10013796, filed 2003-04, 5,000 miles“I bought the car from hertz, thecar had been in a accident before I bought it. I did not find out about the accident until after I bought the car. The car tires could not stay aligned, the headlights were shooting up about 15 feet off the ground, there is paint splatter on the inside of the car motor, paint splatter on the outside by the guards tire, and you can see paint on the hood by the window on the right side, the toe hook on the right side looks to be new.there is a paint line on the inside of engine compartment, the hood is new, there isno rubber mount on the hood arm that hold the…”
NHTSA complaint #10633284, filed 2014-09“The contact owns a 2002 Nissan Xterra. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact stated that the hood of the vehicle began to shake abnormally. The contact stopped the vehicle and discovered that the metal support mechanism under the hood was suffering from metal fatigue. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told that the metal fatigue was normal and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the metal fatigue progressively became worse. The failure mileage was 157,000 and the current mileage was 167,400. Updated 1/13/2012”
NHTSA complaint #10390587, filed 2011-03, 157,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11031705Apr 13, 2026CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label”…
- 11031704Apr 13, 2026CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label”…
- 10232658Feb 27, 2023REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10232656Feb 27, 2023WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 | 10% |
| 2011 | 1 | 4% |
| 2010 | 2 | 5% |
| 2009 | 2 | 11% |
| 2008 | 3 | 3% |
| 2007 | 5 | 1% |
| 2006 | 5 | 1% |
| 2005 | 4 | 0% |
| 2004 | 2 | 2% |
| 2003 | 7 | 10% |
| 2002 | 5 | 3% |
| 2001 | 6 | 4% |
| 2000 | 7 | 3% |
Other parts of the 2002 Nissan Xterra
28 complaintsEngine cooling
24 complaintsSteering
22 complaintsAir bags
19 complaintsElectrical system
13 complaintsFuel system
13 complaintsSuspension
13 complaintsOther or unknown
11 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsEngine
8 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
8 complaintsTires
7 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Nissan Xterra
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology