2003 Nissan Xterra Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 10%of 72 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 64,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the body and structure of the 2003 Nissan Xterra, 10% of the 72 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 64,000 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.
“I drove the vehicle on a freeway under construction with one finished new pavement lane. When I was changed the other old lane to the new one, the wheel suddenly got out of control and spun from one lane to the other and ended in the midium bumped into barriers. Lately I contacted with Nissan and question if this is associated with the recall r1037. They denied.”
NHTSA complaint #10460065, filed 2012-05, 30,000 miles“Called roadside assistance to change a tire. The spare tire rubber was burned in three or more places from the heat spreading under the vehicle, and the char/melting/burning went through the vehicle body from the bottom of the vehicle outside to the floor inside. The man changing my tire suggested it was a fire waiting to happen and that there could be a recall for this sort of issue. I checked and do not see anything listed. My tired is now damaged from the heat melting the rubber, and my vehicle is charred in places.”
NHTSA complaint #10700996, filed 2015-03, 122,000 miles“On the way to the beach traveling 55 MPH in my 2003 Nissan Xterra, my surf board flew off the roo track into the middle of route 1 in delaware. The traffic behind me managed to avoid hitting the surfboard that was situated in the left lane of traffic. More importantly, there were no accidents caused by the incident hence the police were not involved. After removing my surfboard from the highway and inspecting damage to it and the roofrack crossbars, I noticed the plastic clasp on the crossbar had snapped, causing the surfboard to fly off the roofof my Xterra. …”
NHTSA complaint #10086173, filed 2004-08, 17,980 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 2003 Nissan Xterra
16 complaintsBrakes
12 complaintsSteering
12 complaintsAir bags
10 complaintsEngine cooling
7 complaintsEngine
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
5 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsTires
4 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsVehicle speed control
3 complaintsExterior lighting
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 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