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Nissan XterraModel year report

2008 Nissan Xterra Problems

Complaints
119filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
95,000miles, 105 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
17 mpgcombined, 4.0L 6-cyl RWD · 15 city / 20 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Nissan Xterra (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission trouble linked to coolant mixing with automatic transmission fluid, usually with no warning and at mileages from about 50,000 upward. Air bag warning lights and non-deployment in crashes are also frequently reported, and a recurring group of complaints concerns the fuel gauge reading wrong or failing outright.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Coolant mixing with transmission fluid, transmission failure

    • 38 complaints (32%)
    • median 120,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (35 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $6,050 (median of 10 quotes)
    • filed 2012–2022

    Complaints describe coolant from the radiator entering the automatic transmission fluid, after which the transmission slips, shifts harshly or stops moving the vehicle. Some owners say there was no warning, others noticed a milky or chocolate-colored fluid in the radiator or overflow tank, or a coolant smell. Dealers and shops typically quoted replacement of both the radiator and the transmission; several owners report being told the vehicle was outside any coverage. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 180,000 miles, most often above 100,000 miles.

    What to check: Check the radiator and overflow tank for milky or oily fluid and the transmission dipstick for discoloration or a coolant smell, and ask whether the radiator has ever been replaced. A separate transmission fluid cooler is a common preventive step owners mention.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My Xterra is currently un-driveable due to the fact that the radiator fluid leaked into the transmission, which caused me the blow my transmission while I was merging on to the highway, which almost caused an accident due to an extreme lost of power. After this happened to me, that is when I found out that this is a very common problem with make model and year of my vehicle. Nissan has done nothing to help.”

    NHTSA complaint #10994190, filed 2017-06, 160,000 miles

    “I took our 2008 Xterra into a local shop to have the all the fluids except the oil serviced (already had it changed at a Nissan dealer) on feb 7 2015. When the shop called, they told me there was oil in the radiator and what they suspected and told me I should take it to a dealer. When I looked at the radiator fluid it had what looked like oil and the overflow tank looked like a chocolate shake was in it. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10861499, filed 2016-04, 103,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Air bag warning light on, or air bags not deploying

    • 23 complaints (19%)
    • median 58,250 mi at 6.4 yrs old (18 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2023

    Owners describe a blinking or steadily lit air bag light that stays on, sometimes after the battery has been disconnected, and sometimes accompanied by a passenger seat sensor that turns the air bag off with someone seated. Several complaints report air bags failing to deploy in a collision, or deploying without a crash. Dealers are often described as unable to duplicate or find the cause, and some vehicles were not covered by a recall. Reported across a wide range, from under 30,000 to over 160,000 miles, with many under 60,000 miles.

    Recall 23V067000Recall 08V6900002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Turn the ignition on and confirm the air bag light goes out after the self-check, and have any stored air bag codes read. Ask whether the driver air bag cover and air bag diagnosis sensor unit campaigns were completed for this VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Front passenger air bag activation light is intermittently signally off when passenger is seated. Usually occurs on restart during long distance trips. Nissan repair can not duplicate. Customer service is purposely time consuming, plays dumb and generally rude. This failure occurs on 30% of our long trips. This is a safety issue, my Nissan is not meeting minimum safety regulations a large part of the time. This also happened in a Nissan rental provided recently. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10357061, filed 2010-09, 27,000 miles

    “The vdc and slip light are constantly on when the battery has either died, or has been disconnected. Once the battery is disconnected the vdc is off and the slip system is off as well. After the battery was disconnected once again the vdc, slip system, and now my air bag light is now constantly flashing and illuminated. I've researched this problem and there are hundreds or thousands that have this same problem. In the owners manual it gives you a very vague description of how to reset this light. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10370994, filed 2010-12, 53,330 miles
  3. Fuel system

    Fuel gauge reads wrong or stops working

    • 11 complaints (9%)
    • median 57,400 mi at 4.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2008–2019

    Complaints describe the gauge showing about a quarter or an eighth of a tank when the tank is actually empty, dropping to zero after refueling, or failing entirely so the amount of fuel is unknown. Some owners report the vehicle running out of gas as a result. Repairs described include replacing the fuel sending unit, and some owners were told their vehicle was not included in the fuel gauge recall. Mostly reported between about 10,000 and 100,000 miles.

    Recall 10V075000

    What to check: Compare the gauge reading against actual fuel added at a fill-up, and ask whether the fuel tank sender was replaced under the fuel gauge campaign for this VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Fuel sensor on my 2008 Nissan Xterra is broken. I have no way of knowing how much gas is in my tank. It has occurred over the past few months. Sometimes the tank will read empty or other value. The dealer will not repair under a warranty, even though the car is less than 3 years old! I am paying out of pocket to repair the vehicle at the dealer.”

    NHTSA complaint #10327049, filed 2010-04, 57,000 miles

    “The gas gauge reads about 1/8 of a tank and my truck runs out of gas before the low fuel light comes on. They fixed the problem each time but then a few weeks later I ended up having the same problem, the diagnosis was the fuel sending unit they replaced that and they also replaced the fuel pump on the last 2 occasions. I have had this problem 3 times since 06/13/08 the most recent time was on 07/23/08.”

    NHTSA complaint #10236898, filed 2008-08, 11,648 miles
  4. Brakes

    ABS and VDC warning lights, soft or long brake pedal

    • 9 complaints (8%)
    • median 88,600 mi at 6.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2009–2021

    Complaints describe the ABS and vehicle dynamic control warning lights staying on intermittently or constantly, sometimes after the battery was disconnected. Others report the brake pedal going soft or to the floor, front brakes fading on downhill grades, and premature front pad and rotor wear. Some owners say dealers could not reproduce the warning lights or found the pads still within spec. Reported from under 10,000 to about 140,000 miles, with several cases between 30,000 and 100,000 miles.

    Recall 07V5280001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Check that ABS and VDC lights come on at key-on and then go out, test the brakes on a downhill grade, and ask whether the ABS/VDC actuator campaign was performed for this VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Vehicle front brakes overheat. When driving downhill at any rate brakes will soften continuously until having to pull over for fear of safety. When brakes were checked by dealer they stated that they were at 75% and should be working fine. Every time I brake going down hill I feel softness in brakes. Brakes also will start to smell after braking downhill.”

    NHTSA complaint #10790758, filed 2015-11, 140,000 miles

    “Multiple Nissan dealers are unable to repair a safety problem on my car after 4 attempts. Vehicle dynamic control and ABS fail warning lights continue to come on randomly. Occasionally they go off for a period of time but the first 4 events lights remained on until the dealer worked on the car. Nissan is stalling in addressing vehicle buyback or any solid resolution. I am stuck with a car I cannot drive safely at this time, and have asked Nissan to take it back since they cannot fix it in over a year.”

    NHTSA complaint #10284163, filed 2009-09, 9,000 miles
  5. Engine

    Rough running, stalling and power loss

    • 21 complaints (18%)
    • median 98,250 mi at 7.6 yrs old (18 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2009–2021

    Owners describe the engine surging, sputtering, losing power or shutting off while driving or idling, sometimes with several warning lights on. Complaints also mention a whining noise traced to the timing chain, and heater output going cold at idle because of air in the cooling system. Repairs described include timing chain service, an engine control module replacement and cooling system bleeding. Reported from about 50,000 to 185,000 miles, with several examples around 90,000 to 130,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Listen for a whine from the front of the engine on start-up and cold idle, check for stored engine codes, and confirm the heater blows warm at idle. Ask about timing chain and engine control module history.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Vehicle was in motion (highway driving). I began to hear a whinning sound at any rate of speed.the sound never went away. It became louder during acceleration. I checked any recalls on the Xterra models and found out that it has a faulty timming chain issue. I had the vehicle serviced and indeed, the problem was the timing chain.”

    NHTSA complaint #11193910, filed 2019-04, 58,000 miles

    “Car's heater blows cold air when car is idling. Nissan service technician advised that this was caused by an air pocket forming in the cooling system? The air pocket has to be removed - which of course costs money. We own two 2008 xterras. This also happened with our other 2008 Xterra.”

    NHTSA complaint #10562314, filed 2014-01, 102,975 miles

Buying note. On this model year, the radiator-to-transmission coolant issue and the air bag warning lights are the items most worth verifying before purchase, since both can lead to expensive repairs. A fluid check, a code scan and a VIN-based recall lookup cover most of what owners describe.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 119 consumer complaints for the 2008 Nissan Xterra. 105 of the complaints include a mileage, and 25% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 95,000 miles. Of all complaints, 9 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 93 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Tires (3), Wheels (3), Equipment (2), Exterior lighting (2), Suspension (2), Vehicle speed control (2).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “I had reach my destination to work and found that my Xterra will not go in reverse. I had no previous warning of this or recall notice from Nissan. I have 2 Nissan Xterra's after I pay for this $4000.00 repair I plan on selling them both as they are not reliable with this transmission defect.”

NHTSA complaint #11048304, filed 2017-11, 167,000 miles

Air bags: “Airbag light is blinking. I've reset the alert and then after driving for a few minutes, it returned. Dealership was unsure if there was a recall or if Nissan would replace the airbags. I found this site as I was looking for information. The airbag light blinks when the vehicle is in park or is running.”

NHTSA complaint #11229702, filed 2019-07, 107,000 miles

Engine: “I was told the timing belt tensioners needed to be replaced. It only has 60,800 miles on it. The dealer quoted me 1400.00. There is a high pitched whine from the engine, most noticeable at low speeds. The vehicle runs ok but I'm afraid if the tensioners fail, so will the timing belt and so will the engine.”

NHTSA complaint #10883008, filed 2016-07, 60,000 miles

Fuel system: “I received a warranty notification letter around 2011 , stating that Nissan was providing the highest levels of product quality and customer satisfaction. This letter stated that Nissan was extending the warranty for the fuel sending sensor that can malfunction and incorrectly give a wrong reading on the fuel level. They where extending the new vehicle limited warranty for 36 months/ 36,000 miles to 72 months 72,000 miles. So I put the sticker and letter in my warranty booklet. …”

NHTSA complaint #10564628, filed 2014-02, 91,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

25% of the 105 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 50,000 and 128,000 miles.

9%0–108%10–259%25–5014%50–7516%75–10028%100–15017%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (105 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 95,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’09’12’1520’18’21’25
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Nissan Xterra. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Xterra · sedan RWD/AWDnot rated4 / 4——3 · 25.6% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2008 Nissan Xterra version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Xterra 2WD4.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic152017$3,950
Xterra 2WD4.0L 6-cyl6-speed manual162017$3,950
Xterra 4WD4.0L 6-cyl6-speed manual162017$3,950
Xterra 4WD4.0L 6-cyl5-speed automatic142016$4,200

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2008 Nissan Xterra → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 93 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 93 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan Xterra

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20151066,0000—18—Not enough data
20141068,0900—18—Not enough data
2012164,2912—18—Rising
20112454,0002—18—Rising
20103881,9004—18Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20091966,5503—18—Falling
200811995,0006—17Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable
200755789,4681—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200678081,4603—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200584588,6843—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20048459,0002—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20037272,7003—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200215780,0005—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200115065,0003—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200021472,0003—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Nissan Xterra model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Xterra?

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission trouble linked to coolant mixing with automatic transmission fluid, usually with no warning and at mileages from about 50,000 upward. The issues reported most often: Coolant mixing with transmission fluid, transmission failure; Air bag warning light on, or air bags not deploying; Fuel gauge reads wrong or stops working.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Nissan Xterra have?

NHTSA recorded 119 consumer complaints for the 2008 Nissan Xterra as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Nissan Xterra is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 47 complaints (40% of the total), followed by air bags with 23.

Has the 2008 Nissan Xterra been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Nissan Xterra get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Nissan Xterra (Xterra 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 15 city and 20 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,950 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Nissan Xterra reported?

Among the 105 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 95,000 miles and the middle half falls between 50,000 and 128,000 miles; 25% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.