2008 Nissan Xterra Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 9%of 119 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 73,700miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Nissan Xterra, 9% of the 119 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 73,700 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 2 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
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.
“While driving, the vehicle surges and sputters and rpms skyrocket and the vehicle loses power and shuts down. This happens at various speeds on interstate highway, town streets and county roads. The vehicle will also lose power and shut down while idling at a stop sign or traffic light. There is no way to steer or restart when this happens and I have depended on hazard flashers to warn other drivers of disabled vehicle until I can get assistance to get vehicle off of highway. After 20 minutes of being dead, vehicle will sometimes restart and go a few more miles before same thing happens again. …”
NHTSA complaint #11206257, filed 2019-05, 185,000 miles“I was driving my car and the vdc/airbags/slip lights came on in my 2008 Nissan Xterra se. I took the vehicle to Nissan dealership and they advised that the hub sensor was bad and needed replaced.”
NHTSA complaint #10214270, filed 2008-01, 565 miles“Plastic tray that the battery sits on broke, causing the bar that holds the battery in place to arch over and set the plastic fuse holder on the battery to catch fire. The vehicle stalled the died. I saw what I thought was steam coming from under the hood. I popped to hood from inside and saw flames. I got out and tried to open the hood, which is very difficult since the latch is small and black. I got my grandkids out of the car and tried once more to open the hood. I finally got it opened and realized the battery was on fire. …”
NHTSA complaint #10297108, filed 2009-12, 32,213 miles“Service engine soon light came on while driving on residential streets. Had code checked. Code listed as p0462. Cleared code then restarted car. Upon starting car none of the gauges worked only the tachometer and speedometer worked. Fuel, temperature, oil, odometer, trip odometer and all warning lights to include turn signal indicators did not work. Upon driving gauges would regain power, but the fuel gauge did not function properly. Took vehicle to dealer. Seems that my VIN was not included in the recall # 10v075000, even though the exact recall repair was done to my car to fix this issue. …”
NHTSA complaint #10434866, filed 2011-11, 57,400 miles“While driving at 65 MPH, the engine suddenly stopped. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. Gas, temp., and oil pressure were all normal. A private garage diagnosed the problem as a failure in the intelligent power distributor module (ipdm), and also the mass air flow sensor. Both parts were replaced (at my expense) and the car now runs well.”
NHTSA complaint #10325056, filed 2010-04, 51,000 milesRelated recalls
- 10V401000Sep 10, 2010Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can…Covers: Nissan Xterra 2008–2010, Versa 2008–2010, Altima 2008–2010 +4 more
Related service bulletins
- 11004962May 21, 2024VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this…
- 11004961May 21, 2024CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 11004960May 21, 2024CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10239062Jun 16, 2023SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical…
- 10239060Jun 16, 202312 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while…
- 10235707Apr 27, 2023VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this…
- 10235710Apr 17, 2023INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10208946Feb 22, 2022CAN COMMUNICATION â NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
- 10130684Jan 4, 2018VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2004-2011 TITAN, AND 2005-2011 FRONTIER AND XTERRA; AIR BAG DIAGNOSIS SENSOR UNIT This bulletin has been amended. The reprogramming procedure has been…
- 10123360Oct 6, 2017Air Bag Control Unit Reprogram Voluntary Service Campaign UPDATE October 6, 2017 The announcement from August 15, 2017 has been revised to include: - Claims information for…
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 4 | 17% |
| 2010 | 8 | 21% |
| 2009 | 3 | 16% |
| 2008 | 11 | 9% |
| 2007 | 27 | 5% |
| 2006 | 41 | 5% |
| 2005 | 39 | 5% |
| 2004 | 11 | 13% |
| 2003 | 4 | 6% |
| 2002 | 13 | 8% |
| 2001 | 17 | 11% |
| 2000 | 26 | 12% |
Other parts of the 2008 Nissan Xterra
47 complaintsAir bags
23 complaintsEngine
23 complaintsFuel system
18 complaintsBrakes
13 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsElectronic stability control
4 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsTires
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Nissan Xterra
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology