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

Owners name the power train most, then the engine and air bags.

Does the 2008 Nissan Xterra have recalls?

Yes. The count is in the by-year section and the codes are listed in the Recalls section.

How reliable is the 2008 Nissan Xterra?

NHTSA has 119 complaints on file, and the largest groups are power train and engine. Read the problems section before you buy.

What is the gas mileage of the 2008 Nissan Xterra?

See the fuel section of this page for the EPA figures.

Which Xterra year is best?

See the by-year comparison on this page. It lines up complaints and recalls for each year.

2008 Nissan Xterra Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 119 owner complaints on file for the 2008 Nissan Xterra^[1]. The biggest group names the power train^[2].

119owner complaints^[1]

6recalls^[3]

16–17MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups we saw most often in the owner reports.

Power train. 47 complaints^[2]. Owners describe clutches that gave out early, a truck that lost speed on the highway, and gear changes that slipped or popped out on their own.
Engine. 31 complaints^[5]. In the stories we read, owners describe coolant and transmission fluid mixing together, along with stalling and a pile of dash warning lights.
Air bags. 23 complaints^[6]. Owners describe bags that went off with no clear reason, bags that stayed shut in a crash, and a passenger sensor light that kept switching off.
Brakes. 12 complaints^[7]. Owners describe pads and rotors that wore out very early, a pedal that sank to the floor, and ABS and stability warning lights that stayed on.
Electrical system. 11 complaints^[8]. This group also includes reports of fire^[8].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2008 Xterra is necessarily included.

Air Bags › Frontal (23V067), February 2023. About 404,690 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: injury, an air bag that may not work as intended.^[9]
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational System(Global Positioning System) (10V401), September 2010. About 7,948 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[10]
Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Auxillary Tank (10V075), March 2010. About 80,689 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, stalling. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[11]
Air Bags › Frontal (08V690), December 2008. About 242,720 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended.^[12]
Equipment › Other › Labels (08V045), January 2008. About 5,523 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names.^[13]
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module (07V528), November 2007. About 1,115 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, reduced braking.^[14]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Xterra 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 5-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive^[4]	15 / 20 / 17	$3,950
Xterra 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive^[15]	16 / 20 / 17	$3,950
Xterra 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 5-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive^[16]	14 / 20 / 16	$4,200
Xterra 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 6-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive^[17]	16 / 20 / 17	$3,950

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR RWD/AWD^[18]	n/a	n/a	n/a	3	25.6%

Engine and size

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
XTERRA 4DR SUV 4WD S/OFF-ROAD/SE^[19]	178 in	73 in	75 in	106 in	4,350 lb

How 2008 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Xterra model year. The 2008 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2000	214	3
2001	150	3
2002	157	5
2003	72	3
2004	84	2
2005	845	3
2006	780	3
2007	557	1
2008	119	6
2009	19	3
2010	38	4
2011	24	2
2012	16	2
2013	4	0
2014	10	0
2015	10	0

NHTSA's counts for the Xterra show 119 complaints and 6 recalls for 2008^[3]. Among the 16 model years listed, 9 have fewer complaints than 2008 and 6 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2013 (4) and the most are for 2005 (845)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2008 Xterra?

The 2008 Xterra draws complaints about the power train and the engine^[2]^[5]. Owners also raise air bag concerns, and those reports include crashes and injuries^[6]. The recall count is on the by-year table^[3]. Check which recalls were done on any truck you look at. Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales^[1].

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Xterra?: Owners name the power train most, then the engine and air bags^[2]^[5]^[6].
Does the 2008 Nissan Xterra have recalls?: Yes. The count is in the by-year section and the codes are listed in the Recalls section^[3].
How reliable is the 2008 Nissan Xterra?: NHTSA has 119 complaints on file, and the largest groups are power train and engine^[1]^[2]^[5]. Read the problems section before you buy.
What is the gas mileage of the 2008 Nissan Xterra?: See the fuel section of this page for the EPA figures.
Which Xterra year is best?: See the by-year comparison on this page. It lines up complaints and recalls for each year^[3].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Nissan Xterra

2003 72 complaints, 3 recalls
2004 84 complaints, 2 recalls
2005 845 complaints, 3 recalls
2006 780 complaints, 3 recalls
2007 557 complaints, 1 recall
2008 this page
2012 16 complaints, 2 recalls

Compare all model years of the Nissan Xterra

Other Nissan models from 2008

2008 Nissan Armada 161 complaints, 6 recalls
2008 Nissan Titan 133 complaints, 5 recalls

All Nissan models

Similar cars from 2008: suvs

2008 Mazda Tribute 202 complaints, 4 recalls
2008 Mercury Mountaineer 96 complaints, 1 recall
2008 Subaru Tribeca 30 complaints, 9 recalls
2008 Suzuki Grand Vitara 42 complaints, 2 recalls
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser 124 complaints, 9 recalls
2008 Toyota Highlander 602 complaints, 12 recalls

All suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 119 owner complaints on file for the 2008 Nissan Xterra (9 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 6 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
47 complaints name the power train component group (3 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 106,500). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Nissan Xterra model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Xterra 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 5-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 20 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
31 complaints name the engine component group (1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 100,000). NHTSA vehicle records
23 complaints name the air bags component group (5 crashes, 1 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 58,250). NHTSA vehicle records
12 complaints name the brakes component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 73,000). NHTSA vehicle records
11 complaints name the electrical system component group (1 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 73,700). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 23V067, filed February 10, 2023: Air Bags › Frontal. NHTSA recall database
Recall 10V401, filed September 10, 2010: Equipment › Electrical › Navigational System(Global Positioning System). NHTSA recall database
Recall 10V075, filed March 3, 2010: Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Auxillary Tank. NHTSA recall database
Recall 08V690, filed December 29, 2008: Air Bags › Frontal. NHTSA recall database
Recall 08V045, filed January 25, 2008: Equipment › Other › Labels. NHTSA recall database
Recall 07V528, filed November 16, 2007: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock / Traction Control / Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit / Module . NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Xterra 2WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Rear-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 20 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Xterra 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 5-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 14 city / 20 highway / 16 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $4,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Xterra 4WD, 4.0L 6-cyl, Manual 6-spd, Regular, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 20 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR RWD/AWD: rollover 3 stars; rollover risk 25.6%. NHTSA vehicle records
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, XTERRA 4DR SUV 4WD S/OFF-ROAD/SE: length 178 in, width 73 in, height 75 in, wheelbase 106 in, curb weight 4,350 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2008 Nissan Xterra: problems, recalls and fuel economy