no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2006 Nissan XterraProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 780 owner complaints about the 2006 Nissan Xterra, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 19, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2006 Nissan Xterra has problems
780 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
268Power train5 crash/fire/injury
237Fuel system, gasoline
106Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
104Engine
94Fuel/propulsion system1 crash/fire/injury
41Electrical system
40Fuel system, other
22Steering
20Air bags
6413 other systems6 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 268 | 5 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 237 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 106 | 1 |
| Engine | 104 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 94 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 41 | 2 |
| Fuel system, other | 40 | 0 |
| Steering | 22 | 2 |
| Air bags | 20 | 7 |
| 13 other systems | 64 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2006 Nissan Xterra recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Storage: auxillary tank
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AND STALL IN TRAFFIC, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
109kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 247 power train complaints. 36% were reported before 100,000 miles.
12under 30k miles90under 100k miles157100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
53 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $3,900 – $6,000
Fuel system, gasoline
36 owners mentioned a cost$500median
Middle half: $386 – $600
Engine
17 owners mentioned a cost$4,000median
Middle half: $2,123 – $6,500
Engine and engine cooling
9 owners mentioned a cost$4,000median
Middle half: $1,300 – $4,102
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2006 vs. every other Xterra year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Xterra median. How we score
'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2006 Nissan Xterra safety ratings
2006 Nissan Xterra 4-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 3 stars (25.6% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2006 Nissan Xterra, and the recalls they led to.
- Transmission FailuresNo recall
In owners' words
What Xterra owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I have a lot of ticking and stalling lights are blinking I think it’s may be the transmission and I smell gas inside the vehicle.
Car just shut off in traffic loosing all power and braking causing me to crash into the back of a stopped car at a red-light. After inspection from a mechanic shop, they informed me that something in the computer had fried causing the car to shut off, and it had also caused the transmission control…
The transmission was destroyed because a factory default with the radiator leaking antifreeze and transmission fluid into the transmission causing my transmission to self destruct. my safety was not safe since Nissan knew about the defect and I could have ceased into Anything at any time. There was…
Own a 2006 Xterra?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.