2000 Nissan Xterra

OUR 2000 XTERRA HAD BEEN FAIRLY RELIABLE UNTIL IT DIED OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. REPLACED THE DISTRIBUTOR 3 MONTHS AGO, AND IT DIED OUT AGAIN WHILE DRIVING, LAST WEEK, AFTER HAVING YET ANOTHER DISTRIBUTOR PUT IN. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE NISSAN-ISSUED RE-BUILT DISTRIBUTORS ARE THE PROBLEM. HE'S NOW PUTTING A THIRD ONE IN, BUT HE'S GETTING IT FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE THAN NISSAN. I WAS STUNNED TO KNOW THAT NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT STILL SELLS INFERIOR PARTS. THIS IS NOTHING TO FOOL AROUND WITH AND I'M LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T CAUSE OR GET INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. *KB

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE IDLING. WHILE IDLING CAR BEGINS TO VIBRATE, RPM DROP DOWN AND ULTIMATELY CAR STALLS. LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT, WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, WHEN PRESSING ON GAS PEDAL, CAR DOES NOT ENGAGE AND APPEARS TO DIE OUT; FORTUNATELY IT CATCHES AND CONTINUES ON. THOUGHT IT WAS ISOLATED INCIDENT, HOWEVER, THIS LED TO THE IDLING PROBLEM. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC, AND HE COULD NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM AS NO ENGINE CODES REGISTERED, AND NO OBVIOUS MALFUNCTION WAS PRESENT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AS CAR COULD STALL OUT WHILE MOVING. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE A STALL OCCURS ON THE HIGHWAY AND SOMEONE GETS HURT. A REVIEW OF NISSAN WEBSITES HAS REFLECTED A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS SPECIFIC VEHICLE. THE PREVALENCE OF THIS PROBLEM WOULD LOGICALLY LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY NISSAN AND CORRECTED; AGAIN BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR. WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK. WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE IN THE SAME GEAR AS SHOWN ON THE GEAR SHIFT INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED, BUT THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 00V288000, POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS IDENTICAL TO HIS FAILURE AND IT WAS ALSO RELATED TO THE CABLE LOCK PLATE ON THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 190000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE RIMS WERE CRACKED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE SINCE THE RIMS WERE NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED FROM THE RECALL 03V307000 REGARDING THE WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE WAS AVAILABLE TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR THEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 209000.

IN A 2000 NISSAN XTERRA AN EVENT SIMILAR TO THE RECENT TOYOTA PROBLEMS OCCURRED (SEVERAL TIMES) ABOUT 7-8 YEARS AGO. IN ONE CASE THE CAR JUMPED A CURB AND HIT A TREE. IT WAS DRIVABLE, SO NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED- AS NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE CAR- WHICH HAD ABOUT $2000 BODY DAMAGE. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND NISSAN SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AS A RESULT OUR INSURANCE WENT UP AND WE HAD TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE (ABOUT $500). IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE A FEW MONTHS LATER, WITH NO DAMAGE RESULTING. IN BOTH CASES THE CAR WAS SLOWING FROM <20MPH TO A STOP, AND PAVEMENT WAS SLICK BUT NOT REAL WET- WHEN THE ACCELERATOR REVVED UP FOR NO REASON. IT HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED ABOUT 2 YRS LATER. NISSAN HAS A RECORD OF A COMPLAINT FILED, BUT I LOST THE NUMBER. THE DATE LISTED BELOW IS FOR ONE ACCIDENT THAT HAPPENED (I THINK IT'S THE ONE, BUT IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER). *TR

COOLANT IS LEAKING AT THE HEAD GASKET ON MY SINGLE OWNER 2000 NISSAN XTERRA XE V6 4WD. I HAD THIS CHECKED BY 3 DIFFERENT CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS AND THEY ALL POINTED OUT THE SAME ISSUE. THE CAR HAS ONLY 65K MILES ON IT. THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS IS MORE THAN $1200. SEEMS LIKE LOT OF NISSANS HAS SIMILAR ISSUE, YET NO RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED CARS THAT HAD MORE THAN $100K MILES AND NEVER HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET. CURRENTLY, A TEMPORARY SEAL IS PUT IN PLACE, YET, I SEE FEW DROPS OF COOLANT ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA ON A OHV TRAIL WHEN I LOST BRAKE PRESSURE AND HAD MY "BRAKES" LIGHT COME ON. AFTER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT MY BRAKE LINE HAD RUSTED THROUGH WHERE THE LINE PASSES BY THE PASSENGER SIDE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE SPOT WAS COMPLETELY HIDDEN UNDERNEATH WHERE THE OEM HAD PLACED A PROTECTIVE HEAT WRAP ON THE LINE. THE HEAT WRAP WAS SATURATED WITH WATER AND THEREFORE PROMOTED THE LINE TO RUST THROUGH. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID TO POWER TO MY REAR BRAKES. I HAD TO REMOVE THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE ANTI SKID CONTROLLER CUT IT AND CLAMP IT OFF. I REFILLED THE MASTER CYLINDER AND WAS ABLE TO REGAIN THE USE OF MY FRONT BRAKES AND GET THE VEHICLE HOME. I WILL BE REPLACING BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE LINES FROM THE ANTI SKID BOX TO THE DISTRIBUTION POINT AND HAVING THE BRAKE SYSTEM PURGED AND REFILLED. THE OLD PARTS WILL BE KEPT. *TR

ABS LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. SEEMS TO HAPPEN AFTER HEAVY RAIN OR WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF MOISTURE IN THE AIR. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. AT FIRST THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A DEFECTIVE G SENSOR. THAT WAS REPLACED FOR APPROX. $600. THE SECOND TIME IT WENT BACK, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE RECALIBRATED. IT'S CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR THE 3RD TIME. THE SERVICE REPS HAVE BEEN VERY POLITE, HOWEVER I DID PAY $600 AND HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER TWICE SINCE THEN. *TR