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2013 Nissan Xterra

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 4 of 4 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

1 reports
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90,000 miles · Feb 5, 2019
Service Brakes

VERY SOFT BRAKE PEDAL OBSERVED PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE OVER PERIOD OF ABOUT 15K / 1 MONTH TRIGGERING INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCE ESPECIALLY DURING WET CONDITIONS AND AT HIGHER SPEEDS OCCASIONALLY PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR PRIOR TO VEHICLE COMING TO COMPLETE STOP. HOT PADS/ROTORS OBSERVED DURING EVEN COLD AND OR WET CONDI…

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VERY SOFT BRAKE PEDAL OBSERVED PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE OVER PERIOD OF ABOUT 15K / 1 MONTH TRIGGERING INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCE ESPECIALLY DURING WET CONDITIONS AND AT HIGHER SPEEDS OCCASIONALLY PEDAL GOES ALMOST TO THE FLOOR PRIOR TO VEHICLE COMING TO COMPLETE STOP. HOT PADS/ROTORS OBSERVED DURING EVEN COLD AND OR WET CONDITIONS ABOVE NORMAL UNTIL AT HIGHWAY SPEED BRAKES OVERHEATED TRIGGERING CALIPERS TO CEASE UP AT A STOP AT APPROX. 90K (3+ WEEKS AFTER ORIGINAL OBSERVATION OF OCCASIONAL SOFT PEDAL) AT LOW SPEEDS PEDAL APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY SOFT, HOWEVER AT HIGHER SPEEDS ABOVE 35-40 UPWARDS OF 60-65 THE ISSUE BECAME VERY NOTICEABLE ESPECIALLY DURING HEAVY RAIN OR WET ROAD CONDITIONS OR IF VEHICLE SAT FOR MORE THAN A FEW HOURS. ISSUE WITH SOFT PEDAL STARTED AROUND 75K AND CONTINUED UNTIL ABOUT 90K UNTIL CALIPERS CEASED ON ROTORS AS NOTED. HAD I NOT EXITED AND CAME TO A STOP VEHICLE COULD HAVE LOCKED UP ALL 4 WHEELS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY. SHOP DIAGNOSED ISSUE TO BE FAULTY HCU WITHIN THE ABS MODULE MANUFACTURED BY ATE. A VERY SIMILAR ISSUE WITH A RECALL NOTED ALREADY BY NISSAN IN 16/18 SELECT MODEL VEHICLES WHERE HCU CAN LEAK CAUSING A SHORT IN THE ECU TRIGGERING A FIRE BUT THIS ISSUE IS NOT OBSERVED OR RECOGNIZED ON PRIOR MODEL YEAR OR VEHICLES NOR DOES NISSAN RECOGNIZE THAT THE HCU APPEARS TO BE THE ROOT CAUSE DUE TO FAULTY SEALS. FINAL DIAGNOSIS: A FAULTY ABS SEAL ON ONE OF THE VALVES CAUSED THE PISTON TO STICK AND THE VALVE TO REMAIN IN THE OPEN POSITION REDUCING PRESSURE THAT WOULD NORMALLY GO BACK INTO THE MAIN LINES DOWN TO THE CALIPERS WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE SOFT PEDAL SYNDROME. THE MIL ON THE DASH FOR THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL NEVER TURNED ON UNTIL AFTER FAILURE AND CEASE UP OF CALIPERS. ABS MODULE MANUFACTURED BY ATE. FORD ALSO NOTES A VERY SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH SAME MANUFACTURED ABS MODULES BY ATE .

NHTSA ODI #11174396

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.