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Nissan Xterra Recalls

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Recall Date Problem Area Recall Text
03/22/10 Nissan is recalling certain model year 2006 and model year 2008 frontier, xterra and pathfinder vehicles. the molded fuel tank shells can deform, causing the fuel sender float arm to contact an embossment molded into the tank shell causing the instrument panel fuel gauge to show that the vehicle has approximately one quarter tank when the fuel tank is empty.

This could cause the vehicle to run out of gas and stall in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit inside the fuel tank with a new one that has a modified float arm. this service will be performed free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin on or before march 22, 2010. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
12/31/07 On certain sport utility vehicles, the antilock brake system/vehicle dynamic control (abs/vdc) actuator is designed with one ball in the valve section. some abs/vdc actuators were manufactured with more than one ball in the valve.

In abs/vdc actuators with more than one ball, it is possible that fluid flow could be blocked and cause a reduction in brake force in one or both front wheels or affect operation of the abs and/or vdc. this could result in a reduction in brake effectiveness without warning increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the abs/vdc actuator with a new one. the recall began on december 31, 2007. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
04/21/03 On certain vehicles, the electrical connector for the driver air bag may come loose. if the connector comes loose, the supplemental air bag warning light flashes intermittently.

The driver side air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Dealers will install a retaining clip on the clock spring electrical connector. owner notification began april 21, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan recall no. r3001.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
12/10/02 On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the fuel tank inlet shutter valve does not meet the sealing performance specification.

Under certain conditions such as high ambient temperature and when winter grade gasoline is being sold, fuel could spill from the filler inlet as the tank is being filled. in the presence of an ignition source, fuel leakage could result in a fire.

Dealers will replace the fuel tank inlet shutter valve. owner notification is expected to begin december 10, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
12/06/10 Engine Nissan is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 armada, titan, infiniti qx56 and model year 2005-2006 frontier, pathfinder and xterra vehicles. the intelligent power distribution module (ipdm) assembly contains an engine control module (ecm) relay that has a diode for electrical current noise reduction. the ecm relay may allow silicon vapor to form and, over time, the silicon evaporates from the diode molding which causes silicon oxide to develop on the ecm relay contact due to arcing.

This could cause engine stalling increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will replace the ecm relay inside the ipdm assembly. this service will be performed free of charge. the safety recall began on december 6, 2010. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
10/22/12 Suspension and Steering Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra two-wheel drive vehicles manufactured from june 19, 2012, through july 12, 2012. these vehicles may have been equipped with front wheel hubs that may not meet the design hardness specifications. a wheel hub that was manufactured below hardness specification may wear prematurely and eventually crack.

If the vehicle is driven in this condition, the wheel hub may break, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replaced the left and right side front wheel hub assemblies free of charge. the safety recall began on october 22, 2012. owners may contact nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
12/13/10 Suspension and Steering Nissan is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 frontier vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001 through october 20, 2004, and model year 2002-2004, xterra vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001, through january 6, 2005. over time corrosion may form in the lower steering column joint and limit movement of the joint. the limited movement of this joint may create excessive load on the lower steering column shaft. if the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, it may lead to cracking of the shaft during low speed maneuvers that require large steering inputs.

The shaft may break which could result in loss of steering control during these low speed maneuvers increasing the risk of a crash.

The steering column shaft and joint will be replaced with a shaft of a different design. this service will be performed free of charge. the recall began on december 13, 2010. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan safety recal no. r1037.owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
05/20/10 Suspension and Steering Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010 titan, armada, qx56, frontier, xterra, and pathfinder vehicles manufactured from november 19, 2009 through march 3, 2010. the lower control link assembly has two cylindrical collars forming the inboard attachment points to the chassis. due to an improper welding process some collars may contain welds that do not meet strength specifications.

If the collar weld separates, the vehicle handling will deteriorate, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

Nissan will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. the safety recall began on may 20, 2010. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
04/19/10 Suspension and Steering Nissan has notified nhtsa of a defect in certain model year 2010 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra vehicles manufactured from february 22, 2010 to march 13, 2010. on some of the potentially affected vehicles, the fasteners securing the passenger front air bag module, and also the fasteners securing the steering shaft positioning bracket may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification.

In the event of a crash, the passenger front air bag deployment trajectory might be affected. the fasteners could possibly come out of the steering column positioning bracket increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the steering column and the passenger front air bag fasteners and any missing fasteners will be replaced and all loose fasteners will be retightened to the proper torque specifications free of charge. the safety recall began on april 19, 2010. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
12/10/03 Suspension and Steering On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, water may enter the rear axle housing due to inadequate sealing of the anti-lock braking system (abs) sensor.

This can result in corrosion and eventual failure of the wheel bearing. if this occurs, the wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the rear axle for water intrusion and any affected components will be replaced. the abs sensor will be resealed to prevent water intrusion. owner notification began december 10, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
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04/19/10 Electrical and Air Conditioning Nissan has notified nhtsa of a defect in certain model year 2010 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra vehicles manufactured from february 22, 2010 to march 13, 2010. on some of the potentially affected vehicles, the fasteners securing the passenger front air bag module, and also the fasteners securing the steering shaft positioning bracket may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification.

In the event of a crash, the passenger front air bag deployment trajectory might be affected. the fasteners could possibly come out of the steering column positioning bracket increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will inspect the steering column and the passenger front air bag fasteners and any missing fasteners will be replaced and all loose fasteners will be retightened to the proper torque specifications free of charge. the safety recall began on april 19, 2010. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
01/26/09 Electrical and Air Conditioning Nissan is recalling 242,720 my 2005-2009 pathfinder, frontier and xterra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. in those areas of the country which use heavy concentrations of road salt in the winter, a mixture of snow/water and salt can enter into the front crash zone sensor (czs) housing. if this occurs, the czs may internally rust resulting in a signal interruption. if this happens, the red air bag warning light will illuminate to alert the vehicle operator.

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.

Dealers will replace the front czs with a redesigned sensor. the recall began on january 26, 2009. owners in the other states will receive extended warranty coverage for the sensor to 10 years. these owners will be notified of the warranty extension by mail and will receive a sticker to place in their warranty booklet explaining the extended warranty coverage. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov .
01/13/03 Electrical and Air Conditioning On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with a supercharger, under certain conditions, such as full throttle in low gear when the engine is not fully warmed up and at cold ambient temperature, the amount of intake air flow through the air flow meter may exceed the maximum preset diagnosis limit value.

this will cause the engine control system to go into the failsafe mode. under this condition, the malfunction indicator lamp will illuminate and engine speed will not exceed 2400 rpm regardless of the throttle position, increasing the risk of a crash.

Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module. owner notification began january 15, 2003. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
02/25/08 Other Nissan is recalling 5,523 my 2008 titan, frontier and xterra vehicles for failing to comply to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, 'tire selection and rims for motor vehicles.' the tire placard lists an incorrect vehicle capacity weight.

This standard specifies requirements for tire selection to prevent overloading.

Nissan will mail a correct tire placard and installation instructions to owners of the affected vehicles. the recall began on february 25, 2008. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan reall no. r0802.customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
11/21/05 Other On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with a nissan accessory tow hitch, inadequate quality of some welded joints in the hitch assembly may result in separation of the hitch from the vehicle when being used to tow.

This could result in the trailer separating from the vehicle and cause a crash without warning.

Dealers will replace the tow hitches. on october 17, 2005, owners were sent an interim letter advising them not to use the tow hitch until it can be repaired. another letter was sent out on november 21, 2005, notifying them to bring their vehicles in for repair. owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236; (tty:1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
01/03/05 Other On certain sport utility vehicles, the accessory tow hitch attachment bolts may not have been tightened to the proper specification.

This could cause the tow hitch to loosen or separate from the vehicle which could result in a crash without warning.

Dealers will tighten the tow hitch. the recall began on january 3, 2005. owners should contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Nissan recall no. pb124.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

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Nissan Xterra Recalls

Some things are often misunderstood about recalls and technical service bulletins (TSBs). Plus a disclaimer.

  1. Recalls do not have to be issued only because something is prone to failure. NHTSA (a government agency) can only require a recall if a failure will affect safety, emissions, fuel economy, or compliance with some other regulation or law. Manufacturers can voluntarily recall cars for problems that do not affect these, though.
  2. Recalls often apply to only some cars of a specific model year, rather than all of them. You should receive a letter from the manufacturer if your car has been recalled. You can also check with the dealer, which will know which (if any) recalls pertain to your car.
  3. The primary purpose of TSBs is to inform dealers about known problems with a car and how to fix them. They are not the same as recalls. As with recalls, TSBs often only apply to some cars, not the entire model year.
  4. Dealers often will not provide a preventive repair just because a problem described in a TSB might happen to your car. They'll usually want to observe symptoms that the problem is already affecting your car.
  5. Even if there are symptoms, a manufacturer doesn't have to pick up the cost of a TSB repair if the car is out of warranty, though sometimes they do.

We provide the text of recalls and TSBs as provided by NHTSA. There can be errors in the text. If you sign up for notifications in My Garage, we will try to get these to do, but for various reasons (some beyond our control) cannot guarantee you will receive them. When in doubt about a recall or TSB, contact the dealer.