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#BS-2008-NISXTE-5BEC

2008 Nissan Xterra

Based on reports from 174 owners and 8 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
174
Crashes
11
Fires
6
Recalls
8
TSBs
91
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 174 complaints, 11 crashes, 6 fires, and 8 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

coolant leaked into transmission

24 complaints • Severity 9.2/10

$X,XXX
2

timing chain tensioner noise

4 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

clutch went out

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the DrivetrainHIGH

43 owners reported drivetrain issues — failures commonly reported around 95K miles.

!Inspect the EngineMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

29
0–30K
22
30–60K
20
60–90K
40
90–120K
16
120–150K
29
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (40 reports) • Median: 95K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Drivetrain (43 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Drivetrain43 (25%)
Engine29 (17%)
Airbags20 (11%)
Fuel System18 (10%)
Brakes11 (6%)
Electrical10 (6%)
Other10 (6%)
Stability Control4 (2%)

2008 Nissan Xterra: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 25% of all reports filed for the 2008 Nissan Xterra, with 43 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 95,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 95K-mile mark.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 2008 Nissan Xterra, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2008 Nissan Xterra, with 20 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Fuel System Issues

Fuel System complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2008 Nissan Xterra, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to fuel system-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

3
08
14
09
13
10
9
11
8
12
18
13
7
14
22
15
14
16
17
17
15
18
19
19
3
20
4
21
3
22
4
23
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Nissan Xterra. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (8 recalls)

07E105000

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

CERTAIN CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE ABS AND ESC CONTROL MODULES SOLD FOR INSTALLATION ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME OF THE HYDRAULIC VALVES IN THE ESC MODULE WERE BUILT WITH EXTRA CHECK BALLS.

07V528000Dec 2007

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

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.

08V045000Feb 2008

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

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.

08V690000Jan 2009

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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.

10E019000Jul 2010

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2010 TITAN, ARMADA, AND QX56, AND MODEL YEARS 2005 THROUGH 2010 FRONTIER, XTERRA, AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. 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.

+ 3 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Nissan Xterra is the 2005 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2008 Nissan Xterra vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

174

Class avg

387

Below the class average — fewer complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles. A good sign.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 174 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 8 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Nissan Xterra Model Years

20152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999
View all Nissan Xterra years →

2008 Nissan Xterra: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Nissan Xterra?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2008 Nissan Xterra is related to the drivetrain, with 43 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2008 Nissan Xterra reliable?
The 2008 Nissan Xterra has 174 complaints, 11 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is below the class average — a positive sign for reliability.
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Nissan Xterra problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2008 Nissan Xterra have any recalls?
Yes, the 2008 Nissan Xterra has 8 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Nissan Xterra problems start?
Based on 156 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 95,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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Get the Full 2008 Nissan Xterra Report

10 sections of AI analysis based on 174 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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