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Selling a junk Nissan Xterra

Any Xterra sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.

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What owners report about the Nissan Xterra

NHTSA has 4,194 owner complaints on file for the Nissan Xterra, model years 2000 to 2015, the 108th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are transmission and drivetrain (1,045, 25%), fuel system (967, 23%), engine and cooling (448, 11%). 173 complaints involved a crash, 60 a fire, and 58 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 90,000 miles. The 2005 model year has the most complaints (1,175). Data as of 2026-10-12.

When the top complaint is transmission and drivetrain, the question for a seller is whether a buyer will resell the car, pull the parts or scrap it. Read our guide to selling a car with a bad transmission: it explains which offers assume the part works and how to describe the car so the price holds at pickup.

Nissan Xterra by model year

YearComplaintsMost reportedCrashFireRecallsMedian miles
2000258Fuel system304572,466
2001197Visibility and wipers188567,000
2002214Other3312685,607
200397Fuel system263370,000
2004110Steering124380,000
20051,175Transmission and drivetrain1111694,000
20061,034Fuel system183591,000
2007770Transmission and drivetrain39296,200
2008174Transmission and drivetrain116896,850
200926Transmission and drivetrain005—
201058Transmission and drivetrain90698,680
201127Air bags002—
201217Transmission and drivetrain002—
20137Engine200—
201415Suspension000—
201515Transmission and drivetrain000—

Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.

Nissan Xterra recalls

NHTSA lists 28 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for suspension (4), equipment (4), fuel system (3). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.

  • 2008 model year, air bags (campaign 23V067000, Feb 2023): Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach d…
  • 2012 model year, suspension (campaign 12V462000, Sep 2012): 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 th…
  • 2011 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 11V592000, Dec 2011): NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 N…
  • 2002 model year, steering (campaign 10V554000, Nov 2010): 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, 200…
  • 2005 model year, engine and cooling (campaign 10V517000, Oct 2010): 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 ENGIN…

What a Nissan Xterra is worth as a junk car

Buyers price a junk Xterra on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.

Guides for selling this car

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Questions people ask

What is a junk Nissan Xterra worth?
What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same Xterra gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
Will a junkyard buy a Nissan Xterra that doesn't run?
Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
Should I fix an open recall before selling a Nissan Xterra?
Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
Where do these Nissan Xterra numbers come from?
From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.