How many recalls does the 2004 Nissan Xterra have?

The 2004 Nissan Xterra has 2 NHTSA safety recall campaigns on record.

How do I check if my 2004 Nissan Xterra has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2004 Nissan Xterra?

Of 110 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is steering.

2004 Nissan Xterra Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2004 Nissan Xterra has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 500,683 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

STEERING 10V554000 2010-11-11 500,552 affected

Defect

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…

Consequence

THE SHAFT MAY BREAK WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL DURING THESE LOW SPEED MANEUVERS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

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.

TRAILER HITCHES 04V581000 2004-12-15 131 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE ACCESSORY TOW HITCH ATTACHMENT BOLTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN TIGHTENED TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION.

Consequence

THIS COULD CAUSE THE TOW HITCH TO LOOSEN OR SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE TOW HITCH. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 3, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Complaints by component

STEERING

ENGINE

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

SUSPENSION

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AIR BAGS

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Total complaints110

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Water pump went out replace water pump motor blown”

ENGINE · reported 2025-06-01

“I took my xterra to get inspected 12/27/2024. I was informed I have a recall on this vehicle.”

STEERING · reported 2024-12-27

“Unknown. Wanting to make a recall appointment that was reported on my smog check.”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2022-01-24

“Speeds over 60 hits a bump and starts rocking and bouncing”

STEERING · reported 2020-10-17

“Speeds over 60 hits a bump and starts rocking and bouncing”

SUSPENSION · reported 2020-10-17

“Speeds over 60 hits a bump and starts rocking and bouncing”

WHEELS · reported 2020-10-17

“The steering weal it's becoming stiff and is becoming hard to maneuver around and it might affect my driving and I'm scared I might crash and this is the only vehicle I have and own and have no other means to purchase another car. I was heading to work and I tried turning on the corner and it just…”

STEERING · reported 2020-09-10

“When driving my xterra, it loses power and cuts out on me. This is very dangerous and cuts completely off when I'm accelerating. There is a declaration and then the vehicle won't crank or start leaving me stranded. This is not the first time over years that the xterra has cut off on me. All…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2020-08-03

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2004 Nissan Xterra as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.