2008 Nissan Xterra Electrical System Problems

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SURGES AND SPUTTERS AND RPMS SKYROCKET AND THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND SHUTS DOWN. THIS HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, TOWN STREETS AND COUNTY ROADS. THE VEHICLE WILL ALSO LOSE POWER AND SHUT DOWN WHILE IDLING AT A STOP SIGN OR TRAFFIC LIGHT. THERE IS NO WAY TO STEER OR RESTART WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND I HAVE DEPENDED ON HAZARD FLASHERS TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS OF DISABLED VEHICLE UNTIL I CAN GET ASSISTANCE TO GET VEHICLE OFF OF HIGHWAY. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF BEING DEAD, VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES RESTART AND GO A FEW MORE MILES BEFORE SAME THING HAPPENS AGAIN. AFTER 3 WEEKS AT A DEALERSHIP AND A COST SO FAR OF $3,000, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN PINPOINTED AND FIXED. DEALERSHIP HAS CONTACTED NISSAN CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO HAS TWO OPEN CASES OF THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE. I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS IN ONLINE FORUMS OF THE SAME ISSUE SAME MODEL AND STILL NO FIX FOUND FOR THE ISSUE. I HAVE NOW OPENED MY OWN CASE WITH NISSAN NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER CARE AND AM AWAITING FURTHER INVESTIGATION FROM THEM. MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD.

COOLANT MIXED INTO TRANSMISSION CAUSING ELECTRONIC MODULE TO BURN OUT. THIS CAUSED VEHICLE TO STOP OPERATING CORRECTLY AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ENGINE TO RESTART.

WAS DRIVING XTERRA 4X4 ON THE STREET WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE SHUT ITSELF OFF. WAS ABLE TO LUCKILY TURN THE VEHICLE BACK ON BUT WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER START. HAD IT TOWED TO NISSAN WHO DISCOVERED THE CAR HAS A DEFECTIVE ECM UNIT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND I BELIEVE MANY OTHER NISSAN XTERRA/FRONTIERS/PATHFINDERS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED AS EVIDENT BY SEARCHING GOOGLE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. NISSAN WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE AND WANTED 1400 DOLLARS TO REPLACE ECM. THIS DAY AND AGE AN ECM SHOULD LAST MUCH MUCH LONGER AND SHOULD NOT SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE NOR, IMPAIR ITS ABILITY TO DRIVE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. GAS, TEMP., AND OIL PRESSURE WERE ALL NORMAL. A PRIVATE GARAGE DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILURE IN THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTOR MODULE (IPDM), AND ALSO THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. BOTH PARTS WERE REPLACED (AT MY EXPENSE) AND THE CAR NOW RUNS WELL. *TR

PLASTIC TRAY THAT THE BATTERY SITS ON BROKE, CAUSING THE BAR THAT HOLDS THE BATTERY IN PLACE TO ARCH OVER AND SET THE PLASTIC FUSE HOLDER ON THE BATTERY TO CATCH FIRE. THE VEHICLE STALLED THE DIED. I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS "STEAM" COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I POPPED TO HOOD FROM INSIDE AND SAW FLAMES. I GOT OUT AND TRIED TO OPEN THE HOOD, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT SINCE THE LATCH IS SMALL AND BLACK. I GOT MY GRANDKIDS OUT OF THE CAR AND TRIED ONCE MORE TO OPEN THE HOOD. I FINALLY GOT IT OPENED AND REALIZED THE BATTERY WAS ON FIRE. I POURED THE ONLY LIQUID I HAD ON IT, "A&W CREAM SODA" AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. IT TOTALLY MELTED PART OF THE BATTERY AND THE BATTERY CONNECTOR. AMAZING ENOUGH THE VEHICLE STARTED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THE HOOD, THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BURNT TO THE GROUND ALL BECAUSE OF THE CHEAP PLASTIC BATTERY HOLDER BROKE. *TR

2008 NISSAN XTERRA, CHRONIC FAILURES OF THE VDC TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, ALSO CAUSING FAILURES IN ABS AND AIR BAGS 7 REPAIR ATTEMPTS SINCE PURCHASED NEW 6 MONTHS AGO INCLUDING COMPUTER REPROGRAMMING, BATTERY REPLACEMENT, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR ADJUSTMENTS, REPLACEMENT OF AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE AND REPLACEMENT OF ABS CONTROL MODULE. THESE FAILURES CAUSE TOTAL FAILURE IN MULTIPLE ELECTRONIC SAFETY SYSTEMS REPRESENTING A SERIOUS THREAT TO LIFE OR BODILY HARM. MULTIPLE INCIDENTS - THE DATE BELOW REPRESENTS DATE OF BRAND NEW PURCHASE WHICH WAS THE DAY OF THE FIRST MALFUNCTION FOR ME. THE DEALERSHIP NOTICED A MALFUNCTION AT THE TIME OF THE PDI (BUT DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS AT THE TIME OF SALE TO MY GREAT OUTRAGE). *TR