There are 3 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Nissan Xterrain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I recently had a diagnosis of radiator coolant mixing with transmission following my vehicle being towed bc I lost power while driving with no warning signs. I was given an estimate for repairs of $5000. I had the extended warranty but wasn't told of the radiator issues w Xterra. My vehicle mileage is 128,000. Just past the 100,000 mileage mark. I just read an article that states this is a known issue with Nissan Xterra where lawsuits were filed. I just paid $7000 loan in full. I would not have done this had I known I would need this $ to repair my vehicle.
VEHICLE'S ENGINE SEIZED WHILE BEING OPERATED AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. REASON GIVEN BY DEALERSHIP WHEN TOWED IN WAS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE HOWEVER THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT FOR EITHER OIL OR ENGINE ISSUE DISPLAYED AT ANY TIME LEADING UP TO ENGINE FAILURE. THERE HAD BEEN A PREVIOUS OIL LEAK APPROXIMATELY 10 MONTHS EARLIER WHICH HAD BEEN REPAIRED. THERE HAD BEEN NO INCIDENTS IN THE INTERIM AND NO INDICATION OF ISSUES. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE OIL FILTER AND ENGINE BUT ACCORDING TO NISSAN, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. I WAS FORCED TO PAY IN ADVANCE OF WORK BEING STARTED FOR A FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAD ONLY 4 MONTHS LEFT ON MY 39 MONTH LEASE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN XTERRA. AFTER MOVING THE VEHICLE FROM A PARKING SPOT, THE CONTACT NOTICED OIL LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026