2000 NISSAN XTERRA Electrical System Problems

My car keeps stalling out like it's not getting gas.

My car dies out while driving. I've replaced so many parts already and it keeps leaving me stranded.

The engine service soon have been on for quite some time now. I tried to take it to several Smog places to get it smogged , and the mechanic have told me that the Smog scanner cannot read the computer of my car.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER I EXITED MY BUILDING GARAGE AND MADE RIGHT TURN ON CITY STREET ON A CLEAR SUMMER DAY AFTERNOON THE ENGINE SOUND BEGAN ROARING AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATING. I TRIED TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE FORCIBLY HITTING ON THE BRAKES, SHIFTING GEARS TO NEUTRAL, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT ON GOING AND RAN-AWAY UNCONTROLLABLY TILL I MADE TWO LEFT TURNS AND ENDED UP ON A SIDE WALK WITH THE REAR TIRE BLOWN OUT AND THE CAR STOPPED AFTER COLLIDING WITH SOME PUBLIC UTILITY BOX. THE VEHICLE HAS INCOMPLETE RECALL #R0402 AND NHSTA RECALL #04V-230 REGARDING THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. THERE WAS A LOCAL POLICE REPORT #200057082. SUSPECTED CAUSES COULD BE FLAWS IN THE VEHICLE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM THAT PRODUCED FAULTY SIGNAL OF FULLY DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR PEDAL.

Mileage: 160,000

ON SATURDAY I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BUT IT WENT AWAY QUICKLY AND I COULDN'T FIND ANY SOURCE IN THE VEHICLE, SO I ASSUMED I JUST DROVE PAST SOMETHING THAT SMELLED BADLY. ON SUNDAY THE SMELL RETURNED, STRONGER. I STOPPED AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AND SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASH AS I RAN TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. ONCE THE SMOKE CLEARED AND THERE WAS NO CONCERN OF A FIRE BREAKING OUT I BEGAN TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE AND FOUND THE "SMART ENTRANCE CONTROL UNIT," WHICH IS MOUNTED TO THE FAR LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE UNDER THE DASH AND CONTROLS THE POWER LOCKS AND KEYLESS ENTRY, TO BE NOTICEABLY HOT. I UNPLUGGED THIS BOX AND REMOVED IT FROM THE VEHICLE. THE BOX HAD HEAT VISIBLE DAMAGE ON ITS EXTERIOR. I OPENED THE BOX TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND FOUND A LARGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT I BELIEVE WAS A METAL OXIDE VARISTOR WAS THE SOURCE OF THE HEAT/SMOKE/POSSIBLE FIRE, AND NEARBY COMPONENTS SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT HEAT DAMAGE. I THINK THAT THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A COMPUTER MODULE MAY BE A SAFETY DESIGN FLAW. IF I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF THE ODOR AND PULLED OVER AND QUICKLY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THIS COMPUTER IS POWERED EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, SO IT COULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND CAUSED A HOUSE FIRE AS WELL. I CHECKED EVERY FUSE IN THE VEHICLE AND ALL FUSES ARE THE CORRECT AMPERAGE (NOBODY HAS INSTALLED A HIGHER CURRENT FUSE IN PLACE OF A LOWER CURRENT ONE). IT WOULD SEEM LIKE THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION IS INADEQUATE TO INTERRUPT POWER TO THE COMPUTER IF IT FAILS. MY POWER LOCKS/KEYLESS FUNCTIONED UP UNTIL THE INCIDENT AND THE CAR CONTINUES TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE KEYLESS ENTRY COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER'S PART LABEL READS AS FOLLOWS: CONT ASSY'SMART ENTRANCE PART NO. 28595 7Z000 UTA PART NO. 601-1190-001 FCC ID: KOBUTAHZR

Mileage: 146,190

I STARTED THE CAR THIS MORNING. THE ODOMETER, TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER DID NOT WORK. THE ODOMETER WAS BLANK. I DROVE THE CAR AND THE SPEEDOMETER OR TACHOMETER DID NOT WORK. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME AT NIGHT, ABOUT A YEAR AGO. THE PANEL LIGHTS ALSO DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT DAY, EVERYTHING WORKED FINE. IT DID NOT CORRECT ITSELF THIS TOME. THE INSTRUMENTS ARE STILL NOT WORKING.

Mileage: 82,000

FUEL SENDING UNIT RUSTED AND CORRODED GAS GAUGE IN ACCURATE READING. *TR

Mileage: 152,000

OUR 2000 XTERRA HAD BEEN FAIRLY RELIABLE UNTIL IT DIED OUT ON THE HIGHWAY. REPLACED THE DISTRIBUTOR 3 MONTHS AGO, AND IT DIED OUT AGAIN WHILE DRIVING, LAST WEEK, AFTER HAVING YET ANOTHER DISTRIBUTOR PUT IN. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE NISSAN-ISSUED RE-BUILT DISTRIBUTORS ARE THE PROBLEM. HE'S NOW PUTTING A THIRD ONE IN, BUT HE'S GETTING IT FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE THAN NISSAN. I WAS STUNNED TO KNOW THAT NISSAN KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT STILL SELLS INFERIOR PARTS. THIS IS NOTHING TO FOOL AROUND WITH AND I'M LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T CAUSE OR GET INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. *KB

Mileage: 115,000

2000 NISSAN XTERRA 2WD VEHICLE. SECOND OWNER. OWNED FOR 6.5 YEARS. NO MODIFICATIONS WERE MADE TO VEHICLE BY EITHER ORIGINAL OWNER, OR MYSELF. ONLY DEALER INSTALLED OPTIONAL COMPONENT WAS A TRAILER HITCH. CAR TRAVELED LESS THAN 1000 MILES IN LAST CALENDAR YEAR. ON DATE IN QUESTION, CAR WAS STARTED AND DRIVEN AT 8:00 AM APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES TO A PARKING DECK. CAR THEN SAT IN PARKING DECK UNTIL 12:00 PM. CAR WAS THEN DRIVEN BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL ORIGIN AND PARKED BY APPROXIMATE TIME OF 12:30 PM. SHORTLY AFTER 9:00 PM, CAR WAS BELIEVED TO BE SOURCE OF IGNITION WHICH RESULTED IN A HOUSE FIRE AND DESTROYED HOUSE STRUCTURE, AS WELL AS FOUR OTHER VEHICLES. CAR WAS INVESTIGATED BY FORMER CHIEF ARSON INVESTIGATOR FOR ATLANTA, GA. HIS DETERMINATION AS TO SOURCE OF FIRE WAS WIRE HARNESS INSIDE XTERRA. BELIEVED TO BE A CASE OF A CONTACT REMAINING LIVE AND STARTING A FIRE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE CONSOLE SHIFT LEVER AND BEHIND THE CENTER OF THE DASH. CAR COMPLETELY DESTROYED- LITERALLY. VIN UNKNOWN INFORMATION RESIDES WITH INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

Mileage: 98,400

WHEN THE DASH OF THE VEHICLE GETS HOT, SUMMERTIME, OPERATING THE HEATER IN THE WINTER OR WHEN THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON, THE GAGE CLUSTER FAILS. THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, FUEL AND TEMP GAUGES ALL FAIL. THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY HESITATE AND NOT MAKE ENOUGH POWER TO MAINTAIN SPEED. SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND REVVING THE ENGINE WILL GET THE POWER BACK, BUT THE GAUGES WILL NOT WORK UNTIL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS COOLED. *TR

Mileage: 78,000

MY CAR STALLED AT HIGH SPEED (60 MPH) ON AN INTERSTATE. I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND TAKE TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED ISSUE AS BAD SPEEDOMETER CONTROLLER. DASHBOARD FAILURE SENT MESSAGE TO TRANSMISSION THAT CAR WASN'T RUNNING, CAUSING A STALL. VERY UNSAFE!!! THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED THE PART ON 8/10 AND TOLD ME THE CAR WOULD BE READY FOR PICKUP ON 8/13. AT THAT TIME I HAD SOME MAINTENANCE WORK DONE AS WELL, AFTER BEING INFORMED MY CAR WOULD BE READY ON 8/13. ON 8/13 I WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEALERSHIP HAD DONE THE OTHER WORK ON MY CAR (120K MAINT, BATTERY, AND FIXED KNOCK SENSOR) BUT THE SPEEDOMETER CONTROLLER WAS ON BACKORDER. IT HAS BEEN OVER A MONTH. I TRIED DRIVING THE VEHICLE BUT AGAIN THREE TIMES EXPERIENCED A STALL, ALL WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE SO CONSIDER THE CAR NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS LUCKY TO NOT HAVE BEEN HIT. I REPORTED THE DELAY IN GETTING THE PART TO NISSAN CONSUMER AFFAIRS, AND THEY ARE UNCONCERNED. THEY TOLD ME PARTS ONLY NEED TO BE MADE AVAILABLE DURING WARRANTY. WHO THESE DAYS W/ PRICE OF CARS CAN AFFORD NEW CAR W/I 3 YEARS? CAR IS ONLY 7 YRS OLD AND FOR ALL I KNOW, LATER MODELS COULD BE USING SAME PART. I SUSPECT PART IS UNAVAILABLE BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE, WHICH IS A VERY UNSAFE STALL, NORMALLY AT HIGH SPEED. DEALERSHIP EVEN TOLD ME NOT TO DRIVE CAR. CAN YOU DO ANYTHING TO NISSAN TO GET PART IN SO I HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM MY JOB? *JB UPDATED 12-12-07. *KB UPDATED *JB

Mileage: 120,000

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD INTERMITTENTLY CEASE INDICATING SPEED, RPM'S, FUEL LEVEL, & TEMPERATURE WHEN OPERATING WITH THE LIGHTS ON. THE PROBLEM WOULD CORRECT ITSELF AT DIFFERENT INTERVALS WHILE OPERATING. PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED FOR REPAIR AT DEALER. SOLUTION: I REPLACED THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD LOCATED ON THE BACK OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS REQUIRED THE DEALER TO ORDER PART & HAVE ODOMETER READING PROGRAMMED INTO THE NEW BOARD. THIS SEEMED TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *JB

Mileage: 95,000

DT: THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. FIRST PROBLEM CONCERNED POWER STEERING. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN. THIS WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A GRINDING NOISE. THE DASHBOARD PANEL LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THEY SIMPLY STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THERE WAS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 10001332 CONCERNING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. IN ORDER TO GET THE WINDOW TO AUTOMATICALLY ROLL UP IT MUST BE MANUALLY ASSISTED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A DEALER. *AK

Mileage: 85,000

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WAS A LOT SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. DEALER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

I SAW A NEWS RELEASE TODAY WHERE HONDA IS RECALLING SOME VEHICLES DUE TO HEAT BUILDUP IN THE IP CAUSING THE IP LIGHTS TO GO OUT. THIS HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT PROBLEM FOR YEARS IN BOTH MY 1996 NISSAN 200SX AND MY 2000 NISSAN XTERRA. USUALLY I JUST HAVE TO FIND THE DIMMER DIAL ON THE DASH SOMEWHERE ON THE LEFT UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL AND ADJUST IT A BIT TO GET THE LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON, BUT THE SWITCH IS ALWAYS VERY HOT WHEN I TOUCH IT. NO ACCIDENTS OR FIRES HAVE RESULTED IN MY EXPERIENCE.*AK

GAUGES WENT BLANK OR STOPPED WORKING FOR APPROXAMTELY 10 MINS THEN STARTED TO WORK ON ITS OWN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE WOULD JERK, AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD FAIL. *AK WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLES GAUGES (TACHOMETER, ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE) RANDOMLY WENT OUT. THIS PROBLEM ALSO APPEARED TO AFFECT THE CRUISE CONTROL AND OCCURED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. WHEN THE GAUGES GO OUT THEY STAYED OUT FROM 3-20 MILES. *NLM

Mileage: 20,000

THE FOLLOWING GAUGES DO NOT WORK ON MY DASH: SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, ENGINE TEMPERATURE, FUEL, ODOMETER, AND OIL GAUGES. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK AND THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE ARMS ITSELF AT ANY TIME IT WANTS TO, THE HAZARDS LIGHTS RANDOMLY FLASH AS I AM DRIVING. ALL OF THE PROBLEMS OCCURRED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF PURCHASE. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED SEVERAL TIMES CONCERNING THESE PROBLEMS AT KENDRICK NISSAN, YET THEY STILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR. NOW I AM BEING TOLD THAT I HAVE TO PAY, AGAIN, TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAVE BEEN HAVING FOR PAST TWO YEARS. *JB

Mileage: 15,000

WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE IT WOULD STALL THEN RESTART,IT FINALE QUIT AND WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD IT SOUNDED LIKE THE FUEL SENDING UNIT,TWO DAYS LATER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM DEALER AND TOLD PROBLEM WAS ECU/ECM WHICH FAILED BECAUSE A/C DRAIN HAD CLOGGED AND CONDENSATION RUINED CONTROL UNIT WHICH IS NOT COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS DETERMINED BY THE DEALER AND NISSAN CORP. TO BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE. HAVE READ OWNERS MANUAL COVER TO COVER AND AT NO TIME DOES IT SAY TO MAKE SURE DRAIN IS CLEAR OR IT COULD CAUSE THIS CONDITION WHICH THEY CLAIM IS MY FAULT, AT THIS TIME I HAVE FILED A REPORT WITH THE BBB AS PER THEIR MANUAL AND AM WAITING FOR AN ARBITRATOR TO BE ASSIGNED. *NLM

X-TERRA STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE 4 TIMES IN TWO DAYS. FINALLY HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO NISSAN DEALER AFTER 5TH TIME IT STOPPED, THIS TIME IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. MECHANIC COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG EVEN ON COMPUTER, THEN ON SECOND DAY DECIDED IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP, AND REPLACED IT, AND THEN DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT THE FUEL PUMP, BUT A WIRING PROBLEM THAT BURNT OUT THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. COST WAS OVER $700.00, PLUS TOW BILL, AND RENTAL CAR. ALSO MANIFOLD IS CRACKED, AND WAS BEFORE WARANTY EXPIRED, BUT DEALER WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT SAID THAT THE WARANTY DID NOT COVER IT AND ADVISED US TO HAVE A LOCAL MECAHNIC TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CHEAPER. HAVE NOW LEARNED THAT BOTH FUELD SNEDING UNIT, AND MANIFOLD ARE A PROBLEM ON MANY XTERRAS. *AK

Mileage: 109,680

YESTERDAY MY 2000 NISSIAN WAS BROKEN INTO AND THE STEREO FACE WAS STOLEN. THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS PRIED OPEN. THE ALARM SYSTEM NEVER WENT OFF. WHAT I AM UPSET ABOUT IT THAT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE DEALERSHIP AND NISSIAN CORP. STATED THAT IT WOULD COST ME APPROX. $85.00 TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I KNOW THAT THE ALARM WORKS BECAUSE I SET IT MYSELF REACHED THROUGH THE WINDOW AND TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AND THE ALARM WENT OFF. I TOLD NISSIAN ABOUT IT THINKING THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE EVIDENTLY THEIVES HAVE FOUND OUT HOW TO UNLOCK THESE WITHOUT SETTING OFF THE ALARM. THEY WEREN'T CONCERNED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD DOCUMENT IT. BASICALLY THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I TOLD THEM HAD HAPPENED. SO IF YOU OWN A NISSIAN DON'T EXPECT YOUR ALARM TO GO OFF IF SOMEONE PRIES OPEN THE DOOR.*AK

THE CAR BATTERY BLEW UP, BLOWING OFF ALL BATTERY CAPS AND CRACKED DOWN THE MIDDLE, BATTERY ACID ALL OVER ENGINE.*AK

Mileage: 45,800

ALL DASH BOARD ELECTRONICS SHUT DOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. INCLUDES SPEEDOMETER, RADIO, DASH LIGHTS, AND ALL GAUGES AND WARNING LIGHTS. NEVER REPRODUCED FOR REPAIR SHOP. HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS CONTINUE TO FUNCTION. SYSTEMS REGAIN POWER FOR NO APPARENT REASON, STOPPING AND STARTING THE ENGINE IS NOT HELPFUL. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING, FUEL SENDING UNIT(#25060-4S415) ON 2000 NISSAN XTERRA FAILED. THIS PART FAILURE CAUSE ENGINE TO CEASE FUNCTION DUE TO A CUT IN POWER TO FUEL PUMP. IT WAS DETERMINED BY A MECHANIC THAT THE WIRING HARNESS OF THE SENDING UNIT FAILED DUE TO THE CORROSION OF THE WIRES AND THE CONNECTION TERMINAL. THIS CORROSION IS BELIEVED TO BE CAUSE EITHER BY THE FUEL OR BY WATER AND SALT. *NLM

Mileage: 68,000

I REAR-ENDED A FORD F-350 AT APPROX 30 MPH. NEITHER OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I HAVE CALLED PETERSON'S BODY SHOP, ON A DAILY BASIS, WHERE MY VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED. THE BODY SHOP GUY SAID THERE WAS A "SHORT" IN THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH MADE THE CHECK LIGHT NOT WORK AND THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOY. I FEEL THAT NO ONE WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RESULTING FAILURE OF MY AIRBAGS BECAUSE I WAS NOT INJURED. I HAVE CONTACTED NISSAN. I SPOKE WITH [XXX], MY FILE # IS [XXX] AT 1-800-NISSAN1. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED [XXX] DAHLE NISSAN OF SANDY, WHERE I LEASED THE VEHICLE. ALSO THERE ISN'T A PART NUMBER ON THE FAULTY WIRING HARNESS THAT HAS DELAYED THE REPAIR OF MY VEHICLE FROM THE ACCIDENT ON DECEMBER 6,2001. I THANK YOU FOR ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE ME. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DASH LIGHTS AND FUNCTIONS GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY, HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER TWICE, SO FAR NOT REMEDIED. *AK