The 2005 Nissan Xterra has 845 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 6 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are power train and fuel system. Owners most often flag "strawberry milkshake of death" (smod) radiator failure (2005-2010 automatics): radiator internal failure mixes coolant and transmission fluid, leading to automatic transmission destruction. frequency: very frequent.
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2005 Nissan Xterra vehicles (US, public record).
Across the 4 Xterra model years we track, complaint volume runs from 119 (2008) to 845 (2005). With 845 complaints, the 2005 Xterra sits abovethe model's median of 231.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Campaign 10E019000NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 A…
engine and engine cooling
Campaign 10V517000NISSAN 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…
air bags:frontal
Campaign 08V690000NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS…
trailer hitches
Campaign 05V458000ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A NISSAN ACCESSORY TOW HITCH, INADEQUATE QUALITY OF SOME WELDED JOINTS IN THE HITCH ASSEMBLY MAY RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE HITCH FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN BEING USED TO TOW.
Sentiment is strongly bifurcated by generation and specific model years. The first-generation (2000-2004) and second-generation (2005-2015) Xterra are widely regarded as rugged, durable, and capable body-on-frame SUVs, often described as…
Owner insights cover all generations of the Xterra. See the full Xterra owner picture and every model year.
Used Xterra listings typically run $9,407–$14,399 across 2000 to 2015 model years.
Compare every Xterra year side by side to see how 2005 ranks against the rest.