2004 Nissan Xterra consumer reviews

On my second one. The first was an 02 S/C 4x4 with the manual transmission that I drove on and off road for 7 years. It was finally retired with 260k miles because of frame and body rust issues. I purchased my second on last year that is a rust free southern 04 auto 4x4. I did all of the maintenance when I first got it and besides oil changes, nothing else. Super reliable and driver oriented. Only drawbacks are needs more power and better fuel economy. That said, I'm continuously impressed with it's capabilities and value.

No major problems with my car i move it and have been happy with it since the day i bought it. It had 13 miles on it and today has over 230,000 miles and really no major problems

Love this vehicle. Never left me on the road. Very dependable. I've always kept up the maintance according to owner's manuel. I will part with it and buy another Xtera eventually.

So at first i didnt really feel comfortable with my xterra but as time when i have grown to love it .and the look is very strong . if you keep up on normal car maintenance the Nissan Xterra is a good outdoor offroading and stylishhhh carr .

I bought my '04 brand new (put 20k miles on it); my dad liked it so he took it for 14 of those years- now I have reclaimed it so my daughter can use it for college. My dad has relied on the "family mechanic" for over 20 years (we have recently quit using him- total crook!) if a car was made after the 70's my dad's eyes glaze over- so totally relied on that mech. In the process of going over the vehicle- I found that at nearly 130,000 miles the fuel filter has NEVER been changed, nor the pcv valve, nor the spark plugs/wires/dist cap/rotor... YET THIS THING IS STILL RUNNING! (A miracle being that my dad has paid this guy to do so much maint and repairs yet none of the basics have been done). I have it torn apart in the garage right now though- overhauling everything but the engine. (knock sensor, every gasket (intake/exhaust plenums + valve covers+++), every hose and line, thermostat etc and so on due to the age and mileage it should be done. The BIG down side is the fuel economy- it is a PIG. It has been a solid vehicle though- and I hope it hangs in there for a few more years for my kiddo.

Great off road vehicle. 142000 on it. Had the common p420/430 and knock sensor code. Replaced both manifold cats and put new bosch 02 sensors in and replaced the knock sensor and no more cel. Paid 6000 for this truck and still worth 4200 on the street love it goes everywhere my bronco did just.

Great car. Great for towing, and off-roading. One of my favorite SUVs. Has Aux plug-in, USB plug-in, and AM, FM radio. Heat and AC, 4x4, & roof rack.

I've owned my 2004 Xterra for 15 years. 130,000 miles. For the average driver, this vehicle is pretty reliable with normal maintenance. This year doesn't experience coolant/transmission oil contaminating, like what happened with 2005/6 years. The engine lacks power for speed and towing, but the VG33E (V6) engine was manufactured for 8 years and has a great reliability history. I had zero issues for the first 120k and most of that was hard miles off-roading. Someone else wrote up this most of this list but I've experienced the exact same issues. -Bearing in the distributor can wear out, which causes the engine to occasionally stumble (this problem doesn't not leave the truck immediately inoperable but it will get worse with time until it fails) Agree: Stumbles started at 120k. The bearing was almost completely gone but it was still running. Replaced with basic tools, along with plugs and wires. -#6 spark plug is a pain to change. Agreed: It's on the back side of the engine and hard to get to. Use the right combination of socket extensions and universal joints to reach it by feel. Went smoothly for me but the right tools and a body lift makes a difference. 120k -Knock sensor commonly fails, this does not cause any issues for the non-supercharged models. Replacing requires everything on top to be removed. Agreed: Poor design location. A check engine light (CEL) won't turn on unless something else sets off the CEL then the knock sensor code will pop up. Relocated the knock sensor to a better spot and still does the job. 120k -High side pressure line in the AC commonly fails, easy fix. Agreed: Not difficult to replace O-rings or the line. 120k - 4X4 model, driver's side motor mounts is a bit weak for off-roading. I broke mine 3 times before I went aftermarket. It'll never break again. No issues with passenger side motor mount. -4X4 model, tie rods are weak points that may fail with moderate amounts of off-roading, a challenging climb, or after driving a lot on washboard forest roads and trails. Super easy and cheap to replace. Upgrade to greasable tie rod ends and a hefty center link to prolong life. Lather, rinse, repeat. -1 recall in 2010 for a steering column. I didn't have any issues with it but a dealer replaced it anyways. - Automatic transmission failed to shift and limped around for 3 more days of off-roading at under 25mph. Custom rebuilt done to OME transmission ($3,200). 135k

I've had my Xterra for 4 years and I love it. It has 226,000 miles on it and I just experienced my first break down; the timing belt. The Xterra does extremely well in the snow. I am so impressed with this vehicle. I will definitely own another.

I?ve owned my Xterra XE with the 3.3L V6 for over a year now, and it has been nothing but reliable. It currently has 199k miles, and I?ve only had to do basic maintenance, a battery, valve Cover gaskets, and a starter in the 20k Miles I?ve put on it.