Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
16–17 mpgcombined; city 14–16, highway 19–20; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$19,110–$20,300U.S. average; Ohio $17,070–$18,140 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 557 complaints with NHTSA about the 2007 Xterra. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
231
1
0
1
Fuel system, gasoline
136
0
0
0
Engine
85
0
2
0
Engine and engine cooling
75
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
63
0
2
0
Fuel system, other
32
0
0
0
Unknown or other
30
0
1
0
Electrical system
27
0
2
1
Air bags
26
2
0
4
Suspension
11
0
1
0
Vehicle speed control
7
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
6
0
1
1
17 more parts
Steering
6
0
0
0
Structure
5
0
0
0
Service brakes
4
0
0
0
Wheels
3
0
0
0
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Visibility
2
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, diesel
1
0
0
0
Interior lighting
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2007 Xterra over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
NISSAN 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, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHICH USE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT CAN ENTER INTO THE FRONT CRASH ZONE SENSOR (CZS) HOUSING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CZS MAY INTERNALLY RUST RESULTING IN A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE TO ALERT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR.
Risk: THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS. THESE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY MAIL AND WILL RECEIVE A STICKER TO PLACE IN THEIR WARRANTY BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 86 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2007 Xterra, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (17), equipment (15), air bags (11), suspension (9), power train (8).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2007 Xterra.
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Xterra Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Xterra Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 20 / 17
Xterra 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 20 / 17
Xterra 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data