2011 Nissan Xterra

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
17–18 mpgcombined; city 15–16, highway 20–22; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$18,050–$19,110U.S. average; Ohio $16,120–$17,070 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
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedlowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
24filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Air bags9000
Engine5000
Electrical system4000
Tires2000
Electronic stability control (ESC)1000
Engine and engine cooling1000
Fuel/propulsion system1000
Power train1000
Steering1000
Structure1000
Suspension1000

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.

  1. 2006780
  2. 2007557
  3. 2008119
  4. 200919
  5. 201038
  6. 201124
  7. 201216
  8. 20134
  9. 201410
  10. 201510

Every Xterra year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2011 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.

Air bags: frontal

NHTSA campaign 23V067000 · reported Feb 10, 2023 · 404,690 vehicles potentially affected

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.

Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.

NHTSA's record and documents

Engine and engine cooling

NHTSA campaign 11V592000 · reported Dec 19, 2011 · 14,718 vehicles potentially affected

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER AND THE ENGINE OIL FILTER TO THE ENGINE IN THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO BELOW SPECIFICATION STRENGTH. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY BREAK AT THE OIL FILTER ATTACHMENT POINT AND CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE OIL LEAK.

Risk: IF THERE IS AN ENGINE OIL LEAK, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP AND THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 99 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 Xterra, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (23), equipment (20), air bags (11), wheels (10), service brakes (8).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

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 2011 Xterra.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Xterra
Rear-Wheel Drive		4.0 L, 6 cylAutomatic 5-spdRegular Gasoline16 / 22 / 18
Xterra
4-Wheel Drive		4.0 L, 6 cylAutomatic 5-spdRegular Gasoline15 / 20 / 17
Xterra
4-Wheel Drive		4.0 L, 6 cylManual 6-spdRegular Gasoline16 / 20 / 17

Sources and dates

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