2000 - 2004 Nissan Xterra review

2000 - 2004 Nissan Xterra (Photo: Nissan Canada)

Nissan Xterra interior. (Photo: Nissan Canada)

The rugged Xterra with its great ground clearance and sporty look almost asks to take it on a camping trip or off-road.
Introduced as a 2000 model, the Xterra offered truck-like construction with good off-road capability and very basic interior with large cargo space. Although thirsty on gas, it was fairly reliable, simply-built truck.

Based on the Frontier pick-up truck, the 2000-2004 Xterra had body-on-frame design with double-wishbone front suspension and solid rear axle with leaf springs. It was available as rear- or four-wheel drive, with the choice of V6 or 4-cylinder engines and 4-speed automatic or five speed manual transmissions. Anti-lock brakes were standard.

The interior was rather plain-looking with basic controls. Rear seats fold flat, but to do that you have to remove the bottom seat cushions.

With its great ground clearance and body-on-frame construction, the Xterra felt a bit bulky and, of course, it drove like a truck. It had great maneuverability and good off-road capability, but even with the V6 engine felt somewhat underpowered.

Engine

The 2000-2004 Nissan Xterra was offered with the choice of 2.4L 4-cylinder or 3.3L V6 engine.
The 2.4-liter 4-cylinder DOHC engine was a pretty good reliable engine, but for this truck, it was underpowered. This engine has a long-lasting timing chain - there is no timing belt to replace.
The 3.3-liter V6 SOHC was also a bit slow on pick-up, but for daily use, it was pretty good, durable, simple engine. This engine has a timing belt that needs to be replaced at recommended intervals. The SE model offered a supercharged version of the same engine with more power.

Strengths

- Affordable, good value for the money
- Good off-road capabilities
- Maneuverable, small turning radius
- Plenty of cargo space, including the roof rack
- Fairly reliable and dependable

Weaknesses

- Poor gas mileage
- Seats are not very comfortable in a long run
- Bulky ride
- Quality of interior materials
- Slow pick-up
- To fold down rear seats, the seat cushion needs to be removed.

Overall

The 2000-2004 Xterra was pretty reliable, simple and relatively easy to maintain truck with good off-road capability. I'd recommend to avoid models with a supercharger - it adds too much load on the engine causing it to wear faster. In addition, models with supercharger require premium gasoline.
Check more Used SUV reviews

What to look for buying a used Nissan Xterra

As a first step, check the used car history records. A history report may help you to uncover some of the problems the car might have in the past such as accidents, flood damage, rolled back odometer, etc. Follow this link: How to check used car history
- Check the service records if available - it's important to verify that the car was properly maintained.
- If the "check engine" light is on, have the problem assessed before buying a car; in worst cases repair might be very expensive.
- Black soot in the exhaust or a smoke may indicate excessive oil consumption.
- Look for signs of corrosion.
- Look for coolant leaks - they were not uncommon.
Learn more what to look for when buying a used car
- Prior purchase have the car inspected by a mechanic of your choice.
Shop wisely, check few cars to compare; it's worth to pay a little extra for a well-maintained vehicle in good condition. Check our step-by-step used car buying guide for more information.
Some models may be costly to insure. Get the insurance quotes first.
Consider an extended warranty to protect from unexpected repair costs.

Few maintenance tips

- Wash and wax your truck regularly to protect the paint.
- If you live in the area with high humidity, rustproofing will help to protect the car body from corrosion.
- Regular oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Rear drum brakes need periodical servicing.
- Overheating can cause serious engine problems.
- Change transmission fluid regularly using only original transmission fluid.
- Don't forget, you also have front and rear differential and transfer case fluids to change.
- If your Xterra has a limited-slip differential, make sure to use the correct oil.
- Stick with original parts.
- Follow recommended maintenance schedule and keep all the fluids clean and topped up.
- At least once a year have your car inspected in a garage on the lift (e.g when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. Many components (e.g brakes, steering, suspension) cannot be properly inspected by simple visual inspection at fast lube places; the car must be on the lift.
Check more Car maintenance tips

2004 Nissan Xterra short specifications

Links

If you are looking for Service Manual

If you need a repair manual with diagnostic procedures, check engine codes description, wiring diagrams, maintenance schedule, component location, technical service bulletins, recalls, etc, follow this link: Where to find repair manual

by Vlad Samarin