I have been in three accidents, of decent speed, and my airbags never deployed. I was told to report that.
Nissan Xterra no deployment problems
39 of the 3,098 owner complaints about the Nissan Xterra describe airbags did not deploy in a crash, most of them for the 2000 model year.
- owner complaints
- 39
- worst model year
- 2000
- typical mileage
- 88,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Brake failure 2Ball joint 2Airbag light 2Slipping 1Grinding brakes 1
What owners say
The nissan was in a severe accident and the air bag never deployed. There were 4 people in car when the accident occured. The passenger side air bag did deploy and those two people receved injuries but not life threating. The drivers side where the air bag did not deploy caused significant injuries the driver had major spinal surgery inwhich she had to do rehabilitation to walk again for 8 months. The back seat passenger had to be air lifted to a hospital and 18 months later is still paralyzed and unable to walk. She is currently still in a rehabilitation home.
The contact owned a 2007 Nissan Xterra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact lost control of the steering wheel causing the vehicle to flip three times; however, the air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to her head and neck. The contact received medical attention. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
My son missed a sharp turn going approx 40 mph. Went up an embankment, off a 4 ft retaining wall and struck a guard rail with the front passenger side of the xterra. Airbags failed to deploy.
My 2002 nissan xterra's airbags failed to deploy in a collision with a telephone pole at apx. 45 MPH. The accident was on a badly maintained city street, the steering has been problematic even though I had an alignment done apx. 6 mo.s ago.
Tl* the contact owned a 2006 nissan xterra. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The vehicle rolled over several times and was destroyed; however, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained broken ribs and abdominal/torso contusions. The driver was pregnant and the unborn child was fatally injured due to the injuries. The driver received medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 nissan xterra. While stationary, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 270,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 nissan xterra. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the contact attempted to merge into another lane and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries that required medical attention. The contact's vehicle was totaled and was towed away by the insurance company. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 151,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 nissan xterra. While driving 20 MPH, the contact encountered black ice road conditions. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and attempted to regain control; however, the vehicle left the roadway, crashed into a ditch, and overturned. The contact stated that the vehicle landed on the driver's side. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained minor injuries and bruises to the hands; however, medical attention was not required. The vehicle was towed to an independent facility. A police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
On a fm road, doing approximately 60 MPH. Frontal impact with a guard rail, went over rail, hit tree. Air bags did not deploy. Driver hit steering wheel upon impact with guardrail, hit windshield with head when vehicle struck tree. (not wearing seat belt at time of impact.) vehicle has been declared a total loss. We believe the issue is, the airbag sensors.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- 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 drivers 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.
Recall number 23V067000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
- What is wrong
- Nissan has notified the federal safety agency of a defect in certain model year 2010 frontier, pathfinder, and xterra vehicles manufactured from february 22, 2010 to march 13, 2010. On some of the potentially affected vehicles, the fasteners securing the passenger front air bag module, and also the fasteners securing the steering shaft positioning bracket may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the passenger front air bag deployment trajectory might be affected. The fasteners could possibly come out of the steering column positioning bracket increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the steering column and the passenger front air bag fasteners and any missing fasteners will be replaced and all loose fasteners will be retightened to the proper torque specifications free of charge. The safety recall began on april 19, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 10V115000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal
- What is wrong
- 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.
Recall number 08V690000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, the electrical connector for the driver air bag may come loose. If the connector comes loose, the supplemental air bag warning light flashes intermittently.
- Risk
- The driver side air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a retaining clip on the clock spring electrical connector. Owner notification began april 21, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact nissan at 1‑800‑647‑7261.
Recall number 03V061000 · Recall details
Questions about the Nissan Xterra no deployment
Which Nissan Xterra years have airbags did not deploy in a crash problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2000 (8 complaints), 2003 (8 complaints) and 2002 (6 complaints).
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