Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Nissan Xterra Manual Transmission Problems

124»

Comments

  • Just_PeachyJust_Peachy Member Posts: 17
    I spent an hour on the phone to the guys at Jim Wolf I highly recommend to anyone giving them a go. True Nissan put a smaller clutch in a vehicle designed to take a bigger one. Thanks for those numbers, the calculated difference is nearly 35% more surface than the JWTand better materials. For those that don't understand materials, it doesn't mean it will last 35% longer, it means that you have 35% more safety margin before the clutch goes beyond the temperature of no return. It could mean the difference betwen 30k and 300k. I took Nissan to the automotive funded arbitration facility in Canada and for the skeptics that think they are biased, they ruled in my favour!!
    xterraclutch@hotmail.com
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Please don't include your email address in postings to the Forums. :)

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • mjclivermoremjclivermore Member Posts: 1
    2008 Xterra Off Road. You would think that a product that has off road in it would have a clutch that did not burn out at 44,000 miles. Even if you did a lot of off roading, which I did not.
  • jackbearjackbear Member Posts: 1
    Clutch failed completely on my 2007 Off Road at 20,500 miles. With 56 years of driving manual transmissions almost exclusively I have never had a premature clutch failure like this.
    After reading the comments on this site and others I bypassed talking to the service reps at the dealer and went directly to the service manager and the general manager, who I had dealt with when I bought the truck.
    No problem in getting a warranty repair. Service manager pointed out to me that the powertrain warranty - 60 months or 60,000 miles - included the clutch cover, which is Nissanspeak for the pressure plate. I didn't get to see the actual parts, but the repair paperwork described the clutch as inoperative because of "defective pressure plate, one of the prongs was bad".
    Parts replaced were the clutch disc, cover (pressure plate), and the release bearing.
    Told me that they had also ordered a replacement flywheel, but the original was not damaged and didn't need replacement.
    This experience leads me to suspect that the problem with obtaining warranty repair may lie as much with a particular dealership as with Nissan corporate.
    Certainly I will be on the lookout for any early warning of clutch failure in the future. If it happens again and I have to pay for it I probably will go to a hopefully heavier duty aftermarket clutch.
  • orbframeorbframe Member Posts: 2
    http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f8/jwt-clutch-flywheel-group-buy-3-a-65786/

    JWT Clutch and Flywheel combo for only 695 + shipping.... We're trying to get a few more in on this...

    I'm tired of my stock clutch, and the REPLACEMENT stock clutch, going out after only 40k miles. I've driven manual transmissions for 14 years now and "skill" is not the issue...
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    I want to get in on this but I may not be able to wait very long. How close are you to the required ten?
  • offroadmikeoffroadmike Member Posts: 5
    Clutch on my 2005 Xterra just failed at about 59K miles-totally unexpected. In this case, very little warning of a problem-one week vehicle was fine, and the next week the clutch was slipping big-time, as opposed to one other clutch failure I've experienced (after more than 100K miles) where ample warning (gradually increasing slippage) in advance of total failure were evident.

    This unexpected clutch problem also happened 1 week before a challenging, difficult 4WD back country trip into Utah that I planned to use the vehicle for. I'm very lucky it failed in the city, and not out there. It would have been really tough to tow the vehicle out with the other SUVs on the trip, or very expensive (like $3000 more or less) to have it hauled out to pavement. But that would by my expense and problem, not Nissan's, eh.

    I've had other sticks and certainly know how to get long life from a clutch-this an inadequate/undersized parts issue, and not a driver issue, as many others on this site have said.

    I found this Edmunds website and see that lots of you'll have this same problem w/ these Xterra clutches. Information sharing is power! Tx to this website, I'm not wasting my $$ on inadequate Nissan replacement clutch parts. This will be a $2K repair, and I dont want to go thru this again in 30-40K miles, and risk a breakdown in some remote, hard to get to place.

    On 4/19/11 I ordered JWT replacement parts, at about $1000 (clutch, flywheel, TO bearing, bushing) total. Can I get in on some kind of group discount w/ others who have this problem, for these JWT replacement parts?
  • mysportmysport Member Posts: 19
    2006 MT Well after 3 clutches (3rd done at aamco), failed gas gauge (got $ back when recall finally happened), faulty electric window (body shop repair), rear diff/trans repair ($2300 at aamco). What an incredible experience - even with previous american cars it wasn't this bad from product to service to 'customer service' WOW. Nissan, hard lesson learned. - getting another toyota and cannot wait! :lemon:
  • dustidustidustidusti Member Posts: 2
    I am now on my 3rd cluth for my nissan off road xterra 2008. The last clutch went out under 4,000 miles. In my 25 years of driving a stick, I have only had one clutch go out on my after 187,000 miles. They are says its wear and tear. We are not recieving any satisfaction and may be forced to sue.
  • dustidustidustidusti Member Posts: 2
    My 2008 off road xterra is siting at the dealership, it needs a clutch replaced. This is the 3rd clutch to be replaced. It has under 23,000 miles on it. This last clutch has under 4k miles.
  • offroadmikeoffroadmike Member Posts: 5
    Just had my 2005 Xterra clutch (failed at about 59K) rebuilt w/ Jim Wolf Technology (JWT) repl. parts (see previous message #166 about my clutch problem).

    It took about 4 weeks to get the JWT clutch parts (I elected not to throw good money after bad on more quickly available, but inferior undersized Nissan replacement parts). Ben w/JWT seemed pretty familiar with this Xterra clutch problem issue.

    Total cost parts and labor (new clutch installed by a local independent garage) around $2K.

    So far so good on the new clutch. Hopefully I wont have to go through this again as long as I have the vehicle. I'm also replacing the basic pretty lousy sound system with an after-market upgrade. Starting to wonder how good overall this Nissan product really is. Time will tell.
  • agatkaagatka Member Posts: 4
    Just filed the complaine with nhtsa.dot.gov about my clutch that failed last year at 20 KM on my 2007 xterra. I hope the govermanet will help us consumers to get NISSAN to take care of this problem.
  • winchester44winchester44 Member Posts: 4
    Hi, I'm new to this thread, but wanted to add my experience.

    I purchased an '06 Xterra 6spd Off Road Edition a little over a year and a half ago.
    I bought it with 40K miles on it and in 1.5 years I have put 26K more miles of virtually
    all highway driving. I had read earlier posts about the short lifespan of the clutch and babied
    it around town religiously and have yet to have the chance to tackle anything tougher than a few inches of snow. Well, with no warning it started slipping very badly this morning and I drove
    it straight to a trusted independent transmission shop. Well, the clutch is definitely toast. I guess I should consider myself lucky to have gotten 66K miles out if the factory clutch, but still that's a absolute disgrace that it should last that little time.

    The transmission shop said they have seen a number of these and that the clutch is woefully undersized for an suv and is smaller than some 4 cylinder FWD clutches they see.

    Anyhow, we talked about an OEM clutch, but they strenuously argued against it even though it was more expensive. With their reccomendation, they are going to install a Luke brand clutch that the shop paid $394 and will charge another $700 in labor, including re-surfacing the flywheel. I asked about a Centerforce, but they said they would reccomend switching to a single mass flywheel if I were to go that route and didn't reccomend it unless I was towing or doing alot of off-roading or the flywheel already needed replacing too. He did say that would be probably last "a little bit longer" , but a the expense of the smoother engagement of the dual mass flywheel. I looked into the JWT clutch too, but it would be at least a week to get one. I was told that the Luke brand is only sold direct to transmission shops and you would have a tough time getting one via retail. The mechanic claimed he has put in over a hundred of the Luke clutches in Fronteirs/Xterras and has only seen one come back for replacement. This is just one mechanics opinion, but I and several freinds have had excellent expriences at this shop. He even put his supplier on speaker so I could hear the prices being discussed and watch him write down everything to calculate the total quote.

    On another note I called the local Nissan dealership for a laugh and asked what they would charge. First they insisted that they knew the flywheel would have to replaced as well as the clutch and this would cost at least $2600. I insisted on just repalcing the clutch and they said $1900 plus they would have to mail my flywheel out to be re-surfaced for another "Several hundred in shop fees and shipping". This is the same dealership that charged me $400 for a brake service on my wife's G37 and then informed me at checkout that is was "$400 per axle"
    Needless to say the ensuing screaming match in front of other waiting patrons resulted in a deduct.

    I just bought the wife a brand new Murano and she loves it, I love my Xterra too. Nothing else has gone wrong and it has been a great car. That being said, one more service experience like this and the CEO will be getting a letter about why we sold our Nissans and went back to 4 Runners. My last one, a 99 went 285K miles with zero unscheduled maintenance and zero mechanical or electrical failures.

    Anyhow, just wanted to share my experiences with the other disgruntled owners out there. I will report back in a few months on the Luke clutch and tell you how its working out.
  • winchester44winchester44 Member Posts: 4
    Did you happen to purchase the JWT single mass Flywheel along with your clutch? My stock Nissan unit has a solid 3 inches of play in it after only 60K miles! That is just ridiculous. The cheapest dual mass unit I could find was $550 and Nissan wants just under $800 for their OEM unit. The JWT single mass in $450. Anyhow just wondering if you bought that too as I'm guessing you did from the $2K you invested. Anyhow, just curious on what the change to a lighterweight single mass unit does to the drivability.
  • winchester44winchester44 Member Posts: 4
    Just confirmed with local Nissan Dealership that the Dual mass Flywheel
    is also a general wear item and is not covered under the "60K Mile Powertrain Warranty". A $780 wear item has got to be some sort of record.
  • offroadmikeoffroadmike Member Posts: 5
    I purchased the JWT flywheel LVQ40-NF000, and clutch assembly LVQ40-NC000, per my invoice. Took 3+ weeks to get it (flywheel was the holdup). Cost was just under $1K, and they included a TO bearing and bushing, and included shipping.

    New clutch setup seems good so far. It was installed by a local independent shop that didnt get things totally right the first time and I had to take it back for minor glitches. Clutch pedal pressure seems lighter, a little surprising given that this is a heavier-duty clutch than the OEM stuff. Its a different feel, and a bit more abrupt and jerky than the Nissan clutch, but just a matter of getting use to it.

    Gave the "X" a heck of a workout this weekend doing some really serious off-roading. No abuse, just used the vehicle as it's supposed to be designed for. Clutch held up fine. So, so far, so good.
  • winchester44winchester44 Member Posts: 4
    Pedal force is amazingly light with the new JWT flywhell and Luk Clutch (Its actually LUK, but pronounced "Luke"". I would say at most 1/2 of the previous force required or maybe even less. It will be "abrubpt and jerky" until your muscle memory adjsuts. This is pretty common with all new clutches as they bite hard. I was worried that going from a single mass to a dual mass would add additional drivetrain vibration and just not be as smooth. However, paying just a little more attention than normal and you can drive it extremely smoothly and there is no additional vibration that I can notice. It revs about the same from what I can tell and the "lightweight" flywheel doesn't seem to make much of difference in that regard. I took photos of the stock flywheel and clutch and will post them if their is any interest.
  • offroadmikeoffroadmike Member Posts: 5
    Took the "X: this past week on a reasonable (but challenging at times) above-timberline 4WD trip into the CO San Juan Mtns. Jim Wolf clutch doing fine so far, and I dont expect any addl. problems. Time will tell.
  • dr_dustydr_dusty Member Posts: 1
    The clutch on my wife's 2008 off-road failed within 36000 miles (probably more like 25,000 miles) but I missed the 36 month deadline. We took the car to the dealer at the suggestion of my normal mechanic because of a leaky pinion seal which they thought should be covered under warranty. After inspecting vehicle the Service Manager said that once the 36 month or 36,000 mile deadline has passed, the Dealer needs approval from Nissan to do warranty work. Fortunately, when I first dropped off the Xterra for service, I spoke to one of the Sales Managers about the future purchase of a Leaf and a car for my daughter. After I was informed of the lack of warranty coverage for these problems, I did a significant amount of complaining to the original Sales Manager and then the General Manager. Following this, they agreed to replace the pinion seal as a warranty repair but they said the Clutch is considered to be a maintenance item. I have purchased a Centerforce II clutch which will be installed since the OEM clutch is obviously of poor quality; I plan to have a new slave cylinder installed as well. Originally we purchased the ’08 Xterra because it was the only SUV-Type vehicle with a manual transmission that has adequate towing capability for our 18.5 foot/ inboard bow rider. Most others similar vehicles are the usual “PUVs” that are on the market today. Unfortunately, the clutch was the weak link, although the pinion seal failing at 36,000 miles is a bad sign. Hopefully this improved clutch will provide the needed improvement in performance.
  • fourclutchesfourclutches Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Xterra is sitting in the shop awaiting a clutch. First went out after 2800 miles. The dealer told me I was riding the clutch. After a lecture he replaced it. It went out again after 58K and they told me it was out of warranty. Now at 78K it has gone out again and left me abandoned 100 miles from home. I am looking at the JWT. Please go the the NHTA website there are not many entries there
  • offroadmikeoffroadmike Member Posts: 5
    My JWT replacement clutch is holding up just fine at this point. Replaced the original Nissan clutch at about 59K miles, and now have about 63.5K miles on the "X", or about 4.5K miles on the JWT clutch assembly. So, so far so good on this new clutch.
  • mysportmysport Member Posts: 19
    Well as promised we got rid of our Xterra just did a 4th clutch replacement. Engine light kicked on as well - disconnecting the battery for a spell fixed that. Bye Nissan :lemon: , Hello Toyota :P .
  • 1highplains1highplains Member Posts: 1
    Parked, my xterra 2010 standard transmission won't shift into any gear. It appears to shift into reverse (I'm trying to back out of my driveway), but as soon as torque is applied to clutch the gears grind and the transmission kicks back into neutral. It was in high 4wd to plow through snow when it entered driveway. Any ideas?
  • borik1234borik1234 Member Posts: 5
    Check for oil leaks under the car... i had similar problems on Isuzu Rodeo when I didn't fill enough oil in the transmission case.
  • ajayi1966ajayi1966 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2001 nissan xterra. it slightly overheats. after working for about 20 minutes it makes a knocking sound inside the engine as if the engine will knock. How can i solve the overheating and also stop the knocking sound.
  • barsomautobarsomauto Member Posts: 2
    We had been dealing with the damaged internal TCM for Nissan Xterras. We did not find a logical explanation for the TCM to go bad. We opened the TCM completely and found the nasty stuff that damaged the TCM. See our findings. link Here
  • barsomautobarsomauto Member Posts: 2
    Most likely you have a piston knock. Some of this engines had problem with pistons. Engine may have to be disassembled.
  • drakeksedrakekse Member Posts: 1
    I ordered my Xterra Off-road directly from Nissan, it took about 60 days for it to come in. I picked it up in April 2010, just in time for the summer to pull my wake-board boat around! The X-terra is my 4th Nissan w/ manual transmission. Bore this I have owned: 01 Sentra SE(5-SPD), 04 Sentra SPEC-V(6-SPD), & 07 Altima SE(6-SPD). I have never had any transmission or clutch problem with any of these vehicles. So, I think it is pretty safe to say I Know how to drive a manual transmission! That being said, the clutch went out @ 6,500 mi. Thankfully it went out the day before a 10 1/2 hour road trip to Chicago. I took it to the dealership and the Tech immediately thought it was due to abuse or lack of experience, that is until he realize who's truck it was. The dealership replace the clutch under warranty. Fast forward 2 year from the purchase date, the truck has just under 24,000 miles and the clutch is starting to act up just like it did just before it went out the first time. I can feel the clutch slipping as I change gears and the RPM gauge is darting up and down with out me doing anything. Usually you can smell the clutch the few time you ride it hard, but the last couple days I smell it every time I drive it. I have an apt to get it looked at tomorrow, but I'm glad to find this forum and know it isn't just me.
  • roland505roland505 Member Posts: 1
    No, it's not you.
    I bought my Nissan Xterra S, 2012 last November.
    A month ago, while driving at I-40 my clutch just broke, out of the blue, down hard stuck on the floor.
    I had it towed to Melloy Nissan here in Albuquerque.
    The total miles my odometer recorded was at 2810 miles, you see; I had it for only 4 months and I already lost the entire clutch assembly and the fly wheel.
    My first car was a Honda Del Sol 1992-1997 it was a manual, followed by Honda CR-V 1997-2008 another manual and Honda CR-Z which I drove for a year; another manual; before I decided to trade it in for an Xterra.
    They were still blaming me for the clutch, but they replaced it under warranty because they still can't understand why it broke at 2810 miles.
    I've been reading a lot about Nissan Xterra's pre 2006 and after 2006 regarding bad clutches and it was a big issue, if you just google it.
    I was trying to have them replace my Xterra with a new one, but they wont.
    I know I will have to keep this car, but I will let everyone in the world know I got a lemon. I am also keeping a record of the repairs they made, starting at 2810 miles. I have 3100 miles in it now, gingerly driving it, so that I don't get blamed the next time.
    Definitely will trade it in next year for a Honda or Toyota.
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    91K on '06 Off Road and I'm having trouble shifting into reverse. My 4th clutch will be a JWT clutch and fly wheel. Also the cat converter needs replacing. This is my third and Last Nissan.
  • phxjeffphxjeff Member Posts: 4
    I drive a 2008 Off Road Xterra purchased new. First clutch went out at 4000 mile, second at 9000 miles third at 15000 miles and recent one at 24000 miles. First three were OEM. Fourth was a JWT clutch. Shop said flywheel was okay, but I suspect the flywheel should have been replaced. I am now trying a Centerforce system with new OEM flywheel. BTW, these flywheels are rather strange. They are several pieces and seem loose. I have driven standard transmission vehicles all my life including several muscle cars. I do not drive off the road, don't pull anything am retires so no rush hour stop and go. I do not ride the clutch. I think there must be a design problem, but just what has me baffled.
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    At 93K had to install 4th clutch in my 2006 Off Road. I went to a JWT clutch and flywheel. Hope this will be the last clutch I ever install in the last Nissan I'll ever own. Had to install cat converter at the same time. What a :lemon:
  • milemakermilemaker Member Posts: 3
    '05 Xterra.
    Shifter sticks either "up" or "down" when shifting to reverse. It seems totally random. One time it will push down and enter the shift gate no problem. Next time will not push down at all, resulting in no reverse. Next time remain pushed down. Seems to show up more after vehicle has been running. i.e. not first thing upon cold start. I have had it apart twice. The return spring is o.k, and I cleaned and greased the nylon "guide". Anybody else seeing this problem???
  • nomorenissan2nomorenissan2 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Xterra in June 2010 it is a 4x4 manual gearbox. I had to wait close on 3 months to get this heap as the dealership here in Florida didn't see the reason to have 4x4 suvs here in Florida as there is no use for them... I have been driving a stick since I got my driving license in Africa since I was 16 some 38 years ago. I actually learned to drive a stick at the age of 14 at my fathers factory where I drove a 1300cc datsun panel van (pick up truck) with column gears. At the age of 18 I went into the army where we used to have many Nissan Trucks that were converted into armored vehicles all sticks. I left Africa and went to the UK at the age of 25 where I drove Nissans all sorts of models till I left in 2006 and came to the USA. Well back to the Xterra after 14022 miles the clutch exploded completely no plate left at all the fly wheel had been blue hot I have pictures. Then at 16760 miles the gearbox had to be changed out as all the syncros had gone too and you could not change gears. Well since then I have complained of intermittent clutch slip which I think is contributed to it getting too hot and now the syncros are going again at 20800 miles. Of course according to the dealership I'm riding the clutch. At that my comment is mmmmm.. How come I have driven a stick for 38years now without any clutch or gearbox trouble ever, now its me. Not only that I also have a Nissan Versa the gearbox was taken out and replaced at less than 4000 miles and guess what the clutch is also begining to slip at 30000 miles. And just for the record for all of you American drivers of Nissan your car is very inferior to the models sold in Europe. Fuel milage is worse here safety features are pathectic here, suspension, gearbox etc etc I could go on for ever. By the way I also used to race road course in the UK and never blew a clutch whilst doing that either!
  • milemakermilemaker Member Posts: 3
    I will answer my own post as I have fixed this problem.
    Turns out it was the small nylon bushing attached to the very bottom of the shifter. This bushing is what connects the shifter to the linkage. When you depress the shifter to enter the reverse safety gate this bushing is required to push down into the linkage bore. Mine was damaged...Somehow??...Anyway it was causing it to randomly stick in the bore. Unfortunately, this 50 cent bushing is not replaceable. New shifter required. $217.00 Canadian, 3 week wait. I also replaced the transmission top that the shifter and spring seat into. $ 58.00.
    Shifts into reverse perfectly....For now :>
  • sjoffroadsjoffroad Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2013
    I've got to chime in here and give my experience with my X. I bought it new in 07' and have abused it since. I've jumped it, I've towed an 18ft car hauler weighing over 6k lbs over 2000mi. I've towed 10k a few times around town. Its has had a hard life. I'm at 105k miles right now and just starting to feel the clutch give.
    I've decided to purchase a JWT flywheel and clutch setup for its obvious benefits and reliability. Maybe I got lucky but I dont ever ride the clutch. I do religiously downshift to help the brakes out, So much so that when I changed out the brakes at 85k miles, the pads still looked new!
    I seriously love this thing. Aside from a Battery and the fuel tank sending unit malfunctioning, this is the only major part I've purchased. So $900 for 105k miles is Well worth it. :)
  • johnwaynextjohnwaynext Member Posts: 1
    2012 Xterra Pro 4-X
    The ABS brake light comes on and goes off randomly. While it is on the vehicle will not engage in 4 wheel drive, when the light goes out it engages quickly into 4 wheel drive. My dealership is going to look at it next week. Has any one else had this issue come up? thanks..
  • hargshargs Member Posts: 1
    I have to replace my clutch twice now as well. Nissan should be looking to fix this problem.
  • stickman409stickman409 Member Posts: 16
    Hey, they've had the problem since 2006. They are not interested in solving the problem. Heck, they won't even admit they have a problem. They blame it on your driving. :lemon: :lemon:
  • lipphartlipphart Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 03 Xterra brand new and now have 128,000 miles on it. I am currently still driving on the original clutch. Knock on wood!!!
  • grumpydadgrumpydad Member Posts: 1

    Frustrated by continual serious clutch noise / vibrations felt in pedal in my 2012 Xterra Pro X and Nissan's assertion that this is "normal" - even after they changed out the throw out bearing after. Looking for suggestions on where to turn?

  • crash_12crash_12 Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2016
    87,000 miles on my 06 and no clutch problems. There is an issue with the dual mass flywheel, which is common on a lot of vehicles with dmf. I personally hate dmf especially on vehicles that can tow. But it doesn't matter how long you have driven a manual, because times change. The way you drive one vehicle may not work with another due to the type of parts used. I've driven manuals since I was 16, 13 years, and through a variety of economy cars, heavy trucks, muscle cars, performance euro cars, modified turbo cars and all need to be handled differently. I also tested many vehicles for several manufacturers for vehicle durability. Two cars I've owned, 2012 Chevy Cruze and 2006 Xterra, have had these clutch complaints. The Cruze has a small engine and tiny clutch on a heavy car and takes understanding of what needs to be done. The Xterra has a powerful engine coupled with a dual mass flywheel which can lead to extra wear as it flexes to smooth out drivetrain and reduce shock.

    These newer vehicles do not have the old strong clutches. I don't exactly like many new clutches, and hate DMF!, but they will do fine. Also have to remember, clutches are wear items just like brakes
Sign In or Register to comment.