The 2001 Nissan Xterra XE model came equipped with a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine. The Xterra also included many different standard features including cloth bucket front seats, 15 inch wheels, air conditioning, power steering, rear ventilation ducts, front door pockets, a cargo area light, a roof rack and rear defogger. Because the Xterra is made up of so many different parts it can be tough to tell what repairs you need to make to fix a given problem. One method to troubleshoot your 2001 Xterra is to examine the manufacturer recalls that have been issued by Nissan.
Inspect the combination corner and bumper lamps on the Xterra if the front portion of the vehicle is difficult to see from the side at night. You may have lamps that were manufactured by Sabersport that fail to conform to the United States Department of Transportation federal motor vehicle safety standards. These corner and bumper lamps do not contain an amber side reflector to allow another car to see you from the side. This decreased visibility could lead to an automobile accident. These lamps should be replaced to fix this problem.
Check the fuel-sending unit on your Nissan if your engine is not starting or suddenly stops working while you are driving. The fuel pump terminal on the fuel-sending unit may have developed a crack in the plastic molding. The crack could cause the terminal strip on the fuel-sending unit to corrode. The corrosion will cause the fuel-sending unit to eventually break and stop the fuel pump from operating altogether. You can resolve this problem by replacing the entire fuel-sending unit.
Look at the fuel intake inlet shutter valve if you see gasoline leaking underneath your Xterra. Some of the shutter valves installed on the vehicle did not meet the proper sealing performance specifications. Under certain conditions, including a high ambient temperature and when winter-grade gasoline is being sold, fuel can leak from the filler inlet as the gas tank is being filled at a gas station. If the leaking gasoline comes into contact with an ignition source a fire could start underneath your Xterra. Replace the fuel tank inlet shutter valve to take care of this issue.
