NissanXterra2001Overview/nissan/xterra/2001/base/

2001 Nissan Xterra

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 Xterra.

Body SUVTransmission Manual 5-spd

The 2001 Nissan Xterra is an SUV equipped with a Manual 5-spd transmission that achieves 17/22/19 mpg and requires 3.6 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil. Reliability records for this specific year document 5 recalls and 161 total owner complaints, with Visibility identified as the top complaint area. Within the broader model complaint history covering 1999-2015, this volume places the 2001 model well below the highest year of 845 complaints in 2005, yet remains above the lowest count of 4 seen in 2013.

Model year201520142013201220112010200920082001

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.6 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque87-108 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/22/19 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 25 · 490 CCA battery, OE oil filter 152089E01A. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 25 · 490 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnTURNOEM · verified
Tire sizeP235-70R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7-J, JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter152089E01A
Engine air filter165460Z000 alt 1654686G00
Fuel filter164000W005
Spark plug224011P116 alt 224011P115
Front wiper blades288908Z300
Serpentine belt119204S100 alt 119504S100
Thermostat21200V720A alt 212000C82A
Cabin air filter27277VP02A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionManual 5-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length178 in
Overall width70.5 in
Overall height74 in
Wheelbase104.3 in
Curb weight4131 lb
Track (front / rear)60.2 / 59.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 22 / 19 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Xterra of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

10.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 10.50 sec — 2001 XE V6
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2001XE V6 3.3L V610.50 sec17.90 sec170 hp4x4
2000SE V6 3.3L V610.20 sec17.70 sec170 hp4x4
2000SE V6 3.3L V610.40 sec17.80 sec170 hp4x4
2000SE V6 3.3L V610.90 sec18.10 sec170 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.6 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 75W-90 · 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 87-108 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil75W-90 · 80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.6 Pints
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.6 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts105-112 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts141-156 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts105-110 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts62-68 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts12-14 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts28-35 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts21-25 ft-lbs
Main Bearings34-41 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts87-108 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug18.0-25.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug18.0-25.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)800 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)750 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Ignition Coil Primary Resistance1.0 approx. ohms
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance10,000 approx. ohms

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.32-1.54 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type100
Oil Capacity6.80 oz
Standard BCI Group Number25
Standard BCI Cranking Performance490 cca
Optional BCI Group Number24

Service checks

Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)43.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)34.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (Without Vacuum)43.0 psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)34.0 psi
Injector Primary Resistance13.5-17.5 ohms
Injector Primary Resistance10-14 ohms
Engine Compression178-149 PSI. 14 Maximum variation PSI.
Engine Oil Pressure60-70 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket17-22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle101-130 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.079; Rear: 0.079 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.028 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.103 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.103 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.024 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.023 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
17-9
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
110-12 ft. lbs., Step 2: 60-6510–12 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
110-12 ft. lbs., Step 2: 60-6510–12 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 6 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
243 ft. lbs.43 ft. lbs
3Loosen all bolts.
47 ft. lbs.7 ft. lbs
522 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
660-65 degrees.60–65 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
259 ft. lbs.59 ft. lbs
3Loosen all bolts completely.
418-25 ft. lbs.18–25 ft. lbs
586-91 degrees.86–91 degrees
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
12.9 ft. lbs., step 2: 6.5 ft. lbs., step 3: 5.8-72.9 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miAxle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect)
At 60,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miSteering System (inspect) · Suspension Ball Joint (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 105,000 miTiming Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2001 Nissan Xterra sits at an inflection point in its first-generation federal record. Complaints dropped from 231 in 2000 to 161 in 2001, yet investigations rose from zero to two, signaling emerging systemic concerns—particularly in visibility (37 complaints) and the fuel system (22). Recalls held steady at five, matching the prior year, while technical service bulletins (TSBs) declined from 93 to 79, suggesting Nissan was addressing early teething issues but not yet resolving deeper design flaws. The following year, 2002, saw complaints edge up slightly to 172, with investigations peaking at three, reinforcing that 2001 was a transitional year where early problems persisted but hadn’t yet triggered the recall or complaint spikes seen later in the generation (e.g., 845 complaints in 2005). With 16 crash-related and 5 fire-related complaints, the 2001 model reflects moderate risk, but its position as a mid-cycle refinement—rather than a launch or aging-year outlier—makes it a comparatively stable choice for a used purchase, provided visibility and fuel-system components are thoroughly inspected.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
79
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
161
Owner complaints
16 involved a crash · 5 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 161 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Visibility37
Fuel System, Gasoline22
Electrical System10
Air Bags9
Engine & Engine Cooling8
Wheels7
Equipment5
Structure5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E012000Exterior LightingReported 07/04/2009

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE… Remedy: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT…

06E026000Exterior LightingReported 23/03/2006

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL… Remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 79 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
NTB13-107G2024-05-20Electrical SystemVEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB17-019H2024-04-29Visibility/WiperWINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY…
NTB13-028I2024-04-29Visibility/WiperREMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See…
NTB09-081K2024-04-29Visibility/WiperWINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last…
NTB08-097L2023-09-21SteeringDIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Xterra. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 Xterra take?

3.6 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2001 Xterra have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Xterra get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 22 highway / 19 combined mpg.