2002 Nissan Xterra consumer reviews

What I like about this SUV Hydraulic tail gate, easy to load in lots of stuff in trunk Spare tire underneath the car - easy to access Family friendly - Car seats easy to install in back seat Driver sits high on the highway - see distances Reliable - does not need a lot of servicing A great all around SUV fun to drive and great price for the miles!

My dad owned a 2002 Xterra XE for 4 years, purchased it in 2006 with 80k. He got it completely stripped down, just the way he liked it, with a 3.0 L 5-speed stick, crank windows, manual locks, typical. I was actually shocked it even had the nicer alloy wheels and tubular step rails, as well as a cd player! this car was nothing but GREAT to us with no major problems, and nothing but reliable. The only reason we got rid of it was becuase he was hit by a firetruck last month and it got totaled, spun around three times and hit a fence, walked right out of the car...actually walked home that day from the hospital. bottom line, great truck, worht the money, one of the best!

i have a 2002 xterra with 250000 miles and drive on the beach every year plus camping all the time plus it just eats snowy conditions. best car ive ever owned

I'll start with my minor complaints b/c after that it'll just be a schmooze-fest. Floor heat option actually burns one foot CD storage console- cant put CDs in or take out while vehicle is in park. Emergency brake is easily bumped into place Lever to lift the hood is sometimes hard to find Back seats when folded in down position are angled so if you tend to truck camp it can be rather uncomfortable. Scary driving in high wind condidtions. But---I LOVE this vehicle. It has had very few problems and considering I typically only do my regular tire checks, oil changes and filter changes that says a lot. I've driven this car up and down the west coast several times, through mountains, deserts, sandy conditions, camping, near water, in monsoons and in bumpy terrain. It's got 108k miles as of now (mid 2010) and I purchased it new in 2002 with only 13 miles on it. I hope it lasts me a long long time b/c I genuinely love this truck. I've only loved one other car in my life as a driver, my Honda CRX-Si back in the day. But once that was ready to be done, cars that came after didnt satisfy the way my Xterra does. It's a great vehicle for towing utility trailers, hauling weight, driving to and from errands, camping, water sports, and it's rugged w/out looking hillbilly. It'd be great if it got better city mileage with gas.

I bought my 2002 Xterra SE used with 123,000 miles and one year later with 140,000 miles I havent had any problems. If I could I would keep this car forever! I checked the gas milage when I first got it and it was getting 22mpgs on the highway with a stock V6. About three months later I put a programmer in it and it seems to do a little better on gas on the high way but I havent checked it yet. I would recommed this truck to anybody looking to buy an SUV and planning to actually use their truck.

I just did my 100,000 maintaince on it. If you love her and take care of her, she will do the same. I had only one problem when the AC compressor went out for $600 but in Florida, you use it 24/7. The ext. plastic grill will fade but you can paint or replace it. I am keeping mine for at least another four years. It is a great SUV for running over things. I have accidentally driven over a bush, a cement median divider, big deep pot holes, parking lot dividers, and the alignment never went out. My SUV has the 16" SE option. If I ever get another SUV, it will be a Nissan. I might need a Pathfinder now, for extra room. Owning a car requires maintaince, some people complain about doing it as a repair in reviews.

I'm 16 years old and I absolutely LOVE my 2002 Nissan Xterra SE 4X4. I was trying to find an SUV that was reliable, sporty, and good looking with the capabilities of off roading. The Nissan Xterra gave me all of that plus more. I would recommend this to any younger person who wants a nice SUV that they can have fun in. Nissan has also proved to be one of the most reliable vehicles on the road, so you won't have to worry about it breaking all the time. I get compliments on my Xterra ALL the time from people of all ages. Money WELL spent :)

Bought the 2002 X new in '02, never have had any difficulties until the odometer hit 89k...then all heck broke loose. It started with the "Service Engine Light" coming on...the Nissan tech determined from a scan on it that the knock sensor and an O2 sensor failed...why oh why Nissan put the knock sensor in the inside of the engine I'll never know...well, after $1300.00 to repair that, the light did go out. Then I had a complete brake job on it and the techs didn't check the front bearings...200 miles later I had one freeze up...another $550.00 on top of the $275.00 brake job...all this in about a month of each other...outside that, it does ride nice to and from the cash machine to withdraw money from my savings account....

this car is a lot of fun on and off road. it's also very reliable and i like the looks. the gas mileage is not all that great though..

My Xterra is a pretty good vehicle, but I'm not sure if I will buy another one when I go over 200,000 miles on this one. The Pros + For the reasons listed below, the Xterra is an awesome value for your dollar. No way you can find another vehicle for the money that offers all this. At least nothing could touch it when I bought mine back in 2002. + Reliability is unmatched by American cars. Not many people put 200,000 miles on their Fords, GMs, or Dodge vehicles, at least not without spending some major bucks on repairs. But I'm confident I will get 200 or even 300,000 miles from my Xterra. + Hauling capacity is 5,000 lbs. That's better than any minivan or small truck. You have to go huge to find vehicles that haul more, and then you'll get like 12 mpg. At 3 bucks a gallon, mileage is something to consider when shopping for a new vehicle. + The styling is fresh. Not a plain box like so many SUVs on the market. The newer Xterras stand out even more from the crowd. + The 4WD performance is great. Mine does extremely well in snow, slush, or on ice compared to most vehicles. I see an awful lot of vehicles stuck when it snows here. Because it isn't as light in the back as a pickup, I get around better than a lot of pickup trucks. The Cons + I wish the mileage were better. But compared to other SUVs, it does OK. + The back seat is too small for a midsized SUV. Adults can sit back there for a short ride, but a few hundred miles in the back seat is no fun for an adult. + The acceleration isn't that great. I have the V-6 and kinda wish I had ponied up for the supercharged version. Newer models have a lot more HP, and the mileage is about the same or a little higher. Conclusion If a friend wanted an SUV and could only afford a used one in this price range, I can recommend the 2002 Xterra, with the cautions about acceleration and back seat comfort.