VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 2005-2013 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER, AND XTERRA; DRIVER AIR BAG COVER CAMPAIGN ID #: PC945 and PC948 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2005-2013 Frontier (D40) 2005-2012 Pathfinder (R51) 2005-2013 Xterra (N50) Check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History to confirm campaign eligibility. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary safety recall campaign on certain specific model year 2005-2012 Pathfinder, and 2005-2013 Frontier and Xterra vehicles to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Driver Air Bag Cover. This service will be performed at no charge to the customer for parts or labor. IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Nissan has assigned identification
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2010 Nissan Xterra airbags problems
severe Owners of the 2010 Nissan Xterra have filed 10 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
10
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2006 Xterra | 18 |
| 2007 Xterra | 24 |
| 2008 Xterra | 21 |
| 2009 Xterra | 5 |
| 2010 Xterra (this page) | 10 |
| 2011 Xterra | 9 |
| 2012 Xterra | 4 |
1crash
2injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 10 airbags complaints filed for the 2010 Nissan Xterra, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 75,000-100,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Airbags accounts for 26% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 3 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Air Bag Control Unit Reprogram Voluntary Service Campaign UPDATE January 5, 2018 The announcement from October 6, 2017 has been revised: - Dealers may now use revised TSB NTB17-070 to resume repair of 2004-2006 model year vehicles. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN 2004-2011 TITAN, AND 2005-2011 FRONTIER AND XTERRA; AIR BAG DIAGNOSIS SENSOR UNIT This bulletin has been amended. The reprogramming procedure has been revised. No other changes have been made. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Air Bag Control Unit Reprogram Voluntary Service Campaign Temporary suspension of this campaign on all affected 2004-2006 model year vehicles. Nissan is aware of reprogramming concerns on 2004-2006 models subject to P7318 Air Bag Control Unit Reprogramming and is working diligently with the supplier to provide a solution. In the interim, Nissan recommends dealers suspend reprogramming activity on all 2004-2006 models until a software remedy is available. These models will continue to be identified in Service Comm and DBS National Service History with an open P7318 campaign. Nissan will provide an update as soon as revised software is available. Please discard previous versions of this bullet
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Air Bag Control Unit Reprogram Voluntary Service Campaign ***** Campaign Summary***** Nissan is committed to customer satisfaction. Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Service Campaign to reprogram the Air Bag Control Unit (ACU) in 2004-2014 Titan, 2005-2014 Frontier, and 2005-2014 Xterra vehicles. The current ACU rollover-sensing calibration logic could allow for unintended curtain air bag deployment in rare instances occurring under certain unique driving scenarios, usually involving unpaved roads or off-road where one side of the vehicle is higher than the other. The ACU reprogramming will improve rollover-sensing calibration to address certain unique driving scenarios, and help prevent unin
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2010 Xterra airbag system shows a pattern of failures across multiple fault modes. Spiral cable defects in the steering column disable both airbags and seat belts, with one dealership calling it "common" and charging $460 for out-of-warranty repair. Occupancy sensors fail and go unsupported—one dealer told an owner to pull a used unit from a junkyard and install it themselves. Warning lights flash and reset repeatedly without resolving the underlying problem, sometimes coinciding with horn failures.
More critically, owners report airbag control module reprogramming during recall service that either failed to fix the issue or created new ones: one vehicle had rollover airbags deploy on a dirt road with no rollover event occurring. The most severe complaint documents complete driver-side airbag non-deployment in a severe frontal crash that caused spinal fracture requiring surgery and rehabilitation in the driver and paralysis in a rear passenger—while the passenger-side bag deployed normally, suggesting a localized system failure.
A recall for automatic airbag deployment (Campaign 23V067000) remains pending for some owners, with parts unavailable. One owner reported being told to pay for a diagnostic light reset before the dealer would address the recall itself.
Same Nissan Xterra airbags reports on nearby years: 2007 · 2008
Failure modes owners describe
Spiral cable fault in steering column
Defective spiral cable in steering column disables airbags and seat belts. Dealership identified as common problem. Repair cost $460 out-of-warranty.
When: Mileage not specified; vehicle at least 10 years old
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light illuminated; Airbags disabled/non-functional; Seat belts deactivated
Repairs/costs cited: Spiral cable replacement, $460
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No warranty coverage; owner told to wear seat belt as substitute safety measure
Unintended rollover airbag deployment
Rollover airbags deployed on dirt road with no rollover condition occurring. Event happened after dealership performed airbag control module reprogramming recall service. Dealership claims system registered rollover conditions but could not explain what triggered deployment.
When: After airbag control module reprogramming recall completed
Symptoms owners cite: Rollover airbags deployed without rollover event; Unsafe deployment on dirt road driving
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Airbag control module reprogramming per recall (NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000)
Passenger side airbag sensor failure
Occupancy sensor in passenger seat broke and cannot detect presence of passenger. Nissan declared part obsolete and no longer supported. Dealership suggested owner source used part from junkyard and self-install.
When: 10 years old, 163k miles
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag sensor inoperative; Sensor unable to detect occupant in seat
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer suggested pulling seat cushion/sensor from junkyard vehicle and self-installing; no factory support available
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Nissan no longer supports the part; no repair option offered
Airbag warning light steady flash
Airbag warning light illuminates with steady flashing pattern. Owner suspects corrosion issue in sensor due to coastal/high-humidity environment. No actual airbag failure documented, but warning indicates system malfunction.
When: Coastal area residence; mileage/timing not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light flashes continuously; Light flashes again after reset after short mileage
Airbag warning light with horn non-function
Airbag warning light flashes and resets but returns after short driving. Horn simultaneously non-functional. Both devices may share electrical circuit or sensor fault.
When: Mileage/timing not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Airbag warning light flashes repeatedly; Horn inoperative after airbag light reset
Airbag non-deployment in severe crash
Driver-side airbag did not deploy during severe accident with four occupants. Passenger-side airbag deployed normally. Driver-side failure resulted in catastrophic injuries: driver required major spinal surgery and 8-month rehabilitation; rear passenger required air lift to hospital and remains paralyzed 18 months post-accident.
When: Accident event; vehicle age/mileage not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Driver-side airbag complete failure to deploy in frontal impact; Passenger-side airbag deployed as designed
Synthesized from 10 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 5 most recent
Airbag light flashes when light is reset it flashes again after a few miles horn doesn't work unable to warn other drivers & pedestrians
The airbag light came on and steadily flashes. I live in a coastal area with high humidity and am concerned that this is a corrosion issue in the sensor
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…
After getting the air bag control module reprogrammed per the recall, I was on a dirt road and the rollover airbags deployed when they shouldn’t have. The dealership I got the recall done at is claiming the airbag system registered “rollover conditions”. When I asked what the conditions were they told me they were unable to provide them. I am concerned either their reprogramming didn’t fix the…
My air bag sensor light came on, took it to the dealership they told me that my air bags have been disabled because of a fault in the spiral cable in my steering column. They told me the part cost $460 to replace. They said it was a common problem which caused the seat belts to be deactivated. They told me to fix it I would have to pay because it was no longer under warranty. It seems to me that…
Had airbags trouble with your 2010 Nissan Xterra?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2010 Nissan Xterra?
It's a meaningful issue. 10 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 10 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 105,000 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2010/Nissan/Xterra.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.