5th Sep 2004, 23:00

Sorry, I have an exterra and it's a turd. Its not made for speed by any means so yours will definitely not beat a trans am off the line. anyone know if you can get after market super chargers for the non supercharged 6 cylinder in the 2003 exterra.??

16th Apr 2007, 17:33

I own an '02 Xterra and even though it won't out run other suv's, it'll outlast the competition due to superior quality. The engine has enough pull for my purposes and it does look great. The Jeep Liberty looks 'cute' while the Xterra looks 'tough'.

19th May 2007, 16:55

Hello, I own an 02 Exterra with a S/C also. I have enjoyed its power in the past. There is a problem with mine though... It seems the engine computer periodically confuses the noise frequency emitted from the valve train and/or the supercharger as engine knock, pre-ignition, or pinging. Once this condition is detected by the knock sensor, the discussion is made to dump the supercharger into bypass mode, leaving you with only 175Hp to attempt entering traffic. This destroys your ability to pass or merge with confidence.

Have your readers ever experienced this for themselves?

What was the correction they discovered?

23rd Jul 2007, 15:28

The supercharged engine requires premium grade fuel. If you are running regular, or if your are mixing fuel grades, the computer will tune the engine down to prevent engine knock and you will greatly lose engine performance. To experience the full performance of this engine you will nee to always run premium fuel. If you are running premium fuel all the time then there is a much more serious problem and you will need to have this checked out.

31st Mar 2008, 16:13

I own a 2003 supercharged Frontier 4x4, and it's extremely underpowered for a supercharged engine. Considering the supercharger only adds 40 extra HP compared to the stock 6cyl engine, it's a joke.

I've had more mechanical problems with this vehicle than I can list here. I've got just over 100K and have had to have the ECM replaced, the power steering pump replaced, the supercharger replaced, the transmission replaced, and those are just the major things.

Given another opportunity, I would NEVER buy another Nissan if my life depended on it.

15th Jun 2008, 17:53

Some people are very quick to judge an automaker just because they have received a lemon. If you have purchased a couple of lemons, from the same automaker, then you have reason to move on. One lemon should not make your decision so easy. The choice is obviously yours, but give it another try before making a lemon the end of a possible better experience with Nissan.

2nd Nov 2009, 01:15

I have an 02 Xterra SE/SC and I must agree, I would have expected a bit more power and pull after 40 mph. I bought it with 40k on it and now has 147K... Yah I put a lot of hard miles on it in the matter of a couple of years, it has never once had any problems of any kind. The supercharger still runs strong and it really can take a Trans Am off the line and possibly through 1st gear, but you might as well give up after 35-40 mph. Automatic tranny still shifts smooth and proper. The Xterra is much better than most related trucks out there. People can say what they want, but my past Jeep Cherokee, Toyota 4runners, had nothing on my Nissan Xterra SE/SC on or offroad, dependability, and overall versatility. For a supercharged engine it has been maintenance free for the last 107k. I will buy another Nissan Xterra in the future. Oh also, my buddy just did his first engine overhaul at 250k on his 2000 Xterra. THEY LAST!!!