2009 Nissan Xterra

midsize SUV / 4-door SUV

2009 Nissan Xterra 4-door SUV
2007 Nissan Xterra shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2005-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2007 Nissan Xterra S 4-door 4wd

The Nissan Xterra was redesigned for the 2005 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

During rebound, the dummy's head hit only the head restraint as indicated by smeared greasepaint.

Forces on both lower legs and feet were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0717
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 10
Left (cm) 10
Center (cm) 13
Right (cm) 10
Brake pedal (cm) 3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 6
Rearward (cm) -3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0717
Head
HIC-15 474
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm) 12
Maximum Nij 0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm) 35
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.8
Femur force - right (kN) 0.5
Knee displacement - left (mm) 10
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.93
Maximum tibia index - right 0.31
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 3.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 4.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 159
Right 160

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2009-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2007 Nissan Xterra S 4-door 4wd with optional front and rear head curtain airbags with optional front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Nissan Xterra was redesigned for the 2005 model year. Beginning with 2009 models, side airbags were made standard.

Two tests of a 2007 Xterra were conducted, one with optional side airbags for the driver and rear passenger, and one without. These vehicles are rated separately, except that the structural ratings for both vehicles are based on both tests.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side curtain airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0725 CES0727
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -17.5 -17.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0727
Head HIC-15 49
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Compression (kN) 0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 28
Lateral force (kN) 1.4
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 45
Average deflection (mm) 39
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.52
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.56
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.8
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.1
Combined force (kN) 3.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 180
A-P moment (Nm) -28

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0727
Head HIC-15 64
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.5
Compression (kN) 0.4
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 21
Lateral force (kN) 1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 24
Average deflection (mm) 18
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 2.78
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.25
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.0
Combined force (kN) 2.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.4
L-M moment (Nm) 59
A-P moment (Nm) -31

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2005-15 models

Tested vehicle: 2010 Nissan Xterra S 4-door 4wd

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 4,322 lbs
Peak force 14,165 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.28

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All seats AHR

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type All seats AHR
Geometry
Backset (mm) 65
Distance below top of head (mm) 50
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Fail
Max T1 acceleration (g) 12.2
Head contact time (ms) 80
Force rating 3
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 271
Max neck tension (N) 1,314

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.