One problem related to universal joint has been reported for the 2006 Nissan Xterra. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2006 Nissan Xterra based on all problems reported for the 2006 Xterra.
On Feb. 8th my wife and I were moving into a new place just miles away from our old home. When cruising in between 40-50 mph the vehicle was experiencing extreme vibration in the rear end of the vehicle. It was then that I assumed it might be a universal joint and/or the drive shaft. So when I had the money I brought the vehicle to aamco transmissions to have it checked out. I had to drop it off but later that afternoon the mechanic called me and told me it was the drive shaft and the frontal u-joint. He replaced the u-joint and re-balanced the drive shaft. I thought the problem was solved but just a few miles down the road I realized it hadn't. So I brought it back and they took a second look and told me it may be two things. Either the torque converter is bad or the coolant hose busted and the antifreeze was draining into the transmission which would cause the transmission to blow out. They then told me to fix the transmission would cost me around $6,000 which to me is worth more than the actual vehicle. When I got home I did a little research and found that sure enough the antifreeze was leaking into the transmission. The antifreeze looks like a green apple milkshake if you can imagine. I don't know what to do because I know that there are no recalls for this issue nor warranty coverage. Hundreds of people have complained about this exact issue. I'm at a loss, and now there's absolutely nothing I can do with my only transportation.