When I start my car in the morning, and then start to roll down the road, either just a few yards or durring a turn, I hear a loud clunck under the car. It does not happen all of the time, but most. But, knowing my luck, when I take it to the dealership, they wont hear it.
Is this normal? Has anyone had this problem?

More info needed.

What year model Xterra is this?

Does this sound only occur after the car has sat overnight or prolonged time period? If so, it's probably your anti-lock brake system check. Check your owners manual for reference. This should apply if you have an 05 or 06 Xterra.

It is a 2005. It usually does it when it has sat overnight. But, yesterday I noticed it after a trip from NYC to VA. I had stopped at a store after driving for 6 hours. Then I heard the noise. I thought that it was unusual to hear this noise after the car had been driven all day.

I would bet that this anti-lock brake check is the culprit.

Just to be safe, if the noise occurs again after recently driving the vehicle within several hours, take it in to your dealer for a rough check. If no codes are being triggered, you probably don't have anything to worry about. Almost everything has a sensor on it these days.

thanks for the input

We have an '06 Xterra that is less than a month old and seem to be experiencing the same problem. Whenever the vehicle has sat for a half an hour or so, then it is driven...there is this loud metal on metal "clunk" sound. We've had it into the dealer twice as the sound itself is one of those "oh no, that could potentially be a bad thing" kind of sounds.

The first time around the dealership hooked the car up to a diagnostic machine, nothing showed up. They told my husband that it may just be the transmission needed to be broken in or he needed to warm it up better in the morning. (Both replies that we kind of looked at like :shock: ) Today after my husband's second trip, the dealer told him that it's the ABS system; something to do with it automatically checking itself. It's an awfully loud and expensive sounding noise for it to be something that is suppose to occur.

Our biggest worry is that it is something could potentially be very hazardous down the road; i.e. cause problems while driving, cause an accident, etc.

Are we just being worry warts or is it truly just the ABS system checking itself? (It makes this huge clunk sound everytime it's driven...even after just sitting for 15 minutes or so....)

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide us with! :D

my 05 xterra makes the exact same noise. my local dealership said it was normal, i dont know if that is 100% true

my 05 xterra makes the exact same noise. my local dealership said it was normal, i dont know if that is 100% true

whether it's normal or not i don't know (doesn't sound like a sound like that would be) but i am hearing quite a bit about this same issue. hmm?

My recently purchased 06 Xterra makes the same noise as well.
I had the service manager test drive vehicle and he didn't think it was normal so he scheduled service appointment.
When I brought vehicle in for service I was told this was normal ABS self test.
The owners manual also makes note of "clunk" noise during ABS self test.

sweet! so it is normal, the noise does not bother me, because its a quick one time clunk. lol. i guess i should read my manual, i didnt even know that was on there. thanks for your post

Guess the consensus is that this "clunk" we are all hearing is in fact the ABS self test. We must've missed that info in the owners manual, but thanks for the reference, we'll definitely check the manual and read about it.

Nice to know we aren't the only ones hearing this noise, we were beginning to think it was just us!

Thanks again! :D

I have the same thing and figured out how to duplicate it consistantly. It will only happen after you have put the car in park and turned off the engine. After restarting and and shitfting into drive I will get the clunk a few yards down the road. Mine is an 06.

I have an 08 Nissan Xterra Off Road and it does the same thing. "Clunk!" according to the manual it says the following. (Please note this is a Canadian Manual I am not to sure if it will be different from an American Manual)

Self-test feature

The ABS includes electronic sensors, electric
pumps, hydraulic solenoids and a computer. The
computer has a built-in diagnostic feature that
tests the system each time you start the engine
and move the vehicle at a low speed in forward or
reverse. When the self-test occurs, you may hear
a clunk. noise and/or feel a pulsation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and does not indicate a
malfunction. If the computer senses a malfunction,
it switches the ABS off and illuminates the
ABS warning light on the instrument panel. The
brake system then operates normally, but without
anti-lock assistance.

You will find this info under "Starting and Driving" 5-31