Nissan Frontier Reliability
Quick answer
Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 900 complaints about the Nissan Frontier with NHTSA, most often about the transmission and air bags, and NHTSA lists 29 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Frontier to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2008, 2012, 2022 and 2023 as years to avoid and rates 2015 as a better year. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
900
NHTSA owner complaints (2008–2026)
52
Complaints citing a crash
29
Recall campaigns
4
Years to avoid
Most-reported Nissan Frontier problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2008–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain / transmission | 206 | 23% | 9 | 2 | 1 |
| Air bags | 154 | 17% | 20 | 2 | 18 |
| Electrical system | 145 | 16% | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| Engine | 101 | 11% | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Service brakes | 100 | 11% | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| Speed control / throttle | 52 | 6% | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 52 | 6% | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 51 | 6% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Of all 900 complaints, 52 (6%) report a crash, 17 (2%) a fire and 28 (3%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (266 complaints), the most-reported areas are the electrical system (75), the transmission (65), automatic emergency braking (50), the brakes (46).
Nissan Frontier complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine, which compares each Frontier model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 136 | 6 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2009 | 37 | 5 | Air bags | — |
| 2010 | 59 | 6 | Air bags | — |
| 2011 | 64 | 1 | Air bags | — |
| 2012 | 80 | 3 | Air bags | Avoid |
| 2013 | 48 | 1 | Air bags | — |
| 2014 | 42 | 2 | Air bags | — |
| 2015 | 33 | 0 | Air bags | Better year |
| 2016 | 44 | 1 | Air bags | — |
| 2017 | 38 | 1 | Fuel / propulsion system | — |
| 2018 | 25 | 2 | Electrical system | — |
| 2019 | 28 | 1 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2020 | 23 | 2 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2021 | 20 | 2 | Electrical system | — |
| 2022 | 112 | 6 | Forward collision avoidance | Avoid |
| 2023 | 68 | 1 | Electrical system | Avoid |
| 2024(new) | 22 | 3 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2025(new) | 10 | 3 | Steering | — |
| 2026(new) | 11 | 1 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Nissan Frontier recalls
NHTSA lists 29 recall campaigns across Nissan Frontier model years 2008–2026. The ones below cover the most model years. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V067000Feb 10, 2023 | 2008–2011 | Air bags — frontal | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag… |
| 22V671000Sep 7, 2022 | 2020–2022 | Powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway. |
| 22V457000Jun 24, 2022 | 2020–2022 | Powertrain / transmission — automatic transmission | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway. |
| 14V052000Feb 12, 2014 | 2012–2014 | Electrical system — wiring / fuses and circuit breakers | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012 through 2014 Frontier vehicles manufactured from November 28, 2012, through December 17, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a circuit breaker may have been installed… |
| 10V401000Sep 10, 2010 | 2008–2010 | Equipment — electrical / navigational system(global positioning system) | Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat. |
Best and worst Frontier years
- Years to avoid: 2008, 2012, 2022 and 2023.
- Better years: 2015.
- 2024–2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Nissan Frontier years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Nissan Frontier
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Driver aids: ask about false automatic-braking events and check for warning messages on the dash.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Nissan Frontier can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Nissan Frontier reliability FAQ
Is the Nissan Frontier reliable?
Across model years 2008–2026, owners filed 900 complaints about the Nissan Frontier with NHTSA, most often about the transmission and air bags, and NHTSA lists 29 recall campaigns. We have no published sales figures for the Frontier to turn that into a per-1,000-sold rate, so these counts compare its model years with each other, not with other models. CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2008, 2012, 2022 and 2023 as years to avoid and rates 2015 as a better year. Model years 2024–2026 have had less than three years on the road, so their complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Nissan Frontier problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2008–2026, the most-reported areas are the transmission (206), air bags (154), the electrical system (145) and the engine (101). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the electrical system, the transmission and automatic emergency braking. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Nissan Frontier should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year verdict engine flags 2008, 2012, 2022 and 2023 as years to avoid and rates 2015 as a better year. Each model year is compared only with other Frontier years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Nissan Frontier last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 2.5% of 11,365 used Frontier listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 9% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 10.8% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Nissan Frontier have?
NHTSA lists 29 recall campaigns covering Nissan Frontier model years 2008–2026. The one covering the most model years is 23V067000 (air bags, 2008–2011). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Nissan Frontier?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Frontier reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Nissan Frontier, model years 2008–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Year flags compare each Frontier model year only with other Frontier years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Frontier compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
More Nissan Frontier research
Nissan Frontier reliability by model year: