Nissan Frontier Problems by Year

We compared every Nissan Frontier model year from 1998–2026 using 3,362 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, 39 recalls and federal defect investigations. The years to avoid are 2022, 2023, 2006, 2007 and 2005, which drew far more complaints than other Frontier years at the same age. The best years are 2015, 2018 and 2021.

29model years
3,362complaints
39recalls
2022, 2023worst years
2015, 2018best years

Complaints by model year

’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26129781891341247766532617520136375964804842334338252823201126622911
Owner complaints per model year, Nissan Frontier. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).
YearComplaintsvs. typical*RecallsTop problemVerdict
2026111.5×1TransmissionFew
20259−25%3Wheel & TireAverage
202422typical3TransmissionAverage
2023662.8×1ElectricalAvoid
20221124.1×6Collision AvoidanceAvoid
202120−44%2ElectricalGood
202023−38%2TransmissionAverage
201928−33%1TransmissionAverage
201825−54%2ElectricalGood
201738−41%1Fuel SystemGood
201643−37%1AirbagAverage
201533−57%—AirbagGood
201442−43%2AirbagGood
201348−38%1AirbagAverage
2012801.2×3AirbagAverage
201164−24%1AirbagAverage
201059−32%4AirbagAverage
200937−60%3AirbagGood
20081361.6×5TransmissionCaution
20075206.4×1TransmissionAvoid
20066177.5×4Fuel SystemAvoid
20055326.2×3TransmissionAvoid
200466−31%1TransmissionAverage
200377−13%4Fuel SystemAverage
20021241.5×4Fuel SystemCaution
20011341.9×3Fuel SystemCaution
20001892.6×3Wheel & TireAvoid
1999781.3×2Wheel & TireAverage
19981291.7×2Wheel & TireCaution

* Complaints compared with the median Frontier year at the same age, so new and old years are judged fairly. How this works.

Most common Nissan Frontier problems

Latest Nissan Frontier recalls

Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch

NHTSA recall 26V-023 · Jan 20, 2026 · 26,432 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261.

Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Engine control module (ECU/ECM) › Software

NHTSA recall 25V-508 · Aug 7, 2025 · 13,719 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Nissan Frontier vehicles. Due to a software logic error, the daytime running lights may dim unexpectedly when the idle start-stop feature cycles the engine from off to on.

Remedy: Dealers will update the engine control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 17, 2025. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261.

Back over prevention › Software

NHTSA recall 25V-324 · Jun 4, 2025 · 79,755 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Frontier and Kicks vehicles. The center information display unit may display a blank screen when shifted into reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Remedy: Dealers will update the software on the vehicle's center information display, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 10, 2025. The manufacturer numbers for this recall are PD152 and PMA48.

Exterior lighting › Headlights

NHTSA recall 24V-582 · Aug 6, 2024 · 1,119 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Nissan Frontier vehicles. The right-side headlight assemblies may have missing or illegible headlight aim markings, which can result in improperly aimed headlights.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the right-side headlight as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 20, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint

NHTSA recall 24V-479 · Jun 26, 2024 · 5,929 vehicles

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Frontier vehicles. The front right-side lower link may have been manufactured with an oversized ball joint, which can result in corrosion and ball joint separation from the front right-side lower link.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the front right-side lower link, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

All 39 Nissan Frontier recalls by year →

Frequently asked questions

What years of the Nissan Frontier should you avoid?

2022, 2023, 2006, 2007, 2005 and 2000 — these years have the most complaints relative to other Frontier years at the same age, led by driver assistance problems in the 2022.

What is the best year for the Nissan Frontier?

2015 has the fewest complaints compared with other Frontier years at the same age, followed by 2018 and 2021. Newer years can look better simply because fewer complaints have come in yet, so we compare like with like.

What are the most common Nissan Frontier problems?

Across all years, owners report the most problems with the transmission & drivetrain (992), fuel & propulsion system (805) and engine & cooling (673). Transmission complaints peak in the 2005 model year.

How many recalls has the Nissan Frontier had?

39 recalls across 1998–2026. The model year with the most is 2022. See all Nissan Frontier recalls by year.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.