Most common 1998 Nissan Frontier problems
Share of the 129 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Frontier complaints by model year
Best Frontier years: 2015, 2018, 2021. Years to avoid: 2022, 2023, 2006, 2007, 2005. Compare all years →
1998 Nissan Frontier recalls (2)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (PRNDL)
Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with automatic transmissions. A securing pin inside the automatic transmission control device assembly can come loose allowing the shift lever to be inadvertently moved out of the park position with the key in the ignition.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the automatic transmission control device assembly and replace it if necessary.
Seat belts › Front › Webbing
Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with bucket seats. In certain frontal crashes, the front seat belt can slip between the seat bottom finisher and the seat back plastic recliner handle where it can be cut by the sharp edge of the metal portion of the recliner lever.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the plastic handle on the end of the seat back reclining lever fwith a different shape handle which will prevent the seat belt from slipping between the handle and the seat.
What 1998 Nissan Frontier owners say
Wheels & tires all 25 →
Firestone/Bridgestone, wilderness at, p215/65r15, dot#w2zfnna377. Tire sidewall blew out while driving at 70 MPH on the interstate. Vehicle ended up on the side of the road. The consumer indicated that nothng was hit to cause the tire to blowout. The tire pressure was checked before the trip. It was also check 30 min prior to the blowout becuase the consumer felt a vibration n the steering wheel. Both times the pressure was normal.
While driving 45 MPH, the consumer had just went around a curve when the left rear tire blew, she lost control of vehicle, hit a sign and then flipped over. The frontal air bags failed to deploy. The driver and passenger were injured.
Electrical system all 23 →
The dashboard gives erroneous readings, this includes the odometer, the speedometer, fuel gauge , heat gauge. This May cause an over heating of vehicle, erroneous speeds, running out of fuel, erroneous odometer. Nissan will not pay for diagnosis stating the dealer is in complete charge of pricing for diagnosis of 100.00 with no guarantee of reimbursement. The maker of vehicle should be held responsible not the dealer after all Nissan made the vehicle. While checking online it appears to be a prevalent issue with Nissan frontiers trucks. Various calls have been on deaf ears.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Nissan Frontier. While driving at various speeds, the instrument panel became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the instrumental cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Ma 10/5 the consumer stated the gas gauge always read full, the odometer always read 99999.9 and the speedometer always read zero. Updated 03/03/16
Suspension
My 1998 Nissan Frontier xe king cab has around 93,400 miles on it and it started to make noise on the drivers front side, when I would go over bumps and now it makes noise even on smooth roads. I asked my friend to take a look under the left front side of the truck and he said that my stabilizer bar is broken and that his friend had a 1999 Nissan Frontier xe king cab and it was a recall due to the washers being the wrong size and so he took my truck to the dealer last week and they told him their was no recall on the stabilizer bar and so he told them this is safety issue and he would contact Nissan about this issue, yesterday Nissan consumers affairs contacted me and told me that they talked to the buena park Nissan dealer and that their was nothing they could do because the truck is out of warranty. …
I was travelling on the florida turnpike near orlando at 70mph when the steering wheel began to shake. I began to slow down, but the shaking became more violent. Suddenly, without warning, there was a terrific bang, the sound of tearing metal and the car began to fishtail. I was able to slow the vehicle and pull on to the shoulder. When I exited the vehicle I saw that the front, left tire had lost its tread. This incident caused $1500+ *akdollars of damage to the vehicle. It cost me $250 deductible and I also had to buy a new set of tires. I have pictures of the damaged tire. I went to a Firestone dealer with the damaged tire and he told me that they wouldn't do anything because the tire had more than 30,000 miles on them. Am I entitled to recover the deductible I paid from Firestone???( dot number: tire size: p215/65r15 )
1998 Nissan Frontier engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 20 / 24 / 22 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 19 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1998 Nissan Frontier a good car?
Based on 129 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1998 Frontier rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Frontier at the same age. It is one of the Frontier years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Nissan Frontier?
The wheels & tires — 25 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the electrical system (23) and suspension (19).
How many recalls does the 1998 Nissan Frontier have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1998 Nissan Frontier, the most recent from March 25, 1998 (gear position indication (prndl)). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Nissan Frontier?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2018 and 2021. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2022, 2023, 2006, 2007 and 2005. See the full Nissan Frontier years comparison.
At what mileage do 1998 Nissan Frontier problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 110,000 miles; 9% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.