Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 5% | 2,000 miles |
| 2023 | 9 | 14% | 5,000 miles |
| 2022 | 13 | 12% | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2018 | 3 | 12% | 1,000 miles |
| 2017 | 1 | 3% | 5,000 miles |
| 2015 | 3 | 9% | 36,000 miles |
| 2014 | 3 | 7% | 0 miles |
| 2013 | 4 | 8% | 15,000 miles |
| 2012 | 5 | 6% | 78,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 6% | 147,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 3% | 114,000 miles |
| 2008 | 2 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 2007 | 8 | 2% | 125,000 miles |
| 2006 | 14 | 2% | 103,000 miles |
| 2005 | 15 | 3% | 98,000 miles |
| 2004 | 3 | 5% | 4,000 miles |
| 2003 | 2 | 3% | 35,000 miles |
| 2002 | 13 | 10% | 58,000 miles |
| 2001 | 3 | 2% | 23,000 miles |
| 2000 | 11 | 6% | 33,000 miles |
| 1999 | 2 | 3% | 60,000 miles |
| 1998 | 3 | 2% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2023 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that when applying the accelerator pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and lurched forward. There were no warning lights illuminated. While leaving a store and entering traffic, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into an unknown vehicle, which spun and crashed into another unknown vehicle. The driver was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene. The driver sustained a concussion but did not seek medical attention. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The local dealer was contacted before the crash. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500.
April 2 I was driving to an appt got off on access road and as I pulled up behind another vehicle the acceleration was faster than the pressure on the pedal warranted and the emergency stop-braking warning came on. After it was safe to proceed to my destination I proceeded to a parking spot as I turned to pull in the vehicle rapidly accelerated on its on and jumped the side walk. I attempted to brake but the pedal went to the floor with no braking and the engine was red lining as we crashed. My passenger pushed the engine off button. Front passenger tire was sheered off. No air bag deployment and vehicle likely totalled.
I do not know what caused this to happen. There were no warning lights or messages. Prior to this incident the transmission would rev/speed up on its own for a few seconds (I don't know if this is relevant). Salesperson told me about this and said it was nothing to worry about. The vehicle is equipped with a sensor that brakes if you come to close to an object. This sensor has definitely worked in the past. I was backing up down a long driveway, approximately 50 yards.When I took my foot off of the gas pedal, it did not slow down. Instead it sped up and was uncontrollable. I looked down to make sure my foot was on the brake which it was. I then used both feet to push down on the brake but that did not work either. The vehicle did not stop until it ran into a building. If somebody would have been behind me they would have died or been seriously injured. …
I had an accident , last night 08/04/2022 I was parked an upper hill and out of no were my truck blast up w speed and went forward at full speed I couldn't control it I try braking and the brakes weren't working my foot was literally all the way forward. The steering wheel got really hard couldn't control it . Unfortunately I end up crashing and hitting an innocent man performing his job my truck stopped and crushed the poor man into his truck ... Not Even the air bags or sensors turn on they failed , it's like if something took over my truck . I recently purchased this truck about a month ago and some sensors kept coming up out of no were but then they would disappear I don't know if was an electrical problem. But this car caused a accident .
The throttle control, foot pedal, has dead spots that happen when leaving a stop sign, green lights, pulling out into traffic. Also climbing a hill when you step on the gas nothing happens until the transmission kicks down then you go to fast. This happens occasionally. It is better if you turn of the overdrive did it still happens. I have had it back to the dealer 3 times.dealer reprogrammed the transmission, reprogrammed the throttle body and then replaced the throttle body. When I pull out into traffic I do not know if the truck is going to move or not. Sometime there is about a second delay until it catches and then sometimes it chirps the tires. I have just over 1000 miles on this truck and do not feel safe. This is my forth Nissan Frontier, I never experienced any fear in driving the other truck. …
Vehicle was stopped, foot on brake, exiting a public parking lot, when suddenly engine accelerated rapidly and wheels were screeching. The passenger of vehicle had to place transmission in neutral, then park to stop vehicle from moving forward. This action did not stop engine from revving at extreme high speed--rather, the engine would slow down after about 3-5 seconds. This happened 5 times, within a 10 minute 4 mile drive, but not consistently. Driving approx. 15-25 MPH between stop signs: brake would be applied and then engine and truck would race forward. Each time the passenger was required to put shift lever in neutral to avoid hitting vehicles or objects in front of vehicle. The driver would clearly state that foot was not on the gas pedal.
Engine light came on, and vehicle accelerated, then lost acceleration while revolutions increased. Diagnosis indicates Bad TCM. I went to 3 shops, and all said that the TCM are going bad, especially Infinity. Nissan wants to charge $500 just to try to reset it. The Dealership is the only ones that can perform this task.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Nissan Frontier. When the cruise control was activated at approximately 50 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle independently decelerated to low speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 4,170. ..updated 06/01/16
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with a supercharger, under certain conditions, such as full throttle in low gear when the engine is not fully warmed up and at cold ambient temperature, the amount of intake air flow through the air flow meter May exceed the maximum preset diagnosis limit value.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the electronic control module. Owner notification began January 15, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…
NHTSA investigations
Fuel spill during refueling
Frequently asked questions
Which Nissan Frontier years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (15), 2006 (14), 2002 (13), 2022 (13) and 2000 (11) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Nissan Frontier acceleration problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 02V-298 (vehicle speed control, Nov 12, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Nissan Frontier acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles; 40% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (7 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (6).
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.