MODELYEARINDEX

Which Nissan Frontier years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2012, 2013 and 2016 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Nissan Frontier Full report
D
Grade 2010–2021
2012 vs model median 1.9×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 18
Airbags & Restraints 7
Engine 6
Avoid

2012 · 2013

Best

2018 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
1.06× 28 C
2011
1.06× 26 B
2012
1.85× 47 D
2013
2.04× 35 D
2014
0.88× 25 B
2015
1.09× 32 B
2016
1.76× 35 D
2017
0.94× 22 B
2018
0.60× 17 B
2019
0.55× 17 B
2020
0.78× 20 B
2021
0.93× 22 B
2022 P
8.70× 194 F
2023 P
6.24× 116 F
2024 P
1.25× 30 C

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2012 D 47 reports · median 23,572 mi

  1. Drivetrain 18

    Without much warning signs or without any accident, all of the sudden the vehicle started jerking and made a horrible noise. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 7

    Myself and one passenger were off-roading in my 2012 frontier pro-4x going over a bumpy surface and without warning the side airbags went off! owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 6

    Driving on the interstate the A/C stopped working then the engine overheated. The next day went to a dealership and they said this was the fourth engine that had the exact problem. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

2 crash · 3 injuries

2013 D 35 reports · median 23,000 mi

  1. Airbags & Restraints 10

    The seat belt warning alarm, not sure what you would call it, stopped sounding when the seat belt was not clicked. The vehicle was taken to the service department where the truck was purchased new. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Speed Control 5

    2013 nissan frontier. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle intermittent acceleration problems at low speed. The consumer stated the incident would happen, when merging into traffic. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Brakes 4

    The contact owns a 2013 nissan frontier. The contact stated that while driving less than 2 MPH and depressing the brakes, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. The failure recurred numerous times. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

7 crash · 1 fire · 3 injuries

The best year for the Frontier

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2019 is the best-scoring Frontier model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 83.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2019 0.55× 17 B
2018 0.60× 17 B
2020 0.78× 20 B

Recalls

23 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
19V654000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2018, 2019 1,228,830
23V067000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL 2010, 2011 404,690
22V671000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2020–2022 197,230
22V457000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2020–2022 180,176
18V551000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2017, 2018 153,047
10V208000 SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM 2010 41,649
22V772000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2022 27,388
11V592000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2012 14,718
14V052000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS 2012–2014 13,535
22V527000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2022 10,477
10V401000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM) 2010 7,948
24V479000 SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT 2024 5,929

+ 11 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2012 were reported at a median of 23,572 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Nissan Frontier years should you avoid?
2012, 2013, 2016 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Nissan Frontier model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Nissan Frontier?
2019 is the best-scoring Nissan Frontier model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 83.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Nissan Frontier have?
23 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Nissan Frontier model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2012 Frontier
Complaints in window
47
Severity-weighted
62
Model median (weighted)
33
vs model median
1.85×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
3
Open investigations
0
Score 46.2 D