Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2005 Nissan Frontier, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train262
- Fuel system, gasoline119
- Engine and engine cooling106
- Engine80
- Electrical system38
- Fuel/propulsion system25
- Fuel system, other18
- Structure17
- Vehicle speed control15
- Air bags14
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 11 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 34 2005 Frontier vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 20 people died inside them, and 5 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2005 Nissan Frontier failed the safety check 2.16% of the time — 6% less often than the average 2005 passenger car (2.30%). Median odometer at inspection: 154,229 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 6 variants: combined 11.3–14.9 L/100 km (about 16–21 mpg US), CO₂ 260–343 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 10.3 | 11.3 |
| Frontier · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 14.2 | 10.9 | 12.7 |
| Frontier V6 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 15.4 | 11.9 | 13.8 |
| Frontier V6 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 15.6 | 12.2 | 14.1 |
| Frontier V6 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 16.2 | 12.0 | 14.3 |
| Frontier V6 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 16.9 | 12.5 | 14.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
4 Transport Canada recalls for the 2005 Nissan Frontier.
| 2023053 10 Feb 2023 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, the plastic emblem on the steering wheel airbag cover could detach and become a projectile when the airbag inflates in a crash. … |
| 2010373 28 Oct 2010 | Engine On certain vehicles the Intelligent Power Distribution Module (IPDM) assembly contains an Engine Control Module (ECM) relay that has a diode for electrical cur… |
| 2008454 22 Dec 2008 | Airbag On certain vehicles operated in areas of heavy road salt usage, the front Crash Zone Sensor (CZS) may rust internally. This could result in the non-deployment … |
| 2006063 21 Mar 2006 | Fuel System On certain King Cab vehicles, a severe side impact crash could create a relative displacement between the fuel filler cap and filler door. The filler cap tethe… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS A DIODE FOR ELECTRICAL CURRENT NOISE REDUCTION. THE ECM RELAY MAY ALLOW SILICON VAPOR TO FORM AND, OVER TIME, THE SILICON EVAPORATES FROM THE DIODE MOLDING WHICH CAUSES SILICON OXIDE TO DEVELOP ON THE ECM RELAY CONTACT DUE TO ARCING.
NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN THOSE AREAS OF THE COUNTRY WHICH USE HEAVY CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT IN THE WINTER, A MIXTURE OF SNOW/WATER AND SALT CAN ENTER INTO THE FRONT CRASH ZONE SENSOR (CZS) HOUSING. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CZS MAY INTERNALLY RUST RESULTING IN A SIGNAL INTERRUPTION. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE TO ALERT THE VEHICLE OPERATOR.
ON CERTAIN KING CAB TRUCKS, IN A SEVERE SIDE IMPACT CRASH, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT DEFORMATION OF THE VEHICLE'S BODY COULD CAUSE THE FUEL FILLER CAP TETHER TO BE STRETCHED TO THE POINT OF UNSCREWING THE FUEL FILLER CAP.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Nissan told its dealers about the 2005 Nissan Frontier: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11007001 | VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 2005-2013 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER, AND XTERRA; DRIVER AIR BAG COVER CAMPAIGN ID #: PC945 and PC948 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2005-2013 Frontier (D40) 2005-2012 Pathfinder (R51) 2005-2013 Xterra (N50) Check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History to confirm campaign eligibility. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary safety recall campaign on certain specific model year 2005-2012 Pathfinder, and 2005-2013 Frontier and Xterra vehicles to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Driver Air Bag Cover. This service will be performed at no |
| 11004962 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004961 | CAN COMMUNICATION NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11004960 | CAN COMMUNICATION CODES DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001201 | WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001194 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 11001191 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10243708 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10239062 | SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or severe personal injury, do not directly spray Silicone-based lubricant or grease, or inadvertently overspray Silicone-based lubricant or grease onto any interior electrical components. These types of lubricants can be detrimental to the proper operation of electrical components. |
| 10239060 | 12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These recommendations are expected to promote uniformity during the connection process, therefore reducing the number of incorrect Test with DCA and Replace results. HINT: If 12 volt batteries are allowed to discharge for a prolonged period of time, battery life may be drastically reduced. This condition may lead to premature battery replacement and customer dissatisfaction. |
| 10235710 | INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10235707 | VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10233896 | ABS/VDC CAN DIAGNOSIS INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232658 | REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232657 | WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232656 | WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10232652 | DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10208950 | MIL ON WITH DTC P0448 This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10208946 | CAN COMMUNICATION NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10207861 | MIL ON WITH DTC P0448 This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10206391 | STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin. |
| 10192821 | SERVICE INFORMATION Replacement 5-speed rear wheel drive Automatic Transmission (A/T) assemblies and replacement control valves (valve bodies) now come with blank Transmission Control Modules (TCMs). Blank TCMs come without software and must be programmed (not reprogrammed) and then configured after they are installed. When ordering a replacement A/T or control valve, use the Nissan electronic parts information systems to obtain the correct software program part number See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192805 | IF YOU CONFIRM A refrigerant leak at a refrigerant pipe/hose joint location. ACTIONS 1. Inspect the metal surfaces of the pipe/hose joint for damage or contamination. NOTE: Do not replace a refrigerant pipe, hose, or other A/C component if an o-ring seal will solve the leak incident, if it should occur. 2. If no damage is found to the joint metal surfaces, replace the O-ring seal. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192801 | SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement "Certification Label" or "VIN Plate / Label" may be needed. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 10192740 | IF YOU CONFIRM: The MIL is ON with DTC P0448 (EVAP canister vent control valve close) stored in the ECM. ACTION: 1. Replace the EVAP canister (canister) and EVAP canister vent control valve (vent control valve). 2. Remove the canister filter. 3. Attach the EPT foam seal to fuel filler tube. 4. Replace the fuel filler pipe, canister drain hose, and fuel filler cap (on some model years) listed in PARTS INFORMATION. 5. Erase the DTC. See this bulletin for further detail. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Transmission Failures
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation