Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Nissan Frontier, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags16
- Service brakes12
- Power train9
- Electrical system6
- Structure6
- Unknown or other5
- Vehicle speed control4
- Engine4
- Seat belts3
- Seats3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 27 2011 Frontier vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 14 people died inside them, and 3 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 2011 Nissan Frontier failed the safety check 3.06% of the time — 23% more often than the average 2011 passenger car (2.49%). Median odometer at inspection: 122,282 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 4 variants; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC 4WD | — | 19.8 % |
| 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC RWD | — | 21.2 % |
| 2011 Nissan Frontier King Cab PU/EC 4WD | — | 19.8 % |
| 2011 Nissan Frontier King Cab PU/EC RWD | — | 21.2 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 5 variants: combined 11.2–14.6 L/100 km (about 16–21 mpg US), CO₂ 258–336 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier · Pickup truck: Small · Regular gasoline | 12.1 | 10.2 | 11.2 |
| Frontier · Pickup truck: Small · Regular gasoline | 14.0 | 10.7 | 12.6 |
| Frontier · Pickup truck: Small · Regular gasoline | 15.9 | 11.5 | 13.9 |
| Frontier 4WD · Pickup truck: Small · Regular gasoline | 15.4 | 12.2 | 14.0 |
| Frontier 4WD · Pickup truck: Small · Regular gasoline | 16.5 | 12.2 | 14.6 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2011 Nissan Frontier.
| 2023052 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. … |
| 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. … |
| 2011436 20 Dec 2011 | Engine On certain vehicles, the engine oil cooler stud (onto which the oil filter is mounted) could fail. This could cause an engine oil leak, which could illuminate … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
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 2011 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. |
| 10235698 | HEADLAMP, FOG LAMP, OR REAR COMBINATION LAMP FOGGING 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. |
| 10208953 | DTC P0456 CAUSED BY EVAP LEAK AT VENT CONTROL VALVE O-RING 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. |
| 10192840 | SERVICE INFORMATION Temporary tire Flat Spotting is common on New Dealer In-Stock vehicles that have not been occasionally moved. Flat Spotting can occur after the vehicle has been parked (not moved) for a few days, or longer. In most cases it is temporary. In extreme cases it can be permanent. Vehicles should be moved every 30 days, in one direction only, enough to rotate the tires 90 (see Figure 1). Moving vehicles as shown will prevent tire Flat Spotting. See this bulletin for further detail. |
| 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. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)