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2012 Nissan Frontier

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Nissan Frontier do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 64.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

65 reports with mileage · 13 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports

What owners actually said

78 reports
57,000 miles · Dec 22, 2017
Seat BeltsUnknown Or Other

SET BELTS AT TIME ARE HARD TO GET OFF AND AIRBAG LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF.

NHTSA ODI #11056024

65,000 miles · Nov 19, 2017
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

TAKATA RECALL - RECEIVED MAIL TELLING US ABOUT THE RECALL ON AIR BAGS. WILL BE TAKING INTO HAVE FIXED OR REPLACED

NHTSA ODI #11047262

158,000 miles · Sep 14, 2017
Air BagsSeat Belts

THE SEATBELT HAS BEEN REPLACE TWO TIME AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS STILL ON, NOW YOU GOT TO REPLACE THE SEAT CUSION THIS COST 1766.67, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. ME AND MY WIFE WAS IN LAKE CITY S.C. ON HW 52 AND THE AIR BAG STARTING FLASHING FOR THE SECOND TIME.

NHTSA ODI #11023555

46,250 miles · Jul 26, 2017
Air BagsCrashInjury

I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHILE COMPLETELY STOPPED TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN ON A CITY STREET. THE CAR THAT HIT ME, A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA, WAS TRAVELLING, I BELIEVE, BETWEEN 45-50 MPH. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED. THE AIRBAG IN MY 2012 NISSAN FRONTIER DID NOT DEPLOY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS NORMAL, BUT NISSAN WILL NOT COMMENT. WITHIN A…

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I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHILE COMPLETELY STOPPED TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN ON A CITY STREET. THE CAR THAT HIT ME, A 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA, WAS TRAVELLING, I BELIEVE, BETWEEN 45-50 MPH. BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALED. THE AIRBAG IN MY 2012 NISSAN FRONTIER DID NOT DEPLOY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS NORMAL, BUT NISSAN WILL NOT COMMENT. WITHIN A WEEK OF THE ACCIDENT, I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FROM NISSAN REGARDING THE AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT NOT BEING CALIBRATED PROPERLY. I FIND IT STRANGE THAT NISSAN WILL NOT COMMENT ON NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG, YET SENDS ME A RECALL NOTICE FOR AN OUT OF CALIBRATION AIRBAG CONTROL UNIT.

NHTSA ODI #11010841

105,549 miles · Jul 8, 2017
Air Bags

AIRBAG LIGHT ON SCANNED CODE B1035 CRASH SENSOR FAILED INSPECTED =DECAYED HOUSING

NHTSA ODI #11003775

45,000 miles · Apr 12, 2017
Suspension

NOTICED CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. REAR END BECAME LOOSE AND JUMPY OVER SMALL BUMP SIN THE ROAD AT EVEN LOW SPEEDS. INSPECTION AT SHOP DETERMINED THAT BOTH LEAF SPRINGS WERE CRACKED (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO). BROKEN SECTION OF THE LEAF SPRING HAD SLIPPED OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER LEAFS AND WAS JUTTING …

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NOTICED CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. REAR END BECAME LOOSE AND JUMPY OVER SMALL BUMP SIN THE ROAD AT EVEN LOW SPEEDS. INSPECTION AT SHOP DETERMINED THAT BOTH LEAF SPRINGS WERE CRACKED (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO). BROKEN SECTION OF THE LEAF SPRING HAD SLIPPED OUT OF LINE WITH THE OTHER LEAFS AND WAS JUTTING OUT UNDERNEATH THE BED OF THE TRUCK MECHANICS STATED THAT TOYOTA TACOMA'S RECENTLY HAD THE SAME SHOCK RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI #10972005

135,000 miles · Mar 24, 2017
Unknown Or Other

SUN VISOR PIVOT SIDE BRACKET IS VERY FLIMSY. CAUSED VISOR TO BREAK LOOSE AND FALL INTO STEERING WHEEL CAUSING MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL. NO CRASH RESULTED BUT COULD HAVE CAUSED ONE.

NHTSA ODI #10968421

72,000 miles · Mar 21, 2017
SteeringUnknown Or OtherWheelsCrashInjury

I BOUGHT NEW TIRES, SAME SIZE AND BRAND NAME AS THE LAST 4 TIRES BUT A DIFFERENT MODEL TYPE OF TIRES. AS I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A 2 LANE ROAD, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE FLEW OFF THE RIM. THE RIM SCRAPED THE ROADWAY AND FLIPPED MY TRUCK UPWARDS AND SPUN THE VEHICLE UP IN THE AIR OVER A GUARD RAIL AND I HIT INTO A CONCRETE C…

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I BOUGHT NEW TIRES, SAME SIZE AND BRAND NAME AS THE LAST 4 TIRES BUT A DIFFERENT MODEL TYPE OF TIRES. AS I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A 2 LANE ROAD, THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE FLEW OFF THE RIM. THE RIM SCRAPED THE ROADWAY AND FLIPPED MY TRUCK UPWARDS AND SPUN THE VEHICLE UP IN THE AIR OVER A GUARD RAIL AND I HIT INTO A CONCRETE CULVERT. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED BY A SHOP, BALANCED AND ALIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK A FEW DAYS LATER TO THAT SAME SHOP DUE TO THE VEHICLE SHAKING VIGOROUSLY AT ROUGHLY 40 MPH. THE SHOP REBALANCED THE 4 TIRES AND ROTATED THEM. THE MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT THE BACK DRIVER TIRE HAD LOST PSI AND WAS CLOSE TO 30 PSI, THE COLD PSI ON THE TIRE SAYS 50 PSI. THE MECHANIC ADVISED ME THAT A ROTATION WAS COMPLETED AND THAT TIRE WAS NOW IN THE FRONT PASSENGER LOCATION AND WAS INFLATED BACK TO 50 PSI. THE SHOP MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED ME THAT HE BELIEVED THE TIRE THAT WAS THEN IN THE FRONT PASSENGER LOCATION MAY BE FAULTY IN REGARDS TO THE WIRE INSIDE THE RUBBER OF THE TIRE AND ASKED WHERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES. AS I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY WITH SPEED LIMIT OF 70, I COULD MERELY APPROACH 60 MPH WITH VIGOROUS SHAKING. I ADVISED THE SHOP OF THIS, BUT DECIDED TO GO WITH ANOTHER SHOP TO CHECK THE BALANCING AND PREFORM A NEW BALANCING. THE NEW SHOP ADVISED ME THAT THE RIMS WERE NOT CLEANED PROPERLY FOR THE INITIAL SHOP'S WEIGHTS TO STAY ON AND SAID THE VEHICLE MAY HAD BEEN THROWING THEIR WEIGHTS OFF. UPON COMPLETION OF THE 3RD BALANCING, THE SHOP HAD ALSO INSTALLED A BACK UP CAMERA FOR ME BUT DID NOT HOOK THE FRONT AIR BAGS BACK UP. THESE DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. AFTER THE LAST BALANCING, THE VEHICLE STILL SHOOK AT HIGHER SPEEDS BUT WAS MUCH LESS THAN THE OTHER TIMES. MY VEHICLE NEVER HAD ANY OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE TIRES I PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED WHICH LASTED APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES AND NEVER SHOOK BEFORE.

NHTSA ODI #10967502

56,000 miles · Feb 16, 2017
Air Bags

AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS FLASHING. IT WAS PUT ON A MACHINE AND THE CODE IS B1134, L/F SIDE MODULE IS OPEN. MECHANIC SAYS IT MEANS IF I GET IN AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WON'T GO OFF.

NHTSA ODI #10955041

45,600 miles · Sep 20, 2016
Air BagsSeat Belts

ON THE WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 17 2016 A RED AIR BAG LIGHT ON MY DASHBOARD WAS AND IS BLINKING INTERMITTENT. I CALLED THREE NISSAN DEALERS AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT IS MOST LIKELY THE OCS SENSOR. UPON ASKING ABOUT THE RECALL ON NISSAN OCS SENSOR I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONTIER WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WE FEEL THAT THE OCS SENSOR ON A…

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ON THE WEEKEND SEPTEMBER 17 2016 A RED AIR BAG LIGHT ON MY DASHBOARD WAS AND IS BLINKING INTERMITTENT. I CALLED THREE NISSAN DEALERS AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT IS MOST LIKELY THE OCS SENSOR. UPON ASKING ABOUT THE RECALL ON NISSAN OCS SENSOR I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONTIER WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WE FEEL THAT THE OCS SENSOR ON ANY NISSAN VEHICLE SHOULD BE ON THE RECALL LIST,NO MATTER WHERE THE FRONTIER WAS MANUFACTURED. THE RED BLINKING LIGHT CAME ON AS WE WERE GOING HOME. AFTER I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONTIER WAS ON THE LIST I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SENSOR WOULD COST ME $1180.00 WE FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT RIGHT OR FAIR.

NHTSA ODI #10908315

Official recalls

3

14V052000 · Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

Feb 12, 2014

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012 through 2014 Frontier vehicles manufactured from November 28, 2012, through December 17, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly causing the main wire harness connected to the circuit breaker to face outward, potentially contacting a metal bolt located on the A-pillar.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The bolt may wear through the wire harness covering, resulting in an electrical short which could cause a fire.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the circuit breaker orientation. If the circuit breaker orientation is incorrect, dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

12V462000 · Suspension:front:hub

Sep 20, 2012

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra two-wheel drive vehicles manufactured from June 19, 2012, through July 12, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with front wheel hubs that may not meet the design hardness specifications. A wheel hub that was manufactured below hardness specification may wear prematurely and eventually crack.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the vehicle is driven in this condition, the wheel hub may break, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replaced the left and right side front wheel hub assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on October 22, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

11V592000 · Engine And Engine Cooling

Dec 19, 2011

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER AND THE ENGINE OIL FILTER TO THE ENGINE IN THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO BELOW SPECIFICATION STRENGTH. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY BREAK AT THE OIL FILTER ATTACHMENT POINT AND CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE OIL LEAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THERE IS AN ENGINE OIL LEAK, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP AND THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.