Nissan Frontier Years to Avoid

Years to avoid: 2022 and 2023 At least twice the 15.5 complaints of a typical Frontier year. Most described: backup camera problems (2022), a dead battery (2023).
Best years: Not picked A typical Frontier year since 2016 drew under 25 complaints, too few to tell the better years apart.

Based on owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, not adjusted for sales. The 2024 to 2026 models are too new to judge. See every year ranked

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Nov 11, 2026

Every model year since 2010 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 21 mpg combined, arrived in 2010.

Frontier problems by year, ranked by owner complaints

How the years are ranked

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

A typical Frontier year drew 15.5 complaints in its first three years: the median of all its ranked years, higher than the median of its years since 2016 (14.5). Years to avoid drew at least twice that, and at least 50. Best years are not picked: a typical year since 2016 drew under 25. How the verdict works.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2022 Frontier Avoid Most described: backup camera problems	88	112	6
2023 Frontier Avoid Most described: a dead battery or battery drain	52	68	1
2013 Frontier Most described: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault	20	48	1
2012 Frontier Most described: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear and the airbag warning light or an airbag fault	19	80	3
2010 Frontier Most described: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault	18	59	4
2016 Frontier Most described: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault	17	44	1
2017 Frontier Most described: the check engine light coming on, then stalling or shutting off	17	38	1
2011 Frontier Most described: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault	14	64	1
2014 Frontier Most reported: air bags	14	42	2
2015 Frontier Most described: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault	14	33	0
2018 Frontier Most reported: electrical system	12	25	2
2021 Frontier Most reported: electrical system	11	21	2
2019 Frontier Most reported: powertrain	7	28	1
2020 Frontier Most reported: powertrain	7	23	2

Compare other models' worst years in the worst model years guide.

Check your Frontier for open recalls

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

How to check a car for recalls, step by step

Get a vehicle history report from EpicVIN (opens in a new tab): a paid report with the car's title, odometer and salvage records, from an approved NMVTIS data provider. Affiliate link: we earn a commission if you buy. If you typed a full VIN above, the link sends it to EpicVIN and opens its checkout page for that VIN. Check the price before you pay: EpicVIN's $1 trial lasts 3 days, then becomes a monthly subscription until you cancel ($49.99 to $99.99 a month on its pages as of Oct 2, 2026). Disclosure

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	11
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	3	11
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	3	23
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	68
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	20 mpg Gas	6	112
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	20 mpg Gas	2	21
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	20 mpg Gas	2	23
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	28
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	2	25	Not rated
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	38
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	44	Not rated
2015 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	0	33	Not rated
2014 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	2	42	Not rated
2013 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	48	Not rated
2012 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	3	80	Not rated
2011 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	1	64	Not rated
2010 MPG · Recalls and problems	21 mpg Gas	4	59	Not rated

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2022: 112 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Frontier
Model year	Complaints
2010	59
2011	64
2012	80
2013	48
2014	42
2015	33
2016	44
2017	38
2018	25
2019	28
2020	23
2021	21
2022	112
2023	68
2024	23
2025	11
2026	11

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 20 to 21 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2010.

2026: gas 21 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Frontier best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2010	21
2011	21
2012	21
2013	21
2014	21
2015	21
2016	21
2017	21
2018	21
2019	21
2020	20
2021	20
2022	20
2023	21
2024	21
2025	21
2026	21

Every Frontier year's ratings in one table

Questions

Which Nissan Frontier years should you avoid?

The 2022 and 2023 Frontier are the years to avoid: each drew at least twice the 15.5 owner complaints of a typical Frontier year in its first three years. Owners of the 2022 most often describe backup camera problems. Complaints can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, so whatever the year, check its open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.

What are the best Nissan Frontier years?

No year is named: since 2016, a typical Frontier year drew under 25 owner complaints in its first three years, too few to tell the better years apart. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Nissan Frontier years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2022 (88) drew the most, then the 2023 (52). Owners of the 2022 most often describe backup camera problems.

Which Nissan Frontier years have the most recalls?

The 2022 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (6), then the 2010 (4). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2010 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Nissan Frontier problems?

In the 730 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2010 to 2026 models, owners most often describe the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (67 complaints); stalling or shutting off (43 complaints); and shaking, shuddering or vibration (30 complaints). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which Nissan Frontier year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 21 mpg combined, first reached by the 2010 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.