NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 64 owner complaints for the 2011 Nissan Frontier.
Recalled components: air bags. Most-described problem: the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (10 complaints, 16%). Most-reported area: air bags (16 complaints, 25%).
Fewer complaints than a typical Frontier year
The 2011 drew 14 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 16 for a typical Frontier year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2022 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2011 Nissan Frontier.
What owners report
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Frontier. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Airbag warning light or airbag fault10 · 16%
Rust or corrosion4 · 6%
Stalling or shutting off3 · 5%
Loss of power or limp mode3 · 5%
Suspension parts (struts, ball joints, control arms)3 · 5%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Nissan Frontier recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2022 Frontier drew the most (88) and the 2011 drew 14.
Owner complaints
2011: 64 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Nissan Frontier
Model year
Complaints
2010
59
2011
64
2012
78
2013
48
2014
42
2015
33
2016
43
2017
38
2018
25
2019
28
2020
23
2021
19
2022
112
2023
66
2024
22
2025
8
2026
9
Safety recalls
2011: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Nissan Frontier
Model year
Recalls
2010
4
2011
1
2012
3
2013
1
2014
2
2015
0
2016
1
2017
1
2018
2
2019
1
2020
2
2021
2
2022
6
2023
1
2024
3
2025
3
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Nissan Frontier, the problem described most is the airbag warning light or an airbag fault (10). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2011 Nissan Frontier?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2011 Nissan Frontier.
How do I check if my Frontier has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Nissan dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: FRONTIER.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.