2012 Nissan Frontier MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2012 Nissan Frontier is rated 16 to 21 mpg combined across 6 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 2.5L 4-cyl · RWD · 5-speed manual.

EPA fuel economy

2012 Nissan Frontier · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

21MPG combined

19 city 23 highway

$3,200 a year to fuel

2.5L 4-cyl · RWD · 5-speed manual

Best version costs $4,000 more in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 30, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $3,200 to $4,200 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2011.

More complaints than a typical Frontier year

The 2012 drew 19 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 16 for a typical Frontier year.

Years to avoid: 2022 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Frontier year ranked The 2012 Frontier's recalls and problems

Every 2012 Frontier version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
2.5L 4-cyl · RWD · 5-speed manual Best EPA listing: Frontier 2WD	21 mpg	19 / 23	$3,200
2.5L 4-cyl · RWD · 5-speed automatic EPA listing: Frontier 2WD	19 mpg	17 / 22	$3,550
4.0L 6-cyl · 4WD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Frontier 4WD	17 mpg	16 / 20	$3,950
4.0L 6-cyl · RWD · 5-speed automatic EPA listing: Frontier 2WD	17 mpg	15 / 20	$3,950
4.0L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Frontier 2WD	17 mpg	16 / 20	$3,950
4.0L 6-cyl · 4WD · 5-speed automatic EPA listing: Frontier 4WD	16 mpg	14 / 19	$4,200

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.5L 4-cyl · RWD · 5-speed manual	$3,193	$266	$15,964
2.5L 4-cyl · RWD · 5-speed automatic	$3,529	$294	$17,645
4.0L 6-cyl · 4WD · 6-speed manual	$3,944	$329	$19,721
4.0L 6-cyl · RWD · 5-speed automatic	$3,944	$329	$19,721
4.0L 6-cyl · RWD · 6-speed manual	$3,944	$329	$19,721
4.0L 6-cyl · 4WD · 5-speed automatic	$4,191	$349	$20,953

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Nissan Frontier MPG by model year

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

2012: 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

How the 2012 Frontier compares

2012 midsize pickups covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2012 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Tacoma Best: gas	22 mpg	22 mpg	$3,050
Chevrolet Colorado Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,200
Nissan Frontier This page Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,200
Honda Ridgeline Best: gas	17 mpg	17 mpg	$3,950

2012 Frontier recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 78 owner complaints for the 2012 Frontier.

Owners most often describe shifter errors and the airbag warning light (10 complaints, 13% each), then stalling (5).

See the 2012 Frontier recalls and problems

Questions

Does 4WD lower the 2012 Nissan Frontier's gas mileage?

Sometimes. On versions that differ only in drive, the gap ranges from 0 to 1 mpg combined: the 4.0L 6-cyl gets 17 mpg combined with two-wheel drive and 16 with 4WD.

Does the 2012 Nissan Frontier need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2012 Nissan Frontier version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2012 Frontier's MPG compare with the 2011?

For 2012, the best gas version is rated 21 mpg, the same as the year before.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.