Reliable Auto DB

2017 Nissan Frontier reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Nissan Frontier over 10 years — 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Frontier years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Ignition.

2012 Nissan Frontier
Photo by Ethan Llamas, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

38

Per year

6

Recalls

1

Years on the road

10

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (10 of 38), then Electrical system (6) and Powertrain (6). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, 1 that reports an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 Frontier has 43 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2018 has 25 complaints, 4 per year. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2017 Nissan Frontier. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall electrical system, ignition 2018-08-22 · NHTSA campaign 18V551000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan vehicles that have a mechanical (physical) key ignition system. In these models, over time, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine.
Remedy Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Complaints by component (38 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
10
Electrical system
6
Powertrain
6
Air bags
5
Engine
4
Service brakes
3
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Steering
1
Structure
1
Wheels
1
Show 3 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

42017620187201942020120214202252023120245202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I drive on the highway and my truck stalls out and just shuts off. When I’m driving at slow speeds, it just keeps stalling I lose power and it takes a few tries for it to start again then I have to peel out so it stays…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-10-19
  • "Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-06-26
  • "Check engine light came on and when filling with fuel, gas came shooting back out."
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2025-05-31
  • "The contact's boyfriend owns a 2017 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving at 30 MPH or above, the vehicle started to stall. The check engine warning light was illuminated. On a separate…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2025-03-26

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2017 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC 4WD 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2017 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC RWD 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2017 Nissan Frontier King Cab PU/EC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2017 Nissan Frontier King Cab PU/EC RWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Frontier two-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Manual 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 23 21 MPG $3100
Frontier two-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $3400
Frontier two-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Frontier two-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 22 19 MPG $3400
Frontier two-wheel drive flex-fuel 4L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Frontier four-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
Frontier four-wheel drive 4L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600
Frontier four-wheel drive flex-fuel 4L, 6-cyl Automatic 5-speed Part-time four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

D40 generation, 2012–2021
Body styles Pickup
Oil 5W-30 (4.0L V6); 0W-20 or 5W-30 (2.5L 4-cyl per manual) , 5.4 qt capacity
Tire size 265/70R16 to 265/60R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 6,700 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 16V181000. Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016 Frontier V6 vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to March 7, 2016. The starter motor wire harness may have been installed in an incorrect position, allowing the starter harness terminal to contact the heat shield and result in an electrical short. An electrical short increases the risk of a fire. Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reposition the starter wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Compare

Previous year 2016 Nissan Frontier Next year 2018 Nissan Frontier See every Nissan Frontier model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Nissan Frontier reliable?

Owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Nissan Frontier over 10 years — 6 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Frontier years here — over the median of the other years, which is 4. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Ignition.

What are common problems with a 2017 Nissan Frontier?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (10 of 38), then Electrical system (6) and Powertrain (6). Those filings include 4 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, 1 that reports an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2017 Nissan Frontier more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 Frontier has 43 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2018 has 25 complaints, 4 per year. The 2017 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016. The 2017 has more complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Nissan Frontier been recalled?

The 2017 Nissan Frontier has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2017 Nissan Frontier?

Owners have filed 38 complaints about the 2017 Nissan Frontier with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Nissan Frontier get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Nissan Frontier is 18.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Nissan Frontier take?

D40 (through 2021): 5W-30 for the 4.0L V6. D41 (2022+): 0W-20 for the 3.8L V6 (about 5.3 qt with filter).

Does NHTSA campaign 23V273000 cover the Nissan Frontier?

It covers certain 2023 Frontier and Titan vehicles: tires may have a tear in the inner bead that can cause rapid pressure loss; dealers replace affected tires.

What generation is the 2020 Nissan Frontier?

D40 generation (2012-2021 in the years this site tracks). The D41 redesign starts in 2022.