Reliable Auto DB

2019 Nissan Frontier reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2019 Nissan Frontier has 28 complaints with NHTSA after 8 years, or 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Frontier years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Camera.

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

28

Per year

2

Recalls

1

Years on the road

8

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (7 of 28), then Air bags (5) and Electrical system (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Frontier has 25 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2020 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

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 2019 Nissan Frontier. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2019-09-12 · NHTSA campaign 19V654000
Summary Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and Versa Sedan vehicles, as well as Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. Additionally included are 2019 Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L vehicles. The back-up camera and display settings can be adjusted such that the rear view image is no longer visible and the system will retain that setting the next time the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be activated. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or INFINITI customer service at 1-800-662-6200.

Complaints by component (28 total)

Powertrain
7
Air bags
5
Electrical system
5
Service brakes
3
Back-over prevention
2
Engine
2
Seat belts
2
Steering
2
Structure
2
Suspension
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Wheels
1
Show 4 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201952020120213202242023420246202542026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Hood flew open while driving on route 23 in Wise Va."
    Structure · filed 2026-05-31
  • "Passenger side ocs control unit has failed ."
    Air bags · filed 2026-04-13
  • "I was attempting to drive my Frontier on Christmas day 2025 when several lights appeared on the dash. I also noticed my speedometer no longer functioned. I returned home immediately. Two days later, I took it in to a…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-02-09
  • "The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was gray and then blank. There was…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-01-02
  • "We have three 2019 Nissan Frontier pickups in our fleet that have all recently had the same problem. A engine valve misfire on cylinder 3 on all three trucks. This has caused the trucks to shake, idle rough, and have…"
    Engine · filed 2025-12-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2019 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC AWD Early Release 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2019 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC AWD Later Release 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2019 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC RWD Early Release 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2019 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab PU/CC RWD Later Release 4 stars 3 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2019 Nissan Frontier King Cab PU/EC AWD Not rated Not rated Not rated 4 stars
2019 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 4L, 6-cyl Manual 6-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 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 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 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 2018 Nissan Frontier See every Nissan Frontier model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Nissan Frontier reliable?

The 2019 Nissan Frontier has 28 complaints with NHTSA after 8 years, or 2 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Frontier years here — under the median of the other years, which is 5. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Camera.

What are common problems with a 2019 Nissan Frontier?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (7 of 28), then Air bags (5) and Electrical system (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2019 Nissan Frontier more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2018 Frontier has 25 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2020 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

Has the 2019 Nissan Frontier been recalled?

The 2019 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 2019 Nissan Frontier?

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2019 Nissan Frontier with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 Nissan Frontier get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 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.