Problems · NHTSA complaints

2005 Nissan Frontier problems

Owners filed 532 complaints about the 2005 Nissan Frontier with NHTSA between Feb 2005 and Jan 2025. The most-cited component is power train (262).

Complaints
532
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
11
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train262
  2. Fuel system, gasoline119
  3. Engine and engine cooling106
  4. Engine80
  5. Electrical system38
  6. Fuel/propulsion system25
  7. Fuel system, other18
  8. Structure17
  9. Vehicle speed control15
  10. Air bags14
  11. Steering5
  12. Electronic stability control (esc)4
  13. Service brakes, hydraulic4
  14. Suspension4

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200510
20067
20074
200825
200932
201078
201145
201241
201390
201448
201545
201636
201727
201815
201911
202010
20213
20220
20233
20241
20251

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

262 reports3 fires
“The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle came to a complete stop and then hesitated to accelerate. Additionally, a burning odor was detected. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission and radiator failure. The transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,700.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 16, 2021Power trainFire reportedODI 11444013

Fuel system, gasoline

119 reports1 fire1 related recall
“2005 NISSAN FRONTIER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FUEL SENDING UNIT PROBLEM. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE FUEL SENDING UNIT SHOULD BE REPLACED BY NISSAN, REGARDLESS OF WHAT MONTH THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED. THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS OBVIOUS THE SAME PART WAS USED ON VEHICLES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD NOT READ FULL. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 31, 2015Fuel system, gasoline, Fuel system, otherODI 10760509

Engine and engine cooling

106 reports1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN FRONTIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD EMERGING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE NOISE WENT AWAY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE OTHER TIMES WITHIN A TWO WEEK PERIOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE RADIATOR FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION, RADIATOR, AND THE TRANSMISSION MODULE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 131,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 20, 2018Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 11102787

Engine

80 reports1 crash2 fires
“The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated. The contact then stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off the roadway. The contact then stated that the check engine warning light intermittently flashed upon start-up then remained illuminated. The contact stated that he allowed the engine time to cool down then restarted the vehicle; however, after the vehicle was restarted, he depressed the accelerator pedal to regain speed but two to three minutes later the vehicle stalled again. The contact stated that occasionally, after the vehicle stalled, the vehicle was jumpstarted, but the negative side of the battery sparked from the cable. Additionally, the contact stated that the ABS warning light and the check engine warning illuminated then turned off then the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that he noticed that when the coolant temperature gauge was at an undisclosed temperature, the vehicle failed to restart. In addition, the contact added that upon research he…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 18, 2023EngineODI 11522632

Electrical system

38 reports1 crash3 fires
“ERRATIC GAS GAUGE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. SAME ISSUE HAS RECALL ON 2006 AND ABOVE NISSAN FRONTIERS. HAS TO BE SAME ISSUE WITH SENDING UNIT USED IN 2005. TSB IS OPEN TO INCLUDE 2005 VEHICLES”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2019Electrical systemODI 11246096

Fuel/propulsion system

25 reports
“FUEL GAUGE READS HALF TANK WHEN ACTUALLY EMPTY. VERY DANGEROUS. RAN OUT OF GAS ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE THAT WAS 3 LANES WIDE. I WAS IN THE FAR LEFT LANE WHEN ENGINE STOPPED. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES GO TO MANUAL WHEN ENGINE STOPS. HAD TO MANEUVER TO THE SHOULDER ACROSS 2 LANES TO THE RIGHT WITH NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES WHILE VEHICLE WAS QUICKLY LOSING SPEED. NEARLY WAS HIT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE CHANGING LANES. VEHICLE HAD SLOWED TO ABOUT 25 MPH. WHEN SEMI MUST HAVE FIGURED I HAD NO POWER AND STAYED BEHIND ME BLOCKING TWO LANES SO I COULD GET TO THE SHOULDER. PROBABLY SAVED MY LIFE AND PREVENTED A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS UNRELIABLE FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM SHOULD BE RECALLED REGARDLESS OF AGE OF VEHICLE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 18, 2019Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11232987
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.