Problems · by component
2006 Nissan Frontier power train problems
220 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Nissan Frontier cite power train, 36% of all 617 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
220
36% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“2 months after purchasing the vehicle (with 98,410 miles) it started to shutter around 40 and 60 mph. At a little over 100,000 miles it began to slip in 5th gear (overdrive). It has been getting worse in the last 1,000s. Both Nissan or the local dealer are willing to offer any financial assistance.”
“I was at work, Which is 100% depended on my vehicle, as I work in the oilfield, I was out in the middle of nowhere, when I was getting back into my vehicle, I turned the key and the vehicle would not even turnover, I was forced to walk 5 miles to get to a job site that cell phone service to make a call for help, Took the truck to my mechanic, He said it was a transmission code coming up on his computer and that he was unable to fix, So I had to tow the vehicle a second time to Nissan in Grand Junction co. where they informed me that the Transmission and Radiator fluid has mixed together, Now I'm needing a new Transmission and coolant system at a price over $6000, They did let me know that this was a VERY common problem with this vehicle.”
“ON 2/2/2019, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO AAMCO TRANSMISSIONS TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION CHECKED, BECAUSE PRIOR TO THIS DATE I WAS EXPERIENCING ALOT OF JERKING AND OTHER ISSUES, ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. AFTER AAMCO TECHS LOOKED OVER MY TRANSMISSION, I WAS CONTACTED & INFORMED THAT I HAD A DEFECTIVE RADIATOR THAT HAD CONTAMINATED MY TRANSMISSION, DUE TO THE RADIATOR LEAKING COOLANT INTO MY TRANSMISSION. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT NISSAN HAD A LAWSUIT REGARDING THIS VERY PROBLEM, WHICH I WAS IN SHOCK, SINCE NO ONE HAD EVER ADVISED ME THROUGH MAIL, EMAIL, OR EVEN WORD OF MOUTH. MY FRONTIER IS A 2006, BUT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MAY OF 2007, & ON 2/2/2019, MY FRONTIER ONLY HAD 80,034 MILES ON IT. I'M DISABLED, & I NEED MY VEHICLE FOR DOCTOR APPTS, & FOR MY TWO CHILDREN AS WELL. THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART OF IT ALL IS, I TAKE MY FRONTIER TO THE LOCAL NISSAN TO HAVE THEM DO THE OIL CHANGES & TIRE ROTATIONS WHENEVER ITS DUE, & THEY ALWAYS CHECK ALL OF MY FLUIDS AT THE SAME TIME. IN ADDITION, THIS ISSUE AROUSE IN 2006 BEFORE I PURCHASED THE FRONTIER, BUT NOTHING WAS EVER CONVEYED TO ME ABOUT ANY ISSUES WITH THIS PARTICULAR YEAR OR MODEL. SINCE THERE WERE 3-4 MODELS AFFECTED…”
“AFTER TURNING OVER 72,000 MILES, A SLIGHT VIBRATION WAS NOTICED DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. OUR LOCAL TRANSMISSION MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A NON-REPAIRABLE TRANSMISSION DUE TO RADIATOR FLUID MIXING WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID: RESULTING IN THE NEED FOR A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION.”
“THE TRANSMISSION IN ONE DAY LOST REVERSE DRIVE AND LEFT ME ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE MOTOR REVING UP.AND DOWN AND DYING WHILE THE TRANSMISSION JUST SPUN ,LEAVING ME TO TOW IT TO THE NEAREST TRANSMISSION SHOP, THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE FREEWAY MOVING AT ABOUT 5 MPH WITH TOOK THE MOTOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 THOUSAND RPM TO MOVE BECAUSE THE GEARS WERE GONE AND APPARENTLY FROM A AUXILIARY TRANSMISSION COOLER THAT MINE NEEDED”
“2006 NISSAN FRONTIER TRANSMISSION FAILING DUE TO ENGINE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID MIXING. TRUCK STARTED JERKING AT TIMES JUST CRUISING USUALLY BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH THEN WORSE. COOLANT RESERVOIR AND RADIATOR WAS NOTICED IN COMPONENTS. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND GAVE ME A PRICE OF 5300 TO REPLACE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION AND FLUSH ALL SYSTEMS. I HAD BEEN READING REVIEWS ON THESE MODELS AND WAS HOPING THIS WASN'T THE ISSUE ON MINE. AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE FLUID CONTAMINATION I WAS SICK. HAD NO IDEA OF THIS PROBLEM. ALOT OF REVIEWS SAY STEER CLEAR OF THESE VEHICLES. THIS FRONTIER IS MY 3RD OWNED NISSAN VEHICLE. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!”
Showing 6 of 220 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.