Your vehicle report
1998 Nissan Frontier
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 129
- Received Apr 1998 to Mar 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Tires blow out or tread separates24 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Instrument cluster or speedometer fails12 complaints · 9.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract11 complaints · 8.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #98V064000Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with automatic transmissions. A securing pin inside the automatic transmission control device assembly can come loose allowing the shift lever to be inadvertently moved out of the park position with the key in the ignition.
- Recall #98V065000Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with bucket seats. In certain frontal crashes, the front seat belt can slip between the seat bottom finisher and the seat back plastic recliner handle where it can be cut by the sharp edge of the metal portion of the recliner lever.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 0 fires, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 8 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 14 |
| 1999 | 26 |
| 2000 | 23 |
| 2001 | 11 |
| 2002 | 8 |
| 2003 | 4 |
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 7 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 129 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 24 | 19% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 12 | 9.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 11 | 8.5% | – | NHTSA recall #98V065000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 7.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 9 | 7.0% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 3.1% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 2.3% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #98V064000March 25, 19983,000 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with automatic transmissions. A securing pin inside the automatic transmission control device assembly Can come loose allowing the shift lever to be inadvertently moved out of the park position with the key in the ignition.
This could result in a crash if the parking brake is not engaged.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the automatic transmission control device assembly and replace it if necessary.
NHTSA recall #98V065000March 25, 199820,000 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: webbing
Vehicle description: light duty passenger trucks equipped with bucket seats. In certain frontal crashes, the front seat belt Can slip between the seat bottom finisher and the seat back plastic recliner handle where it Can be cut by the sharp edge of the metal portion of the recliner lever.
If the seat belt is completely severed, it Can increase the risk of serious injury to an occupant in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the plastic handle on the end of the seat back reclining lever fwith a different shape handle which will prevent the seat belt from slipping between the handle and the seat.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Nissan Frontier.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN