Your vehicle report
1999 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
- 78
- Received Jan 1999 to Aug 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Tires blow out or tread separates17 complaints · 22% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Airbags fail to deploy in crashes9 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed4 complaints · 5.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V230000On certain pickup trucks equipped with six cylinder engines and sport utility vehicles equipped with four or six cylinder engines, the fuel pump terminal on the fuel-sending unit can develop a crack in the plastic molding. This can cause the terminal strip to corrode under some environmental conditions.
- Recall #99V347002Vehicle description: minivans and light duty trucks. The tail light socket may have been improperly molded, resulting in the locking tab having insufficient force to retain the bulb.
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: 9 crashes, 0 fires, 8 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 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Fuel pump fails and engine stalls
1 more problem
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
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 13 |
| 2000 | 20 |
| 2001 | 5 |
| 2002 | 7 |
| 2003 | 10 |
| 2004 | 9 |
| 2005 | 6 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 78 |
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 | 17 | 22% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 12% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 5.1% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 3.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 3.9% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 3.9% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #04V230000 |
| Steering wheel clunks or clicks when turning | 3 | 3.9% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 3 | 3.9% | – |
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 #04V230000May 24, 2004586,196 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
On certain pickup trucks equipped with six cylinder engines and sport utility vehicles equipped with four or six cylinder engines, the fuel pump terminal on the fuel-sending unit Can develop a crack in the plastic molding. This Can cause the terminal strip to corrode under some environmental conditions.
If corrosion occurs, the terminal strip could eventually break causing the fuel pump to stop operation. This will result in not being able to start the engine or cause the engine to stop running without warning, which Can result in a crash.
Remedy
In the following states, dealers will replace the fuel-sending unit. These states are connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, tennessee, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. In the other states, the dealer will inspect the fuel pump terminal on the sending unit for corrosion. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the unit. If there is not corrosion, the dealer will apply sealant to the terminal housing to help prevent corrosion in the future. Owner notification began on june 28, 2004. Owners should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #99V347002December 20, 199967,000 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: tail lights
Vehicle description: minivans and light duty trucks. The tail light socket may have been improperly molded, resulting in the locking tab having insufficient force to retain the bulb.
If the bulb falls out of the socket, the brake or tail lamp function cannot occur.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the tail lamp sockets.
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 1999 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