Your vehicle report
2001 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
- 134
- Received Nov 2000 to May 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline20 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Check engine light comes on repeatedly9 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Seat belt fails to latch or retract8 complaints · 6.0% 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 #02V299000On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, water may enter the rear axle housing due to inadequate sealing of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor.
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: 11 crashes, 8 fires, 11 people injured, 2 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 15 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes
1 more problem
Brakes
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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2001 | 12 |
| 2002 | 23 |
| 2003 | 19 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 13 |
| 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 2 |
| 2010 | 10 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 134 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 20 | 15% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 9 | 6.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 6.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 7 | 5.2% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 7 | 5.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 6 | 4.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Exhaust manifold cracks and leaks fumes | 4 | 3.0% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 3.0% | – | NHTSA recall #02V299000 |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #04V230000 |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 3 | 2.2% | – |
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 #02V299000November 12, 2002143,000 vehicles affected
suspension: rear
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, water may enter the rear axle housing due to inadequate sealing of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor.
This Can result in corrosion and eventual failure of the wheel bearing. If this occurs, the wheel assembly could separate from the vehicle increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear axle for water intrusion and any affected components will be replaced. The ABS sensor will be resealed to prevent water intrusion. Owner notification began december 10, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
NHTSA recall #02V300000November 12, 200244,000 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, the fuel tank inlet shutter valve does not meet the sealing performance specification.
Under certain conditions such as high ambient temperature and when winter grade gasoline is being sold, fuel could spill from the filler inlet as the tank is being filled. In the presence of an ignition source, fuel leakage could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel tank inlet shutter valve. Owner notification is expected to begin december 10, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
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 2001 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