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2001 Nissan Frontier

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Frontier years

Owner complaints for the 2001 Nissan Frontier are substantially higher than the model-year median of 64.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

77 reports with mileage · 57 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 25 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports8 fire reports8 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

22 reports
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160,000 miles · Oct 20, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

REF CASE: NTB03-048A MY CAR HAS THE SAME ISSUE EXCEPT MY TRUCK IS 2001. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10361475

106,120 miles · Oct 24, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling

LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING NOISE AND FUMES TO ENTER CAB OF TRUCK AND MAKING ME SICK. COST TO REPAIR ALMOST $800. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10171747

60,000 miles · Oct 19, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling

BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10171294

55,000 miles · May 14, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling

CAR WITH 55,000 OVERHEATS & SHUT DOWN ON FREEWAY. WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP, 3 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. TWO DAYS AFTER RECEIVING IT BACK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP, CAR OVERHEATS AGAIN. CRACKED MANIFOLD WAS ALSO DISCOVERED. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10157518

35,000 miles · May 3, 2006
Engine And Engine Cooling

EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED DUE TO MANIFOLD IS MADE OF ONE TYPE OF METAL, AND ENGINE BLOCK IS ANOTHER TYPE. THESE TWO METALS HEAT/COOL AT DIFFERENT RATES CAUSING UNDUE STRESS ON MANIFOLD. AS A RESULT THE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED, ALLOWING TOXIC FUMES TO ENTER VEHICLE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10156733

10,000 miles · Jan 4, 2006
Engine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER EACH OF THE FIRST THREE INCIDENTS. ON EVERY VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE GAS CAP WAS REPLACED. WHEN THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE FOURTH TIME TWO MONTHS AGO THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SUGGESTED DIAGNO…

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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER EACH OF THE FIRST THREE INCIDENTS. ON EVERY VISIT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE GAS CAP WAS REPLACED. WHEN THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE FOURTH TIME TWO MONTHS AGO THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SUGGESTED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS INDICATING A PROBLEM EXCEPT FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10146867

74,500 miles · Dec 12, 2005
Engine And Engine Cooling

I OWN A NISSAN FRONTIER SE V-6 3.3 4X4, ALL IS ORIGINAL AS PURCHASED, AT APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES, THIS WINTER I HAVE DEVELOPED A LOUD TICKING NOISE UPON COLD START UP, AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL WARMED UP IT SUBSIDES AND RETURNS UPON COLD START UP. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10145043

27,000 miles · Dec 3, 2005
Engine And Engine Cooling

I BOUGHT A 2001 NISSAN FRONTIER 27,000 MILES ON IT SOON AFTERWARDS SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON, DEALER REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SINCE THEN LIGHT CONSTANTLY COMES ON NOW HAVE 128,000 MILES ON TRUCK THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FROM THE GET GO. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR WAS CHANGED AROUND 50,000 MILES WOULD THERE BE A…

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I BOUGHT A 2001 NISSAN FRONTIER 27,000 MILES ON IT SOON AFTERWARDS SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON, DEALER REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SINCE THEN LIGHT CONSTANTLY COMES ON NOW HAVE 128,000 MILES ON TRUCK THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FROM THE GET GO. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR WAS CHANGED AROUND 50,000 MILES WOULD THERE BE ANY WARRANTY ON THE NEW UNIT?*JB

NHTSA ODI #10144386

52,500 miles · Mar 17, 2005
Engine And Engine CoolingFire

2/25/05 I PURCHASED A USED NISSAN FRONITER SC '01. ONE WEEK LATER THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT APPEARED. A NISSAN TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE OXYGEN SENSORS NOT PROVIDING FEEDBACK DUE TO CONDENSATION IN THE WIRE HARNESSES. THE TECH. TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN HE FOUND STATING THAT THE WIRE HARNESSES IN THAT Y…

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2/25/05 I PURCHASED A USED NISSAN FRONITER SC '01. ONE WEEK LATER THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT APPEARED. A NISSAN TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE OXYGEN SENSORS NOT PROVIDING FEEDBACK DUE TO CONDENSATION IN THE WIRE HARNESSES. THE TECH. TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN HE FOUND STATING THAT THE WIRE HARNESSES IN THAT YEAR FRONTIER WERE FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND REPLACED WITH UPDATED HARNESSES, WHICH I WOULD HAVE TO BUY ALONG WITH FOUR SENSORS, TO FIX MY PROBLEM. THE COST IN PARTS WAS $965 AND LABOR IS ESTIMATED AT $880. NISSAN WILL NOT EVEN PAY FOR PARTIAL PARTS EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT IT IS FAULTY PRODUCT. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM TO COMPLAIN WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT AND NOW THEY WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10114244

88,000 miles · Jan 6, 2005
Engine And Engine Cooling

CONSUMER SMELLED FUMES COMING INTO THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THE RIGHT MANIFOLD EXHAUST WAS DEFECTIVE. THE WARRANTY COMPANY STATED, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MANUFACTURER STATED NO COMPLAINTS RECEIVED.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10106923

Official recalls

3

04V230000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

May 24, 2004

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

02V299000 · Suspension:rear

Nov 12, 2002

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

02V300000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly:filler Pipe And Cap

Nov 12, 2002

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK INLET SHUTTER VALVE DOES NOT MEET THE SEALING PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

PE02052 · Fuel Spill During Refueling

Opened Jun 20, 2002 · Closed Dec 3, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages

No summary supplied.