AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY. *TR
2004 Nissan Frontier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Nissan Frontier do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 64.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Frontier years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
47 reports with mileage · 19 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.
- Power Train. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
66 reportsTHERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. I HAD MY VEHICLE REPAIRED BY A DEALER (POWER STEERING). NOW I HAVE A LEAK IN THE POWER STEERING. THEY SAY THEY DID NOT CAUSE THE LEAK. I SAY THEY DID. *TR
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THEN THREE YEARS MY REAR AXEL AND WHEEL HAVE COME LOOSE AND VERY CLOSE TO FALLING OFF. BOTH TIMES THE MECHANICS TOLD ME IT WAS BECAUSE OF A BROKEN WASHER. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER FRONTIER OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR AXEL PROBLEMS. MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF FRO…
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FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THEN THREE YEARS MY REAR AXEL AND WHEEL HAVE COME LOOSE AND VERY CLOSE TO FALLING OFF. BOTH TIMES THE MECHANICS TOLD ME IT WAS BECAUSE OF A BROKEN WASHER. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER FRONTIER OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR AXEL PROBLEMS. MECHANICS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF FRONTIER REAR AXEL PROBLEMS. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN FOR MYSELF AND FOR OTHER FRONTIER OWNERS. THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS THAT COULD INJURE OR KILL PEOPLE. I WAS BLESSED THAT BOTH TIMES MY REAR AXEL FAILED I WAS ONLY GOING AT A SLOW SPEED. IF IT HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGHER SPEED I WOULD HATE TO THINK WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. AXLES COMING LOOSE SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. NISSAN SHOULD STEP UP AND DEAL WITH THIS MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR
AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN ON A SECONDARY PAVED HIGHWAY ENTERING A PRIMARY HIGHWAY, THE ABOVE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID ON A THIN LAYER OF GRAVEL LAID DOWN ON THE BLACKTOP FOR RECENT ICE AND SNOW CONTROL. THE ROAD WAS CURRENTLY CLEAR AND DRY. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH WENT HALFWAY TO THE FLOORBOARD WITHOUT ANTILOCK ACTION. CONC…
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AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN ON A SECONDARY PAVED HIGHWAY ENTERING A PRIMARY HIGHWAY, THE ABOVE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKID ON A THIN LAYER OF GRAVEL LAID DOWN ON THE BLACKTOP FOR RECENT ICE AND SNOW CONTROL. THE ROAD WAS CURRENTLY CLEAR AND DRY. I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHICH WENT HALFWAY TO THE FLOORBOARD WITHOUT ANTILOCK ACTION. CONCURRENTLY THE ACCELERATOR MAINTAINED THE CURRENT SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED THROUGH THE STOP SIGN ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE FROM THE LEFT MOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR. WITHOUT CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE IT CONTINUED ON ITS OWN ACROSS THE PRIMARY HIGHWAY MISSING THE REAR OF THE ONCOMING VEHICLE BY A FOOT OR TWO. THE OTHER DRIVER APPEARED NOT TO BE AWARE OF MY INABILITY TO STOP AND POSSIBLY DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO VEHICLES IN THE OPPOSITE LANE COMING MY DIRECTION AND I SPEEDED UP TO CLEAR THE HIGHWAY AND CONTINUE ON THE SECONDARY ROAD. AT THAT POINT MY VEHICLE FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE BRAKES WORKED AGAIN AND THE ACCELERATOR APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. IN ESSENCE, FROM THE POINT OF THE SKID, MY VEHICLE DROVE ITSELF ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. ANTILOCK DID NOT ENGAGE AND THE ACCELERATOR APPEARED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY MALFUNCTION. *TR
FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER PROPERLY. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE FUEL CAP ONCE AND HAD THE TRUCK IN FOR REPAIRS A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON ALMOST CONSTANTLY AND WHEN THE FUEL GETS DOWN TO 1/4-1/8 OF A TANK, THE GAUGE WILL GO UP TO 3/4 A TANK INDICATING THAT THERE IS MORE GAS THERE THAN THERE ACTUA…
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FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT REGISTER PROPERLY. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE FUEL CAP ONCE AND HAD THE TRUCK IN FOR REPAIRS A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ON ALMOST CONSTANTLY AND WHEN THE FUEL GETS DOWN TO 1/4-1/8 OF A TANK, THE GAUGE WILL GO UP TO 3/4 A TANK INDICATING THAT THERE IS MORE GAS THERE THAN THERE ACTUALLY IS. IF I DO NOT KEEP TRACK OF IT, I CAN EASILY RUN OUT OF GAS. *TR
NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS SLOWLY LEAKING AND COVERING THE BOTTOM PAN. MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION NEAR THE TOP. MY CERTIFIED MECHANIC HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. THE TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE "CORE" CANNOT BE SENT BACK FOR ANY CREDIT.…
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NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS SLOWLY LEAKING AND COVERING THE BOTTOM PAN. MECHANIC LOOKED AT IT AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE HOUSING OF THE TRANSMISSION NEAR THE TOP. MY CERTIFIED MECHANIC HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. THE TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE "CORE" CANNOT BE SENT BACK FOR ANY CREDIT. TOTAL COST SO FAR IS APPROX. $2,800. THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING HAS NO EXTERNAL DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS CRACK TO THE HOUSING. CONSUMER SENT AN UPDATED PORTABLE TO CORRECT THE VIN. UPDATED 07/08/11
2009 STARTED HEARING KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE. SEEM TO COME AND GO. TOOK IT TO NISSAN AND DISCOVERED THE CRANK PULLEY WAS COMING APART. YEAR AND HALF LATER BELTS WERE SQUEALING. TOOK TRUCK IN FOR TIRES AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BELTS.DISCOVERED THE IDLER PULLEY WAS COMING APART. WAS INFORMED BY SERVICE PEOPLE AT TIRE DEALER…
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2009 STARTED HEARING KNOCKING NOISE FROM ENGINE. SEEM TO COME AND GO. TOOK IT TO NISSAN AND DISCOVERED THE CRANK PULLEY WAS COMING APART. YEAR AND HALF LATER BELTS WERE SQUEALING. TOOK TRUCK IN FOR TIRES AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BELTS.DISCOVERED THE IDLER PULLEY WAS COMING APART. WAS INFORMED BY SERVICE PEOPLE AT TIRE DEALER( TIRES PLUS) THEY HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE ON NISSAN VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ENGINE. THIS WAS IN 2011. TWO BAD PULLEYS WITH LESS THAN 42,000 MILES ON TRUCK. NO TELLING WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF EITHER OF THIS PULLEYS HAD COME APART AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HAVE NEVER HEARD OF PULLEYS COMING APART ON A VEHICLE BEFORE. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN FRONTIER CREW CAB, LONG BED (6') AND THE AIR BAGS (BOTH DRIVER & PASSENGER) DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK SUFFERED DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT THE HOOD FOLDED UPWARDS. MY DAUGHTER HIT AN IMPALA WITHOUT SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HARD ENOUGH TO SNAP…
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I HAVE A 2004 NISSAN FRONTIER CREW CAB, LONG BED (6') AND THE AIR BAGS (BOTH DRIVER & PASSENGER) DID NOT DEPLOY. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK SUFFERED DAMAGE. THE DAMAGE IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT THE HOOD FOLDED UPWARDS. MY DAUGHTER HIT AN IMPALA WITHOUT SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HARD ENOUGH TO SNAP THE IMPALA'S FRONT AXLE. THIS SEVERE OF AN ACCIDENT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY BUT, THEY DIDN'T. I JUST SAW THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH OTHERS AND IT APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM AS I FOUND MULTIPLE WEBSITES SPEAKING ABOUT THIS FAILURE TO DEPLOY. *TR
NISSAN 2004 FRONTIER XE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING A COLLISION INTO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ENTRY SIGN MADE OUT OF CEMENT BLOCKS. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS. IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRABLE, A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAFETY DUE TO THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF REPEATED BRAKE FAILURE.…
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NISSAN 2004 FRONTIER XE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING A COLLISION INTO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ENTRY SIGN MADE OUT OF CEMENT BLOCKS. THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS. IF THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REPAIRABLE, A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGER SAFETY DUE TO THE HIGH PROBABILITY OF REPEATED BRAKE FAILURE. A TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM REPAIR HAD BEEN DONE BY A REPUTABLE REPAIR SHOP APPROXIMATELY ONE AND ONE-HALF YEARS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. *LN
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN FRONTIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 NISSAN FRONTIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART IT. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 46,000.
Official recalls
110V554000 · Steering:column
Nov 11, 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2002-2004 FRONTIER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 9, 2001 THROUGH OCTOBER 20, 2004, AND MODEL YEAR 2002-2004, XTERRA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 9, 2001, THROUGH JANUARY 6, 2005. OVER TIME CORROSION MAY FORM IN THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN JOINT AND LIMIT MOVEMENT OF THE JOINT. THE LIMITED MOVEMENT OF THIS JOINT MAY CREATE EXCESSIVE LOAD ON THE LOWER STEERING COLUMN SHAFT. IF THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BE DRIVEN IN THIS CONDITION, IT MAY LEAD TO CRACKING OF THE SHAFT DURING LOW SPEED MANEUVERS THAT REQUIRE LARGE STEERING INPUTS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SHAFT MAY BREAK WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL DURING THESE LOW SPEED MANEUVERS INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT AND JOINT WILL BE REPLACED WITH A SHAFT OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 13, 2010. OWNERS MAY 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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