IllustrationLEAF SPRING
2011 Nissan Frontier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2011 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
170–25K
925–50K
850–75K
675–100K
5100–150K
5150K+
50 reports with mileage · 14 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
What owners actually said
64 reportsAT 27,000 MILES THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON I-5 FREEWAY. THE PROBLEM CAUSED ME TO PULL OVER AND GET OFF THE ROAD AS THE VEHICLE COULD NOT GO AT THE SPEED OF THE TRAFFIC CREATING DANGER. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CLUTCH AND THE FLYWHEEL WERE REPLACED.
THE HORN ON THESE TRUCK HAVE STOP WORKING THIS IS MY SECOND 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER TRUCK THAT SAME THING HAPPENS THE HORN JUST STOPS WORKING AND WITH HOUSTON, TEXAS TRAFFIC WE NEED A WORKING HORN IN OUR VEHICLES.
PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT "YELLOW DASHBOARD LIGHT" THAT TYPICALLY COMES ON WHEN ANYONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. (ANYTIME AT ANY LOCATION) ALSO THE RED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON DASHBOARD. DEALER STATES IT WILL COST $2400 TO REPAIR. OTHER MODELS OF NISSAN VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ARE COVERED BY A RECALL, N…
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PASSENGER-SIDE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT "YELLOW DASHBOARD LIGHT" THAT TYPICALLY COMES ON WHEN ANYONE SITS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. (ANYTIME AT ANY LOCATION) ALSO THE RED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON DASHBOARD. DEALER STATES IT WILL COST $2400 TO REPAIR. OTHER MODELS OF NISSAN VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ARE COVERED BY A RECALL, NOT 2011 FRONTIER P/U. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THE OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SENSOR.
VDC OFF/ SLIP LIGHT ARE COMING ON AND OFF. I PUSHED THE VSC BUTTON AND IT STAYS. ITS FULL OF FLUID. ID JUST LIKE TO HAVE A TECH LOOK AT THEM, IVE HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE ON DIFFERENT FRONTIER FORUMS.
A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE STEEL WHEELS ALLOWS WATER TO PUDDLE IN A CHANNEL IN THE WHEEL -- BECAUSE THERE IS INADEQUATE DRAINAGE BEHIND A SHOULDER ON THE RIM. FURTHERMORE THE COATING OF THE STEEL RIM IS INADEQUATE TO PREVENT RUSTING OF THE RIM. THUS, AFTER AS LITTLE AS 57,500 MILES, THE PUDDLING IN THIS UNDRAINED CHANNEL LEADS TO SE…
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A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE STEEL WHEELS ALLOWS WATER TO PUDDLE IN A CHANNEL IN THE WHEEL -- BECAUSE THERE IS INADEQUATE DRAINAGE BEHIND A SHOULDER ON THE RIM. FURTHERMORE THE COATING OF THE STEEL RIM IS INADEQUATE TO PREVENT RUSTING OF THE RIM. THUS, AFTER AS LITTLE AS 57,500 MILES, THE PUDDLING IN THIS UNDRAINED CHANNEL LEADS TO SEVERE CORROSION, WITH FOLLOWING ADVERSE RESULTS. (1) THE CORROSION INVADES THE HOLE FOR THE TPMS WHICH IS LOCATED RIGHT IN THE CHANNEL -- CAUSING LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE AROUND THE BASE OF THE TPMS, THAT CANNOT BE EASILY REMEDIED. (2) THE EXTENT AND SEVERITY OF THE CORROSION AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE STRONGLY PREDICTS EVENTUAL CATASTROPHIC WHEEL FAILURE DURING THE NORMAL LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE.
THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS FLASHING ALL THE TIME.THE PASSINGER SEAT AIRBAG LIGHT ON DASH READS AIRBAG OFF.THE DEALER WANTS TO REPLACE THE PASSINGER SEAT AIRBAG PARTS AT A COST OF $2300.NISSAN HAS RECALLED OTHER CARS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT THE FRONTIER.
THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST ALL PRESSURE AND BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER HITTING SOME SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD. THIS CAUSED A COLLISION WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. EVEN AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOLLOWING THIS COLLISION, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACEMENT, AND FULL BRAKE SERVICE, THIS ISSUE STILL PERSISTS. SMALL…
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THE BRAKE PEDAL LOST ALL PRESSURE AND BRAKES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER HITTING SOME SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD. THIS CAUSED A COLLISION WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE. EVEN AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOLLOWING THIS COLLISION, MASTER CYLINDER REPLACEMENT, AND FULL BRAKE SERVICE, THIS ISSUE STILL PERSISTS. SMALL ROAD BUMPS MAKE THE BRAKES MOMENTARILY NON-FUNCTIONAL.
MY CLUTCH KEEPS WEARING OUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK USED WITH 60,000 MILES AND REPLACED THE CLUTCH AT 81,893 MILES, 107,179 MILES AND IT IS NOW SLIPPING AGAIN AT 131,521 MILES. I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN PRIMARILY MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES SINCE 1975 AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I HAVE DRIVEN…
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MY CLUTCH KEEPS WEARING OUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK USED WITH 60,000 MILES AND REPLACED THE CLUTCH AT 81,893 MILES, 107,179 MILES AND IT IS NOW SLIPPING AGAIN AT 131,521 MILES. I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN PRIMARILY MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES SINCE 1975 AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I HAVE DRIVEN NEARL ONE MILLION MILES IN VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND REPLACED ONLY ONE CLUTCH. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE CLUTCH THAT NISSAN USES. THE FIRST TIME WAS 02/27/15 THE SECOND TIME WAS 5/24/16 AND MOST RECENTLY 12/20/17
THE HOOD OF MY TRUCK POPPED OPENED AT 67 MPH WHILE DRIVING ON 595 EAST BOUND ON FLORIDA HIGHWAY BETWEEN FLAMINGO AND UNIVERSITY EXITS. DUE TO THE IMPACT IT CRACKED MY WINDSHIELD AND OBVIOUS LOSS OF VISIBILITY TO HIGHWAY. AFTER PULLING OVER AND INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT SEEMS LIKE THE LATCH OF THE HOOD CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING. I …
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THE HOOD OF MY TRUCK POPPED OPENED AT 67 MPH WHILE DRIVING ON 595 EAST BOUND ON FLORIDA HIGHWAY BETWEEN FLAMINGO AND UNIVERSITY EXITS. DUE TO THE IMPACT IT CRACKED MY WINDSHIELD AND OBVIOUS LOSS OF VISIBILITY TO HIGHWAY. AFTER PULLING OVER AND INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT SEEMS LIKE THE LATCH OF THE HOOD CAME OFF WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION HOW THIS MALFUNCTION COULD HAVE HAPPENED. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO HARM TO MYSELF ONLY THE DAMAGE TO HOOD, WINDSHIELD, TOP OF VEHICLE ROOF AND MISSING LATCH AND THE EMERGENCY CABLE THAT IS HOOKED UP TO HOOD. MY ANTENNA ALSO BROKE FROM THE IMPACT AND THE HOOD DOES NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY.
Official recalls
123V067000 · Air Bags:frontal
Feb 10, 2023
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the drivers airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
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.