NISSAN FRONTIER · model year

2011 NISSAN FRONTIER

84 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011NISSANFRONTIER carries 84 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 FRONTIER is air bags with 14 filings, followed by service brakes (12) and power train (9). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2011 FRONTIER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

84
Complaints
5
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

84 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 - Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS14
SERVICE BRAKES12
POWER TRAIN9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
STRUCTURE:BODY5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL4
ENGINE4
SEATS3
SEAT BELTS3
WHEELS2
SUSPENSION2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
STEERING2
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1

Recalls (1)

23V06700010/02/2023

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

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.

Recent Complaints

20251102POWER TRAIN

Transmission fluid mixing with coolant in radiator!

20250320SERVICE BRAKES

The brakes have failed several times, seems to be a known issues and affecting others. While our Nissan Truck is older, we had our Nissan checked at Midas, and then at the local Continental Nissan location, that didn’t really help, found a part that helped but only for a short period of time, as this part crapped out again yesterday 3/19/2025, and even though the brake pushed to the floor trying to stop as the brakes stopped working again! The part was only approx 2-5 months old. Nissan Frontier dealership or other places to find the actual parts needed have no real parts that would actually fix the issue. It is very sad for those in the same issue as us, pay $$$ for a used vehicle that cannot seem to be fixed, if they have even tried. I’m pretty sure nothing will be done, but wanted to file this complaint. I’m not expecting anything will be reviewed on this issue, since nothing has been seen thus far for an actual fix via Nissan etc.

20250320FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

The brakes have failed several times, seems to be a known issues and affecting others. While our Nissan Truck is older, we had our Nissan checked at Midas, and then at the local Continental Nissan location, that didn’t really help, found a part that helped but only for a short period of time, as this part crapped out again yesterday 3/19/2025, and even though the brake pushed to the floor trying to stop as the brakes stopped working again! The part was only approx 2-5 months old. Nissan Frontier dealership or other places to find the actual parts needed have no real parts that would actually fix the issue. It is very sad for those in the same issue as us, pay $$$ for a used vehicle that cannot seem to be fixed, if they have even tried. I’m pretty sure nothing will be done, but wanted to file this complaint. I’m not expecting anything will be reviewed on this issue, since nothing has been seen thus far for an actual fix via Nissan etc.

20240429CrashAIR BAGS

On January 25, 2024 my son was driving this truck and hit a dog on the highway. His driver side airbag deployed, the driver side seatbelt would not retract, and there was some minor body damage. The engine of the vehicle is fine and completely operational. Since then, we have been waiting for repairs to be made. Per USAA, repairs will be approx $5000 or less. The vehicle is worth over $12,000 so they decided to repair it. The problem is that part number 98820-ZP78A (air bag control module) is no longer being manufactured by Nissan. All other parts, including the *actual* air bag can still be purchased from Nissan, but they are not making the sensor we need to fix this vehicle. We are not the only ones who cannot obtain this part.

20231020AIR BAGS

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Frontier. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

20230905UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Vehicle frame has failed due to rust.

20230525STRUCTURE:BODY

Paint flaking off of front fender in crease above tire on both the passenger and driver side.

20221219ENGINE

2011 NISSAN FRONTIER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO ILLUMINATED CHECK ENGNE LIGHT.

20221205ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM):SOFTWARE

The contact owns a 2011 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle was running rough. Additionally, the vehicle was shuddering violently and started to stall. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and drove to a local Pep Boys. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Engine Control Module (ECM) had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20220610SERVICE BRAKES

The Actuator Assembly - Anti Skid has failed on my 2011 Frontier. My vehicle has cluster lights illuminated for ABS, brake, VDC, and SLIP. My independent mechanic pulled the codes and stated that they indicate the ABS module is going bad. This part has been discontinued by Nissan so I am not able to replace the part with a new part. The ABS system will not properly function which I would assume would be a safety issue and might impact more than the braking performance of the vehicle.

20211218SERVICE BRAKES

ABS module failed. The repair shop called the local Nissan dealership for parts. The Nissan dealership said the failure was a known issue. I called Nissan Customer Service for more info and they said no complaints had been filed.

20211217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

2011 NISSAN FRONTIER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO EVAPORATION EMMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM. THE CONSUMER STATED IN ORDER TO FILL THE TANK WITH GAS, THE GAS SPOUT MUST BE HELD ABOUT 3 QUARTERS OF THE WAY OUT OF THE FILLER NECK. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THIS WOULD CAUSE SPILLING OR SPLASHING. THE CONSUMER STATED AT A PARTICULAR GAS STATION THE GAS NASAL HAD A WIDE RUBBER GASKET ON THE GAS NOZZLE DISPENSER THAT COVERED THE ENTRANCE TO THE GAS TANK.

20210616SEAT BELTS

My air bag light kept flashing on my 2011 Nissan Frontier Pro 4x4, I had it looked at when I got my oil changed and was told that it is a malfunction where you click the seat belt into, the light is off now but once some one sets in the passenger side seat and puts the seat belt on the light will come back on, due to malfunction in the seat belt, and if I would get into a accident and some one is sitting in the passenger side the seat belt will not properly secure them

20210616AIR BAGS

My air bag light kept flashing on my 2011 Nissan Frontier Pro 4x4, I had it looked at when I got my oil changed and was told that it is a malfunction where you click the seat belt into, the light is off now but once some one sets in the passenger side seat and puts the seat belt on the light will come back on, due to malfunction in the seat belt, and if I would get into a accident and some one is sitting in the passenger side the seat belt will not properly secure them

20201026AIR BAGS

MY AIRBAG LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH A YEAR AGO I TOOK IT TO NISSAN THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A SEAT CUSHION SENSOR IT WOULD COST ME $500.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. I AM WRITTING THIS IN COMPLAINT THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN IN RECALL I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS PERIOD IN EXPECTATION OF RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE. ALSO A FAILURE CODE FOR BELT TENSIONER. TO HAVE THESE ITEMS REPAIRED WOULD COST A TOTAL OF $2175.14. I DON'T AGREE I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR. NO ONE SITS IN THE SEAT, NOTHING SHOULD GO WRONG WITH THE SENSOR. IT CAME ON ALL OF A SUDDEN. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE.

Mileage: 121,372

20201026SEATS

MY AIRBAG LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH A YEAR AGO I TOOK IT TO NISSAN THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A SEAT CUSHION SENSOR IT WOULD COST ME $500.00 TO HAVE IT FIXED. I AM WRITTING THIS IN COMPLAINT THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN IN RECALL I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS PERIOD IN EXPECTATION OF RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE. ALSO A FAILURE CODE FOR BELT TENSIONER. TO HAVE THESE ITEMS REPAIRED WOULD COST A TOTAL OF $2175.14. I DON'T AGREE I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AIRBAG SENSOR. NO ONE SITS IN THE SEAT, NOTHING SHOULD GO WRONG WITH THE SENSOR. IT CAME ON ALL OF A SUDDEN. WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE.

Mileage: 121,372

20200925STEERING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING BRACKET DETACHED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONTACT LOSS POWER STEERING FUNCTIONALITY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEER BELT SHIFTED FORWARD AND DETACHED THE SERPENTINE BELT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER STEERING. SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BELT DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED CROWN NISSAN OF GREENVILLE (2712 LAURENS RD, GREENVILLE, SC 29607) AND INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRACKET WAS DISCONTINUED AND TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER DUE TO THE REPAIR COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 213,000.

Mileage: 213,000

20200522ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE BLOWER TURNS OFF AFTER GOING THROUGH CAR WASH, OR INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. CAN CAUSE ISSUES WITH FOGGING UP WINDOWS AND VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING WHEN HAPPENING ON FREEWAY. UNSURE AS TO NATURE OF WHY. *TR

Mileage: 87,000

20200522VISIBILITY/WIPER

VEHICLE BLOWER TURNS OFF AFTER GOING THROUGH CAR WASH, OR INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. CAN CAUSE ISSUES WITH FOGGING UP WINDOWS AND VISIBILITY WHEN DRIVING WHEN HAPPENING ON FREEWAY. UNSURE AS TO NATURE OF WHY. *TR

Mileage: 87,000

20200202SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN THE BRAKES BECAME SPONGY (NOT FIRM) AND PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR RESULTING IN LONGER BRAKING DISTANCES UNLESS I PUMP THE PEDAL. THIS OCCURRED AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKES AHEAD OF A STOP SIGN AS THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER A BUMP/IRREGULARITY IN THE ROAD. THE ABS AND VDC (ANTI-SLIP) ACTIVATED BRIEFLY THEN THE PEDAL GOT SOFT. IT REMAINED IN THIS CONDITION (SPONGY AND EXCESSIVE PEDAL TRAVEL) UNTIL REACHED MY DESTINATION. THE FIRST INSTANCE OF THIS OCCURRING THE BRAKE SYSTEM SEEMED TO CORRECT ITSELF WITH THE VEHICLE PARKED AND IGNITION OFF OVERNIGHT (GOOD PEDAL FIRMNESS AND NORMAL PEDAL TRAVEL AND BRAKING DISTANCES THE NEXT MORNING). HOWEVER, AFTER A SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED (BRAKE GETS SOFT AFTER ABS AND ANTI-SLIP ACTIVATES) THE SPONGY AND LONG PEDAL TRAVEL REMAINS. REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER AND BLED SYSTEM (USED MOTIVE POWER BLEEDER) DID TROUBLESHOOTING ON BRAKE BOOSTER, BOOSTER VACUUM LINE AND CHECK VALVE AND ALL CHECKED FINE. INSPECTED B

Mileage: 156,000

Compare 2011NISSANFRONTIER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER have?
The 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER has 84 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER?
The 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER?
Yes, the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is AIR BAGS:FRONTAL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER?
The most-complained component for the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER is AIR BAGS with 14 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.