2018 Nissan Frontier: What to check before buying

Battery drain and electrical glitches lead this category. Reports describe the battery dying fast whether parked or driving, with warning lights for the battery, brakes, ABS and traction control, and gauges acting up even after the battery, alternator and fuses check out. Other trucks fail to start with no dash lights, then start normally later. A loose ignition switch that blocks starting needed its plastic body replaced at about 50,260 miles. Doors that lock on their own while parked and a backup camera that beeps nearly all the time in reverse also appear, with one near crash blamed on the camera.

A brake pedal that sinks almost to the floor under firm pressure is the main complaint. Drivers also say the brake and accelerator pedals sit so close that pressing the brake pushes the gas too, and the truck lunges forward. These reports come early, at 500 and 9,745 miles, and dealers say they cannot duplicate the problem on road tests. One driver describes a very close call. Separately, an inspection called for new front brakes and rotors on a truck with low mileage.

Vibration that grows worse over time is one pattern. The dealer first found nothing, and the problem was later traced to the motor mounts, with the repair refused under the powertrain warranty. Another complaint describes a squeak from the front driver side suspension that started when new, gets worse with age, and that the dealer cannot locate. In a third case, the dealer could not align the truck until it installed a kit, and the manufacturer covered half the cost.

A flashing passenger airbag warning light that will not go away is the consistent failure here. It signals that the passenger airbag may not deploy in a crash. In one truck, a dealer found the occupancy classification module installed incorrectly and not an original part. In another, the light came on around 62k miles, and two costly dealer repairs failed to fix it, with the manufacturer splitting the bills. Neither complaint reports a lasting fix.

A cracked truck bed mount is the more serious report. The passenger side mount where the bed attaches to the frame was found cracked with a piece missing. The other complaint covers cosmetic damage: paint peeling on the front left fender and along the seams where both front fenders meet the cab. The dealer received photos of the paint damage, and no repair is described.

Sudden loss of acceleration is the shared symptom. In one truck with under 4500 miles, the rear wheels feel like they lock at 25 to 40 mph, the O/D light flashes, and the truck stops accelerating before recovering, nearly causing a rear-end crash. Repairs held for only a week. Another truck refuses to speed up and runs at idle for five or six seconds a few times a month, with no warning lights. Four dealer visits found no fault code.

Trouble refueling is the pattern. The pump nozzle keeps shutting off as soon as fueling starts, filling the tank becomes slow and difficult, and in one case gas spits out of the filler tube onto the ground. One dealer quoted $1,600 to replace the filler tube assembly, canister filler, canister assembly, control valve assembly and evap pressure sensor. Another dealer replaced several parts, but the problem came back by the second fill-up.

Unpredictable throttle response is the core issue, and both reports carry a crash risk. One truck has dead spots when pulling away from stops or climbing hills, then surges hard enough to chirp the tires once the transmission downshifts. Three dealer visits, including transmission and throttle body reprogramming and a new throttle body, did not cure it on a truck with just over 1000 miles. Another report describes the engine racing while stopped with a foot on the brake, which forced the occupants to shift into neutral to avoid hitting things.