2024 Nissan Frontier: What to check before buying

Owners have filed 14 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, brakes, and fuel system. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.

2024

Owner complaints: 14
Recalls: 3
Crashes reported: 0
Reliability: Good; 77/100 on Auto Reliability Index

Your inspection sheet

Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.

0/9 checked

Paperwork and questions

Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2

01Confirm the 3 recalls listed below show as completed for this VIN. A Nissan dealer can look them up for free.
02Ask for service records showing visits for hesitation complaints or rear brake, hub, or axle replacement.

Walk-around and cabin

Engine off, key in hand0/3

03From a full stop, press the gas several times and note any delay of a few seconds before the truck moves.
04Make several turns from a stop and feel for hesitation or a slipping sensation as the truck pulls away.
05Watch whether the truck pulls away from a stop in 2nd gear instead of 1st.

Test drive

At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4

06Use manual shift mode on the test drive and confirm it changes gears and does not stick in a low gear.
07Confirm the parking brake releases fully and its warning light goes out before driving off.
08Listen for banging from the rear and watch for an ABS warning light during the drive.
09On a cold morning, test the brakes at walking speed before driving into traffic.

These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.

Which Frontier is it?

EPA figures for each version of the 2024 Nissan Frontier. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.

Version	Drive	EPA rating
3.8L 6-cyl	4WD, RWD	20–21 mpg

Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Frontier that averages well under the EPA 20 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.

Why these checks: what owners reported

NHTSA complaints for the 2024 Nissan Frontier, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.

Transmission3No crashes
Pressing the gas from a stop can bring a delay of a few seconds before the truck moves. Some trucks also hesitate or feel like the transmission is slipping partway through a turn. Others downshift for no clear reason, stay stuck in that gear even when shifted manually, or pull away in 2nd gear. These complaints come up within days of purchase. Drivers say it creates a crash risk when pulling into traffic or turning across oncoming cars. Dealers have called the delay a normal trait of the transmission as it searches for a gear.
Brakes2No crashes
The rear brake system can be destroyed after the parking brake stays engaged while the truck is moving, even when the owner says they never set it. Warning signs include the ABS light coming on and a banging noise from the rear. The repair covers rotors, hubs, sensors, and the axle, and the warranty did not pay for it. A separate complaint describes brakes that work poorly in cold weather with no warning light, which led to a low-speed collision. Only 2 complaints exist, so no clear pattern is visible yet.
Fuel system2No crashes
The throttle can lag when pulling away from a stop. The driver presses the pedal, nothing happens for 2 or 3 seconds, and then the truck finally moves. The delay appears only from a standstill. It is most dangerous when merging or crossing into oncoming traffic, and drivers report near collisions. They report it from soon after buying the truck new. Dealers have either found no defect or called it normal transmission behavior. These complaints describe the same hesitation filed under the power train.

In owners' own words

Excerpts from complaints Frontier owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.

Transmission

Vehicle gears down for no reason, then gets stuck in that gear. I have tried to manually shift it when it does this, but it still will not shift gears.Takes off in 2nd gear very often.

Filed with NHTSA, September 2024

Brakes

It was around 15 degrees outside and I was pulling the truck into my garage to warm it up and the brakes didn't work correctly and I ran into a trash can and destroyed the front grill causing over a $1000 in repairs. No warning lights were on.

Filed with NHTSA, February 2025

How the 2024 compares with other Frontier years

Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.

The 2024 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 5 Frontier years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.

2024 Average of other years

Transmission35
Brakes22
Fuel system21

Recalls to confirm (3)

Recall repairs are free at any Nissan dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.

24V582000Exterior lightsAug 2024
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Nissan Frontier vehicles. The right-side headlight assemblies may have missing or illegible headlight aim markings, which can result in improperly aimed headlights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.".
Risk: Improperly aimed headlights can result in insufficient illumination of the road, decreasing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the right-side headlight as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 20, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PD121.
24V479000SuspensionJun 2024
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Frontier vehicles. The front right-side lower link may have been manufactured with an oversized ball joint, which can result in corrosion and ball joint separation from the front right-side lower link.
Risk: Ball joint separation can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front right-side lower link, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 15, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PD109.
24V154000AirbagsFeb 2024
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2024 Titan, Frontier, Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder, 2023-2024 Sentra, Versa, Kicks, Infiniti QX50, and 2023 Rogue vehicles. Due to a manufacturing issue, the driver's air bag inflator may absorb moisture, and cause the air bag to deploy improperly.
Risk: An air bag that deploys improperly may not protect the driver as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front driver's air bag assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2024. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD103, PD104, and PMA34.

Also looking at these instead of a Frontier?

Cars shoppers compare with the Nissan Frontier, with their own 2024 checklists.

2024 owner complaints, side by side