2012 Nissan Frontier: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
78
Complaints
3
Recalls
4
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
8
Injuries
102.6
Severity index
Severity index 102.6 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Nissan Frontier ranks 26 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 80% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 23 | 29.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 20 | 25.6% |
| ENGINE | 12 | 15.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 9 | 11.5% |
| STRUCTURE | 7 | 9.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6 | 7.7% |
| SEAT BELTS | 5 | 6.4% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | 6.4% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 23 of 78 complaints (29.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 16 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2023 | 7 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14V052000 | 12/02/2014 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012 through 2014 Frontier vehicles manufactured from November 28, 2012, through December 17, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly causing the main wire harness c |
| 11V592000 | 19/12/2011 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE ENGIN |
| 12V462000 | 20/09/2012 | SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB | Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra two-wheel drive vehicles manufactured from June 19, 2012, through July 12, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with front wheel hubs that may not meet the design hardness specifications. A whee |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.