no report yet
Engine and engine cooling
Risk. THIS COULD CAUSE ENGINE STALLING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2005 Nissan FrontierProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 532 owner complaints about the 2005 Nissan Frontier, most often about the power train. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 9, 2025. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 Nissan Frontier has problems
532 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
262Power train3 crash/fire/injury
119Fuel system, gasoline1 crash/fire/injury
106Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
80Engine2 crash/fire/injury
38Electrical system
25Fuel/propulsion system
18Fuel system, other
17Structure
15Vehicle speed control
5214 other systems7 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 262 | 3 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 119 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 106 | 1 |
| Engine | 80 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 38 | 4 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 25 | 0 |
| Fuel system, other | 18 | 0 |
| Structure | 17 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 15 | 3 |
| 14 other systems | 52 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2005 Nissan Frontier recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
no report yet
Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
Risk. THIS MAY RESULT IN A FUEL SPILL WHICH IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Nissan.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
102kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 238 power train complaints. 46% were reported before 100,000 miles.
6under 30k miles109under 100k miles129100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
55 owners mentioned a cost$5,000median
Middle half: $4,000 – $6,000
Fuel system, gasoline
18 owners mentioned a cost$482median
Middle half: $325 – $600
Engine
12 owners mentioned a cost$3,950median
Middle half: $1,925 – $4,925
Engine and engine cooling
11 owners mentioned a cost$3,400median
Middle half: $2,750 – $3,900
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2005 vs. every other Frontier year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Frontier median. How we score
'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 Nissan Frontier, and the recalls they led to.
- Transmission FailuresNo recall
In owners' words
What Frontier owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The truck loss power stalling,shuddering, bucking, want pick up speed even when excellerating, slow take off, loss of speed
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle came to a complete stop and then hesitated to accelerate. Additionally, a burning odor was detected. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission and radiator failure. The…
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. There was no warning light before or after the failure. The vehicle was towed by an independent mechanic. The mechanic performed a diagnostic test and found that coolant had leaked…
Own a 2005 Frontier?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.