2008 Nissan Frontier Problems, Recalls & Reliability
187 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Nissan Frontier, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 22/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 95,500 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Frontier years
What owners report
“Transmission cooler in radiator leaked causing engine coolant to mix with transmission fluid causing transmission to break down”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Frontier
“Transmission cooler in radiater failed and coolant leaked into transmission causing transmission failure and overheating.broke down on side of road and had to be towed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Frontier
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 142 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 89,212 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 123,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES THAT WERE EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN NUVI MODEL 750 NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THE BATTERIES CONTAINED IN THE AFFECTED GPS UNITS CAN OVERHEAT.
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON…
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES. THE MOLDED FUEL TANK SHELLS CAN DEFORM, CAUSING THE FUEL SENDER FLOAT ARM TO CONTACT AN EMBOSSMENT MOLDED INTO THE TANK SHELL CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW ONE THAT HAS A MODIFIED FLOAT ARM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS.…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 5,523 MY 2008 TITAN, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, 'TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.' THE TIRE PLACARD LISTS AN INCORRECT VEHICLE…
Fix: NISSAN WILL MAIL A CORRECT TIRE PLACARD AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 25, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
106 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2008 Nissan Frontier. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Frontier TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Nissan Frontier reliable?
The 2008 Nissan Frontier drew 187 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 22/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2008 Nissan Frontier problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Nissan Frontier are transmission & drivetrain (54 complaints), engine (35), and airbags (21).
At what mileage do 2008 Nissan Frontier problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Nissan Frontier problems around 89,212 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 123,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Nissan Frontier have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Nissan Frontier. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.