2011 Nissan Frontier Problems, Recalls & Reliability
84 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Nissan Frontier, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 11/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 34,400 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2011 Nissan Frontier has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2011 sits among all Frontier years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 65 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 50,100 miles. Half of those reports fall between 24,000 and 87,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
Technical service bulletins
110 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and wheels & tires — are on file for the 2011 Nissan Frontier. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 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 2011 Nissan Frontier reliable?
The 2011 Nissan Frontier drew 84 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 11/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2011 Nissan Frontier problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Nissan Frontier are airbags (16 complaints), brakes & stability (13), and transmission & drivetrain (9).
At what mileage do 2011 Nissan Frontier problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Nissan Frontier problems around 50,100 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 24,000 and 87,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Nissan Frontier have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2011 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.