2012 Nissan Frontier Problems, Recalls & Reliability
98 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Nissan Frontier, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 46,250 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Nissan Frontier has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Frontier years
What owners report
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 84 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 45,300 miles. Half of those reports fall between 21,456 and 72,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the circuit breaker orientation. If the circuit breaker orientation is incorrect, dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall…
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…
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replaced the left and right side front wheel hub assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on October 22, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan…
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…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
Technical service bulletins
113 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2012 Nissan Frontier. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Nissan Frontier reliable?
The 2012 Nissan Frontier drew 98 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).
What are the most common 2012 Nissan Frontier problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Nissan Frontier are airbags (23 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (20), and engine (13).
At what mileage do 2012 Nissan Frontier problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Nissan Frontier problems around 45,300 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 21,456 and 72,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Nissan Frontier have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.