2013 Nissan Frontier Problems, Recalls & Reliability

65 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 Nissan Frontier, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 10/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 38,000 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2013 Nissan Frontier has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

65Complaints
10/100Trouble index
1Recalls
30,000Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2013 sits among all Frontier years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 15 complaints (23%) · typically ~38,000 miles
Electrical 9 complaints (14%)
Other 8 complaints (12%)
Transmission & drivetrain 6 complaints (9%)
Speed control 5 complaints (8%)
Seat belts 5 complaints (8%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 47 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 30,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 9,000 and 63,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (1)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14V052000 2014

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…

Technical service bulletins

128 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 Nissan Frontier. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2013 Frontier TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2013peak 12 in 20152026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2013 Nissan Frontier reliable?

The 2013 Nissan Frontier drew 65 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 10/100, scored against the model's worst year (2006).

What are the most common 2013 Nissan Frontier problems?

The top reported problems for the 2013 Nissan Frontier are airbags (15 complaints), electrical (9), and other (8).

At what mileage do 2013 Nissan Frontier problems show up?

Owners most often report 2013 Nissan Frontier problems around 30,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 9,000 and 63,000 miles.

Does the 2013 Nissan Frontier have recalls?

1 recall campaign applies to the 2013 Nissan Frontier. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

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.