2010 Nissan Frontier: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
54%
22 of 41 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
54% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2010 Nissan Frontier are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 70% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 18 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 37%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING05/02/2023
The contact owns a 2010 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to Waxahachie Nissan (W Highway, 190…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE10/12/2022
Radiator failure leaking into tranny, causing a sound coming from transmission as if driving over a rumble strips when accelerating between 40-60mph, as well as sudden jerking when changing gears. SMOD residue (creamy pink fluid) present on radiator cap. This is a known issue that I was never made aware of during nor a…
ENGINE08/05/2020
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED WITH A FUEL EMISSION DEFECT. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO PALM SPRINGS NISSAN (68177 KYLE RD, CATHEDRAL CITY, CA 92234…
Three of 22 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A…
EQUIPMENT
MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUI…
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 TITAN, ARMADA, QX56, FRONTIER, XTERRA, AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2009 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2010. THE…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2010 Nissan Frontier
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
