The Lane Check

Cars › Nissan › Frontier › 2014

2014 Nissan Frontier problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
38%
11 of 29 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

38% of relevant owner complaints on the 2014 Nissan Frontier are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 57% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 13 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 26%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
Share this car

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2014 Nissan Frontier have transmission problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 11 of 29 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Nissan Frontier concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (38%), and the largest group is filed under power train (6). For comparison, the 2013 scores 35% and the 2015 scores 38%. On a test drive, check for shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
11
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
42
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
2
3 crashes · 3 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS11 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER7 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6 · 14%
POWER TRAIN6 · 14%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5 · 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3 · 7%

The years either side

2010
54%
22 of 59
2011
31%
15 of 64
2012
60%
31 of 78
2013
35%
11 of 48
2014
38%
11 of 42
2015
38%
8 of 33
2016
52%
17 of 43
2017
56%
19 of 38
2018
22%
5 of 25
2019
39%
9 of 28
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
28%
29 of 112
2023
38%
25 of 66

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2014 Nissan Frontier

What one owner reported

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM09/29/2020
FROM A STAND STILL, WHEN ACCELERATING TO ENTER INTO TRAFFIC. DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE TRUCK ONLY MOVES INTO TRAFFIC BUT THEN THE TRUCK FAILS TO ACCELERATE. THERE IS A FLAT SPOT. NO ACCELERATION AT TIMES. I HAVE TO "PEDAL" THE ACCELERATOR TO TRY TO GET THE TRUCK TO MOVE. MEANWHILE I AM STUCK WITH TRAFFIC RAPIDLY…

One of 11 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Nissan Frontier?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2014 Nissan Frontier, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

2 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
seat belts: rear/other14V418000 · Jul 2014
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Frontier Crew Cab vehicles manufactured June 11, 2014 to June 26, 2014. The affected vehicles were manufactured with an out…
electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers14V052000 · Feb 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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2014 Nissan Frontier? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2014 Nissan Frontier

Does the 2014 Nissan Frontier have transmission problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 11 of 29 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Nissan Frontier concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (38%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the transmission and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Nissan Frontier?

No. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns on the 2014 Nissan Frontier, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Nissan Frontier years are better?

Among the Nissan Frontier years we track, the 2018 (22%), the 2022 (28%) and the 2011 (31%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2014 (38%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2014 Nissan Frontier?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2014 Nissan Frontier has an elevated transmission complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing transmission work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the transmission. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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.

Check a VIN

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.