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2019 Nissan Frontier: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
39%
9 of 23 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

39% of relevant owner complaints on the 2019 Nissan Frontier are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 55% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 5 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 32%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
9
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
28
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
1 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN7 · 25%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER6 · 21%
AIR BAGS5 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM5 · 18%
SERVICE BRAKES3 · 11%
STRUCTURE2 · 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 110
2023
38%
24 of 64

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

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize pickups with no elevated signal

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

ENGINE12/30/2025
We have three 2019 Nissan Frontier pickups in our fleet that have all recently had the same problem. A engine valve misfire on cylinder 3 on all three trucks. This has caused the trucks to shake, idle rough, and have loss of power while driving. Two independent mechanics have inspected the trucks and have replaced mult…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE12/13/2024
Issue: engine and electric system completely shut off randomly while vehicle is driving. Cannot reliably reproduce, but all electric is lost and engine shuts off or at best resets in low gear until things come back alive. This has happened about 4 times to me across two batteries. What component or system failed or ma…
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM06/15/2023
The contact owns a 2019 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission became inoperable. The contact stated that the vehicle was hacked, and that the steering wheel was moving independently. The brakes were applied without the brake pedal being depressed. The vehicle r…

Three of 9 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 (1)

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2019 Nissan Frontier

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.

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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.