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2023 Nissan Frontier: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
38%
24 of 64 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

38% of relevant owner complaints on the 2023 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 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
24
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
64
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
4 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM28 · 44%
SERVICE BRAKES15 · 23%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE13 · 20%
ENGINE13 · 20%
POWER TRAIN12 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER8 · 13%

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

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE01/02/2024CRASH1 INJURED
I was at the post office on Redwood Road in South Jordan, in the dropoff mailbox lane. At the end of the lane is stop sign. The stop sign is for the traffic coming into and leaving the post office. I was sitting at the stop sign when I turned east towards Redwood Road, as I was pulling up behind a blue SUV, the Front…
POWER TRAIN06/29/2026
Transmission shifting harshly and may have to be replaced
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER06/26/2026
While underway at speeds under 20 mph. Vehicle hesitates and lurches creating a danger when taking off from a stop light. Vehicle may delay acceleration from a stop, which can feel unsafe in traffic and in merging situations.This activity is uncontrollable as the driver has no control and could lead to an accident or i…

Three of 24 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)

TIRES:BEAD
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2023 Titan and Frontier vehicles. The tires may have a tear in the inner bead which can cause a rapid loss of ti…

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

Before you buy a 2023 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. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.