Since the model’s 1998 U.S. release, Nissan’s mid-size Frontier pickup has become a worldwide sensation. But what’s the best year for the Nissan Frontier?
When the Nissan Frontier launched in 1998, popular automotive TV show Motor Week said it was for “budget-minded people who actually use their trucks.” Over 20 years later, there are many reasons to think that summary was very accurate.
This review will outline how that is true by discussing features, specifications, reliability, recalls, and real-world user satisfaction with all three generations of the Frontier sold in the North American Market.
The first Nissan truck sold in the U.S. was way back in 1958. The truck sold by Nissan in North America before the Frontier was called the Hardbody. Like the Frontier, it was sold in many countries around the world in different configurations and with many different names. Internally, Nissan called it the D21.
In many U.S. states, these trucks remain common, despite the youngest being over 20 years old, showing how fundamentally strong they are.
In 1998, Nissan’s new D22 launched, and with it the Frontier nameplate for the North American market. The name change highlighted a new, larger cab design.
In 2001, a facelifted D22 Frontier arrived, featuring a more aggressive stance, plastic body cladding, and new powertrain and engine options. Being first to market with appealing configurations like the first mid-size crew cab long bed and a supercharged engine option kept the Frontier competitive.
The youngest D22 is 16 years old now, and most have far more than 100,000 miles, although they have many more miles left in them yet.
Debut of Nissan’s D40
In 2005, Nissan’s new D40 design launched. All Frontiers were now mid-size trucks and had tough-looking new styling. This truck remained in production for 16 years, which was very unusual because most cars and light trucks have a five- to seven-year model cycle, with a mid-cycle facelift.
Surprisingly, the Frontier has had many of its record sales years in recent years, showing how popular this simple, rugged design is. This means there are plenty of recent, low-mile, clean Frontiers to choose from.
In 2014, the Nissan’s D23 pickup launched, usually badged as the Navara. This truck did not come to North America.
For the 2022 model year, a new North American market Frontier launched. Given its extraordinary 16-year run, it is likely that it will be the D40 Frontier that will be most relevant for pre-owned Frontier truck buyers in North America.
1998-2001 Nissan Frontier D22
For the first Frontier, Nissan designed two cabs, the Regular and King. The King has an extended cab and a small jumpseat. Styled at Nissan’s Southern Californian studio, North American market trucks featured a different hood, and wider flared front guards.
D22s were built in half a dozen countries around the world including China, South Africa, and Thailand. In North America, Frontiers were made in Smyrna, Tennesse. The Nissan Pathfinder SUV is very closely related to this era of Frontier.
D22 Frontiers seem to have been designed to be slightly bigger than the Toyota Tacoma, its main competition. It offered a roomier cab and the largest bed in its class, featuring a heavy-duty tailgate and a 1,400 lb. weight capacity. Towing capacity was 3,500 lbs.
Four trim levels were available, with some models lacking things you might take for granted today, such as a tilt wheel and a tachometer. Power steering was standard.
On the road, the Frontier impressed road testers when it was new. The D21 Hardbody’s ladder chassis was beefed up for the D22.
The D22 has a double-wishbone front suspension and a beam axle supported by leaf springs at the back. This delivered a quiet ride. Four-wheel drive models have manual locking wheel hubs, preferred by many owners for their reliability compared to an electric switch on the dashboard for engaging four-wheel drive.
At launch, the Frontier had Nissan’s KA24DE double overhead cam 16 valve 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine. It made 143 hp and 154 lb.-ft. of torque, which was a little better than the competition.
Some testers found the engine coarse and noisy but complemented the fuel mileage it delivered. Four- and five-speed automatic and manual transmissions were offered.
In 1999, the VG33E engine was added to the range. This is a single overhead cam 3.3-liter V6 making 170 hp and 200 lb.-ft. of torque, increasing to 180 hp and 202 lb.-ft. for the model years 2003-2004.
In May 1999, a four-door crew cab version of the Frontier became available.
The Desert Runner was a special model year 2000 truck available during 1999. It was a rear-wheel-drive King Cab built on a four-wheel-drive chassis.
The website Car Complaints lists only a few issues with early D22s, mostly electrical issues in the instrument cluster, and in one case, unintended engine revving. These issues occurred at about 100,000 miles.
2001-2004 Frontier D22 Redesign
The 2001 D22 Frontier was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show in early 2000. The new headlights, taillights, bumpers, prominent fender flares, and de-chromed grille were expected to appeal to younger buyers.
These model years of D22 have carried more than 15 different names in diverse markets around the world. In Thailand, they are called the Big M Frontier, the Didsun in some Persian Gulf Countries, the Fiera in Bolivia, and the Skystar in Turkey.
Powertrains for the facelifted Frontier remained the KA24DE four-cylinder and VG33E six-cylinder engines, with a supercharged version of the V6, the VG33ER, joining the range. This delivered 210 hp and 246 lb.-ft. of torque. Transmissions remained a choice of four- and five-speed automatic and manuals.
The regular cab was discontinued after the 2001 model year.
In 2002, Nissan debuted the first medium-sized truck to have both a crew cab and full-length bed (75”). Testers at the time complemented the good ride and the available leather interior but also commented on the limited knee room for adults in the back seat and noted some chassis flex when off-roading this Frontier.
Recalls and Reliability
Nissan South Africa won consecutive championships in the ABSA Off-Road Series using Nissan D22s, illustrating the fundamental toughness and reliability of the truck. However, Nissan did issue some recalls for the facelifted D22.
For example, in 2003, a recall was issued to prevent the possible failure of the fuel pump. The plastic case around one of the terminals could crack, allowing moisture inside.
The 2002-2004 Frontiers experienced a serious issue with steering columns cracking. The recall replaced the faulty part with a steering column of a different design.
2005-2021 Frontier D40
Designed by Kiyoshi Yanase, the D40 was introduced at the 2004 Detroit Motor show. It is larger than the previous generation and moved all Frontier models into the mid-sized truck category.
Toyota’s Tacoma became a midsize truck the same model year. The D40 Frontier was styled in a similar way to Nissan’s recently launched full-size truck, the Titan, with a tough, aggressive stance that one auto critic described as “macho.”
The D40 is built on Nissan’s F-Alpha platform, and it is similar under the skin to Nissan’s Xterra, Pathfinder, Titan, and Armarda models, and to the Infiniti QX56 luxury SUV. The two cab designs included a King Cab and a Crew Cab, although the cabs are the same size.
The D40 Frontier featured a new, fully-boxed ladder frame. The standard engine is the VQ40DE, a 4.0-liter V6 making 261 hp and 281 lb.-ft. of torque, although the QR25DE four-cylinder is also available. It produced 152 hp and 171 lb.-ft. of torque.
Towing capacity for the V6 increased to 6500 lbs. A six-speed manual and a five-speed automatic transmission are offered. D40 Frontiers also offer hill descent control and traction control and Nissan’s unique Utilitrack bed storage system.
Despite a very long model run, the Frontier D40 has continued to sell well. Although under 37,000 sold in 2020, between 2016 and 2019, sales never slipped below 72,000 trucks per year. That means that there are many Frontiers available and buyers can afford to look for the specific body, engine, and transmission combination that works best for them, even when shopping used trucks.
Rebadged Frontier: Suzuki Equator
In 2008, Suzuki launched the Equator, a Frontier-based pickup built by Nissan North America in Smyrna, Tennessee. It was powered by the same Nissan four- and six-cylinder engines as found in the Frontier, and they can be thought of as a rebadged Frontier.
Production ended in 2013 when Suzuki closed their American passenger car division. Due to the rebranding, Equators will not show up in a general online search of Nissan Frontiers for sale and will be forgotten by many truck shoppers. Knowing the Equator is a rebadged Frontier may help source you a great-value Suzuki truck built by Nissan.
Frontier’s 2009 Refresh
For 2009, the Frontier was refreshed with new options, colors, and wheel designs becoming available. In 2010, the Nissan Frontier received J.D. Power and Associates’ Highest Ranked Midsize Pickup in Initial Quality Award.
That same year, it received the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Highest Side-impact Safety Rating (five stars). In 2011 it received the highest rating for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety‘s Front, Side, and Roof Strength Evaluations, and was an Edmunds‘ 2011 Top Recommended Compact Truck.
In 2012, North American production moved from Smyrna, Tennessee, to Canton, Mississippi. The D40 was also made in Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, and Spain.
For the 2020 model year, the Frontier received a new engine, the VQ38DD, a 3.8-liter V6, increasing power to 310 hp. Torque remained the same at 281 lb.-ft. The new motor was paired with a new nine-speed automatic transmission. Manual gearboxes and the four-cylinder engine option were discontinued.
In 2022, a new U.S. market Frontier debuted.
The D40 continued the D22’s winning record in the ABSA Off-Road Series in South Africa. In all, Frontiers won eight consecutive driver’s championships. Rally-prepared D40s have competed in the European Rally Raid Series, including the Dakar.
Are D40 Frontiers Reliable Trucks?
Generally speaking, D40 Frontiers are reliable trucks. However certain model years of D40 Frontier are noted for specific reliability issues.
Probably the most significant issue here are transmission failures, especially in model year 2005 to 2008 trucks. The issue here is that with age–and above 100,000 miles–the radiator can crack. If it does, the coolant gets into the transmission, diluting the automatic transmission fluid and causing the transmission to overheat and fail.
Sourcing and fitting a new transmission costs from $2500 to $5000 at the time of this writing. The NHTSA lists a total of 1748 complaints about the Frontier between 2005 and 2008. The earlier trucks are the worst offenders here, showing how Nissan steadily improved this problem.
The 2012 Nissan Frontiers have had issues with body and paint, with owners complaining that the top coat was separating from the primer, particularly on the passenger side fender.
Through its long model life, the D40 Frontier was subject to a number of significant recalls, and when looking at these trucks to buy, it would be worth checking to see if the recall work has been carried out.
Recalls and Reliability
Recalls were issued for the 2008 Frontier models, which had a potentially faulty gas gauge, with the truck sometimes showing a quarter of a tank when it was in fact empty.
Some Frontiers sold in cold climates had an issue with faulty airbag sensors. This recall affected model year 2005 to 2009 Frontiers.
Model year 2005 to 2010 Frontiers experienced a recall around insufficiently strong welds in parts of the front suspension. Nissan’s fix was to fit replacement parts.
Some 2010 Frontiers were also recalled due to weak welding in the child restraint latches. Some two-wheel-drive 2012 Frontiers were recalled due to cracking front wheel hubs.
A recall was issued for 2011 to 2012 Frontiers around the bolts securing the oil filter attachment. They were not strong enough and can break, leading to an oil leak and potential damage to the engine from lack of oil.
In some 2012 to 2014 Frontiers, a circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly causing the main wire harness connected to the circuit breaker to face outward, potentially contacting a metal bolt located on the A-pillar, leading to a short circuit and risk of a fire.
Some 2016 Frontiers had incorrectly installed starter motor wires, which could lead to a short circuit and hence is a fire risk.
Model year 2017 Frontiers experienced a recall around a faulty ignition switch. Over time, the ignition key mechanism can wear, and going over a big bump or some other kind of severe jolt could cause the key to fall out of the ignition or otherwise switch the engine off unexpectedly.
Model year 2018 and 2019 Frontiers have had a recall issued to reset the settings on the backup cameras.
The Fast Lane Truck examined one longtime owner’s D40 Frontier. At the time of the review, his Frontier had 175,000 miles, of which 60,000 have been towing his horse trailer, which weighed about 4,500 lbs.
In this time, he has had two significant mechanical issues: at 80,000 miles, the timing chain tensioners needed to be replaced. This job reportedly cost $1,700.
At 100,000 miles, he noticed a howl coming from the rear axle, which was the ring and pinion gear. By 135,000 miles, he thought he could hear wheel-bearing noise too, and opted to repair his Frontier.
It was more cost-effective to replace the entire rear axle assembly than to strip and repair the worn parts in his old axle. Nissan uses a Dana M226 axle, but the ones they fit to Frontiers are custom made, with bespoke internal components, making ordering replacement components difficult.
The new part arrived fully oiled and ready to fit to his truck. This owner did replace the factory shock absorbers with Bilsteins. Due to towing, this truck was specified with manual transmission. Gas mileage was between 17 and 20 miles per gallon in normal town or highway driving, and about 10 miles per gallon when towing.
What’s the Best Year for the Nissan Frontier?
Overall, the Nissan Frontier is a really good value for a solid truck. The large number out there means buyers can pick and choose the right price and version of the Frontier for them. Over the years, quality seems to have been variable, and looking at recall information and driver feedback and reviews, the consensus seems to be to go for newer, later-model Frontiers if you can afford them.
Early Frontier D40s–model years 2005 to 2008–seem best avoided. During this time, reliability improved, but these trucks did suffer from a number of issues.
The automatic transmission in these years of Frontier was a particular problem, due to coolant leaking into them. When looking at trucks, one question to have in mind is whether the one you are considering has already had a new transmission, or if it might soon need one.
A truck with a recent new transmission from a reputable workshop might represent very good value for the money. Note that manual transmission trucks do not experience as many of these issues.
Most importantly, the care and servicing that each individual truck has received is more important than the year. One careful owner and a full-service history should influence you more than the specific year of the truck.
Of course, great care needs to be taken when shopping for any vehicle that is over 10 years old and has many thousands of miles on it, as will be the case with many Frontiers.
Our choice would be a 2020 model, which is very appealing due to the new, more powerful motor and new nine-speed transmission allied to the familiar, no-frills Frontier body style.
Photos: Nissan
