2012 Nissan Frontier Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
15 -17 City / 20 -22 HWY
Source FuelEconomy.gov
Horsepower
152 -261
Seats
4 -5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Tiffany M
I love my Nissan frontier!
This has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. Never needed any major repairs. It provides a very smooth ride and it came with a factory Rockford fosgate stereo system. The interior is leather and very comfortable, especially for long drives. The only downside is low gas mileage but to save on repair costs I have had with my other vehicles, it is more than worth it.
accountCircle Steve L
Nissan pick up, nice mid size truck.
Nice overall midsize pickup truck. I have the long bed, 6 feet, 4 door. Great for moving large items. Do not get the cargo extender. Not worth it. Been sitting in my shed since I bought the truck. Four wheel drive works very good. Traction is very good in the snow, not the best I have had, but good. Not 'roomy' for 4 or more people, but they will all fit comfortably. Back up camera works very good, probably too good. The last Nissan pick up truck I had I put 130,000 miles on it before selling it to a friend who drove it to 200,000 miles.
accountCircle Stacia G
It is the most dependable vehicle I have ever owned.
The size is perfect for work, travel, and everyday errands. In the 3 years I have had my vehicle I have had no major problems with it. It is dependable and performs well in any weather.
accountCircle Bonnie V
It is great! I would buy it again.
I have had relatively no problems with my frontier. Well, the tire pressure sensor never goes off which is rather annoying. Also the cup holder in the back seat broke within months of owning. I would give it a 7 on comfort. Though pretty normal comfort it does not compare to my grand caravan. It is very reliable. Still looks near new and a pleasure to drive.
accountCircle Kellie H
It is not like the rest , it is a beautiful trick that tides amaz8nb
Great suspension Great interior and overall design Rides smooth Great features
accountCircle Misty W
Very good on gas and never have had any problems with it.
My vehicle is very reliable it has a back seat that I can fit 3 people in. Also has the pick up bed to load trash off with. It is good on gas. Ac and heat have never had a problem with. Has built in Bluetooth and CD player. Also is 4 wheel drive so it helps during snow. Also lets you know on the dashboard if there's any issues such as tire pressure low oil or battery light etc.. Has on steering wheel volume control coast and accelerate buttons along with Bluetooth controls. Lots of compartment to put stuff in very comfy for long travel.
accountCircle Robert A
2012 Nissan frontier high quality low cost.
I love this vehicle. Extremely reliable, good value, and dependable. I chose this vehicle over comparable Toyota versions which were rated just as high in quality but were much more expensive. The choice was easy.
accountCircle Sylvia L
. My truck is powerful, dependable, has good cab space.
It is not fancy comfortable. Ok comfortable. Very dependable. V-6 good pick in speed. Has 4 Wheel drive. Has 4 doors. Have regular oil change. Has a very good heating system and air conditioning, defrost front and back windshield. All lights and brakes work well. Has no power window. Has tilt steering wheel cruise control.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle john kearns
To many problems
Piece of junk never buy Nissan again
accountCircle er m
The Nissan Frontier is not a viable replacement for a full size truck.
Prone to rust. Bouncy ride. Bluetooth stinks. Minimum payload capacity.
accountCircle Christopher A
How a Nissan truck should be.
My Nissan frontier is a great truck I just wish there was more space in the cab, otherwise the performance and speed are great for the price of the truck. It can haul a lot of weight and feels powerful for a small truck I would definitely recommend buying a Nissan.
accountCircle Alex D
It is charcoal colored and a 4 cylinder. Very reliable truck.
I do like that it is easy to drive. It is a comfortable truck and has been very reliable. Things I do not like about it are that it is only a 4v so the get up is not there and it struggles in situations where I need to accelerate. As far as hauling things it has decent space in the back but the crew seats basically do not have room for passengers. Maintenance wise it is a very easy vehicle to take care of. Overall I really do enjoy driving this vehicle. My next vehicle will be a full size truck as I work in construction and that would be more advantageous to myself.
accountCircle John G
Solid choice if you are okay with not having a backseat.
It is comfortable, drives well (if you like riding high) and fun to drive. Gas mileage is not terrible for a pickup truck, and it has a good size bed. Only problem is the back seats. If you are looking to get more than two people in your car I’d look for a car with bigger back seats.
accountCircle Donald K
Frontier vs. Truck has good suspension, rides soft, too large turning radius.
Too large turning radius. No mechanical problems. Rides comfortably. Flexible rear seats for storage. Nice short bed, but inconvenient for carrying long ladders. Wheel wells interfere with bed storage. Nice interior storage compartments. Power steering could use more power.
accountCircle Karen D
That it is good on gas mileage and is quite reliable.
It gets us around ad is quite reliable. I just wish it was a newer model. I would buy this make and model again.
accountCircle Crystal C
Perfect commuter vehicle, gives great gas mileage.
Vehicle is compact, perfect for commuting to work. Very reliable and durable. Gives very good gas mileage. Nice cloth interior, helps with summer heat. If have family could be too small, as space is limited. Also due to year model 2012, no Bluetooth available however able to set up via USB port.

Nissan Frontier Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
S
152 HP 19 MPG 4 Seats
car
SV
152 HP 19 MPG 4 Seats
car
PRO-4X
261 HP 17 MPG 4 Seats
car
SL
261 HP 17 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2012 Nissan Frontier Owner Reviews

4.27
97 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 43%
4 stars 43%
3 stars 11%
2 stars 1%
1 star 1%
accountCircle Ariel W on April 12, 2021
Great size for just about anyone that is not wanting.
I have not had any problems with it in 8 years just normal maintenance is all. It drives great even now. A lot of room in all seats and a lot of leg room in the back seat. Yes the bed might be small but still works just as good. I really do love my truck.
accountCircle Christopher A on March 29, 2021
How a Nissan truck should be.
My Nissan frontier is a great truck I just wish there was more space in the cab, otherwise the performance and speed are great for the price of the truck. It can haul a lot of weight and feels powerful for a small truck I would definitely recommend buying a Nissan.
View All Reviews (97) chevronRightAlternative

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Chris D.

The suspension is above average for that grade of car. I also think it has great options as most Nissan's do. The price point is really solid for it is category and it comes in great colors. I also think it works well in all terrain.

likeFilled Tim W.

It is smaller than a full size truck so it takes less space. It has plenty of power and it is a crew cab so it has plenty of room for my wife and myself. It is also easy to maintain so I can do most of the service work myself.

likeFilled Jacob H.

My vehicle has good height, comfortable interior, good legroom and good standard sound system. It also does not require a lot of maintenance and is affordable to fix and maintain. My vehicle also has very good gas economy for a v6 motor and has plenty of horsepower.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Chris D.

The electronics could be better and be easier to use. I do not think the way the AC works as much as I did on my other car. It also is a little slow off the punch. Really not much else to say other than that it is a great car.

dislikeFilled Tim W.

Honestly, I cannot think of anything about this truck that is really wrong with my 2012 Nissan frontier pick up truck. If I could change anything, I would like a rear window slide. And fog light options.

dislikeFilled Jacob H.

The rear cabin does not have a lot of room. The standard truck bed is short. The truck does not come with a standard bed liner. It also does not have standard Bluetooth connectivity and does not stream mp3. Also there are no USB ports for music devices.

Ranks #4 Compact Pickup Trucks by Owners

The 2012 Nissan Frontier has an average owner rating of 4.27 out of 5 which ranks it #4 of 5 other Compact Pickup Trucks.

1
car
2012 Honda Ridgeline
4.67
2
car
2012 Toyota Tacoma
4.66
3
car
2012 GMC Canyon
4.5
4
car
2012 Nissan Frontier
4.27

Ranks #3 Compact Pickup Trucks by Fuel Economy

The 2012 Nissan Frontier has a combined MPG of 21 which ranks it #3 of 5 other Compact Pickup Trucks.

1
Tie
car
2012 Toyota Tacoma
21 MPG
1
Tie
car
2012 Honda Ridgeline
21 MPG
3
Tie
car
2012 Nissan Frontier
22 MPG

Is The 2012 Nissan Frontier A Good Car?

Nissan vehicle is a reliable vehicle. It is strongly made. Seats and legroom is comfortable. Four cylinder engine is good for daily driving. It feels powerful and responsive. It's price is relatively... Read More
Tierra A.

How Reliable Is The 2012 Nissan Frontier?

It is reliable and so far we are not having any sort of problem. Never needed any work done on it and any repair. Overall great experience, great performance. It's convenient that it's a pickup truck,... Read More
Kayla B.

Is The 2012 Nissan Frontier A Good Value?

I don't remember the actual price but we were able to get a good promotional deal on it. Which made us safe a good amount. And it was a good value.
mor Y.

Related Articles for 2012 Nissan Frontier

From the Vehicle History blog

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Best and Worst Years for the Nissan Frontier
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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the 2012 Nissan Frontier ecm relay location?

Answer: The ECU relay for the 2012 Nissan Frontier is located in the instrument panel fuse box which is behind the glove compartment door to the right. It is a 10 amp fuse in cavity number 1. The fuse may require...

2012 Nissan Frontier: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: The 2012 Nissan Frontier oil type and capacity iS5w-30 and 5.4 quarts. Your oil needs to be replaced eventually. Every 5,000 to 10,000 miles is a good rule of thumb. If You don't replace it, there will be...

How much oil does the 2012 Nissan Frontier take?

Answer: When equipped with the 2.5-liter engine, the 2012 Nissan Frontier takeS4.6 liters (4.8 quarts) of SAE 5W-30 motor oil. The optional 4.0-liter engine useS5.1 liters (5.4 quarts) of fluid with the same viscosity....
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Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Not Rated

Rollover

Side

Not Rated
*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety