2011 Nissan Frontier Powertrain (other) Problems

Transmission fluid mixing with coolant in radiator!

NHTSA ID

11697002

Incident

Oct 26, 2025

TRUCK STARTED NOT ENGAGING IN REVERSE AT AROUND 50,100 MILES. TOOK MY TRUCK TO LARRY H MILLER NISSAN WHERE I PAID 157.00 TO HAVE THEM TELL ME THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS OVER FULL. THEY PULLED ABOUT 3 LITERS OF EXTRA FLUID FROM TRANNY. THE FLUID APPEARS DARKER BUT THINNER THAN NORMAL. THEY SAID THE PUMP IS PROBABLY BLOWN DUE TO EXCESSIVE PRESSURE FROM THE ADDED FLUID. THIS TRANSMISSION HAS NEVER HAD SERVICE OF FLUID ADDED. NO SURE AT THIS POINT IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH RADIATOR CROSS CONTAMINATION BUT ABOUT 3 YEAS AGO MY HEATER STOPPED WORKING. I CHECKED MY RADIATOR TO FIND IT SEVERAL QUARTS LOW. I'M NOT SURE I WANT TO SPEND ANY MORE MONEY WITH ANYONE, ESPECIALLY NISSAN, TO HAVE THIS LOOKED FURTHER INTO, BUT I WOULD BED THAT IT IS A CROSS CONTAMINATION ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11233784

Incident

Jun 14, 2019

Mileage

50,100 mi

AT 27,000 MILES THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON I-5 FREEWAY. THE PROBLEM CAUSED ME TO PULL OVER AND GET OFF THE ROAD AS THE VEHICLE COULD NOT GO AT THE SPEED OF THE TRAFFIC CREATING DANGER. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CLUTCH AND THE FLYWHEEL WERE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

11184598

Incident

Oct 4, 2018

Mileage

27,000 mi

MY CLUTCH KEEPS WEARING OUT AFTER APPROXIMATELY 25,000 MILES. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK USED WITH 60,000 MILES AND REPLACED THE CLUTCH AT 81,893 MILES, 107,179 MILES AND IT IS NOW SLIPPING AGAIN AT 131,521 MILES. I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN PRIMARILY MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLES SINCE 1975 AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I HAVE DRIVEN NEARL ONE MILLION MILES IN VEHICLES WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS AND REPLACED ONLY ONE CLUTCH. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE CLUTCH THAT NISSAN USES. THE FIRST TIME WAS 02/27/15 THE SECOND TIME WAS 5/24/16 AND MOST RECENTLY 12/20/17

NHTSA ID

11056630

Incident

Dec 20, 2017

Mileage

131,500 mi

I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK AS NORMAL WHEN I HEARD A CHATTER FROM THE GEAR SHIFT.. I LOST ALL POWER IN THE LOW GEARS AND IT WOULD TAKE 45 SECONDS TO GET TO 60 MPH. I DROVE IT A SHORT WAY LIKE THAT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I PARKED MY TRUCK FOR A FEW HOURS AN WHEN I WENT TO DRIVE IT BACK HOME THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE FIXED AND WAS DRIVING NORMAL. I STARTED MY DRIVE HOME AND AFTER 50 MILES I COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING SO I STARTED TO GET OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THAT POINT I LOST ALL POWER AND THE TRUCK WAS DEAD. IT WOULD NOT START AND I HAD TO CALL FOR A TOW TRUCK TO GET MY FAMILY AND I HOME. I WAS WATCHING THE TEMPERATURE AND OIL PRESSURE GAUGES ON THE DASH AND THEY WERE NORMAL SO IT WAS A SURPRISE TO ME WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THE PROBLEM HAPPENED BECAUSE THE LOWER PART OF THE RADIATOR THAT COOLS THE TRANSMISSION CRACKED LEAKING RADIATOR FLUID INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS CAUSED ALL THE PARTS TO SWELL UP CAUSING THE COMPUTER TO BURN UP, SENSORS TO FAIL. I SPENT OVER $4000 ON PARTS AND LABOR TO GET THIS FIXED. THAT INCLUDED A REBUILD KIT, BAND,PISTON, EXCHANGE REBUILT TORQUE CONVERTER, NEW VALVE ASSEMBLY, RADIATOR, RADIATOR CAP, FRONT PUMP BUSHING, CRANK SENSOR,REVOLUTION SENSOR, AND ALL THE LABOR. THERE WERE KNOWN ISSUES OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM AND EARLIER MODELS UP TO 2010. THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT IT. WELL THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE ON THE 2011 MODEL. I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL MY COST SINCE NISSAN KNEW ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND STILL MADE A INFERIOR PRODUCT THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THEY DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS ENGINEERING FLAW EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS COULD OF BEEN AVOIDED BY HAVING A SEPARATE TRANSMISSION COOLER . NISSAN WAS NEGLIGENT FOR LETTING THIS DESIGN GO TO MARKET WHEN THEY ALREADY KNEW IT WAS AN ISSUE. IT SHOULD OF BEEN RESOLVED ON THE 2011 BUT IT WASN'T,

NHTSA ID

10908724

Incident

Sep 9, 2016

Mileage

146,666 mi

BOTH REAR AXLES ARE LEAKING AT 60,265 MILES. I WAS TOLD THIS COULD LEAD TO BRAKE PAD CONTAMINATION WHICH WOULD REDUCE BRAKING CAPABILITY AS WELL AS THE EFFECTIVENESS O THE PARKING BRAKE.

NHTSA ID

10873668

Incident

May 18, 2016

Mileage

60,265 mi

YEA I GOT A NISSAN FRONTIER NEW AND MY WARRANTY IS UP DUE TO 5 YEARS BUT UNDER 60000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD.. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WANT ABOUT 7500 FOR TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT...I WAS DRIVING NEXT THING YOU KNOW ON THE FREEWAY I PRESS ON THE PEDAL IT REVS HIGH BUT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE... THIS IS SO SAD I THINK THEY MAKE THE CAR KNOWING THAT IT WOULD GO BAD AFTER THE SHORT WARRANTY I DIDN'T FIX MY TRUCK YET BECAUSE THE PRICING IS WAY TOO HIGH TO AFFORD AFTER BUYING THE TRUCK

NHTSA ID

10865389

Incident

May 11, 2016

Mileage

57,900 mi

THE VENT FOR THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CLOGGED AND A BACK UP OF PRESSURE PUSHED THE SEALS ON THE AXLE CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE AXLE AND BRAKES. I DO NOT DRIVE OFF ROAD OR SUBMERGE THE DRIVE TRAIN.

NHTSA ID

10747872

Incident

May 7, 2013

Mileage

34,000 mi

10/2010 ORDERED A 2011 NISSAN FRONTIER PRO-4X ; DELIVERED 11/26/10, 9 MILES. PERSONAL COMMUTING AND RECREATION; NOT COMMERCIAL DUTY! ONLY PULLED POP-UP CAMPER & UTILITY TRAILERS A FEW TIMES, OFTEN SMELL CLUTCH "BURN" AFTER BACKING UP (ESPECIALLY SLIGHTLY INCLINED DRIVEWAY: BOTH MAX 2K LBS): TRUCK IS RATED FOR TOWING 6K LBS: SO LIMITS NEVER EXCEEDED. ABOUT 18 MONTHS & 14K MILES THE CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING WHEN GOING 65 MPH ON HIGHWAY IN CRUISE CONTROL, SLIPPAGE CAUSING CRUISE CONTROL TO FALL OFF SUDDENLY. NISSAN DEALER SERVICE MANAGER ACCUSED ME OF DRAG RACING, CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR AND THE PREMATURE FAILURE! UNBELIEVABLE! HE GAVE ME THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, & IN FIRST 3 YR/36K FULL WARRANTY SO FIXED IT FREE: NORMALLY A $1,500 BILL. JUST PASSED 33K MILES AND 3 1/2 YEARS ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP (8/2014): WHEN I OPERATE/LET THE CLUTCH OUT ROUGHNESS FELT IN THE MECHANISM; ENGINE RPMS REV HIGHER THAN NORMAL DURING GEAR CHANGES; TRYING TO ACCELERATE ENGINE RPMS REV HIGHER THAN NORMAL (UP TO 1K) AND VEHICLE LACKS SPEED INCREASE RESPONSE; CRUISE CONTROL DROPS OFF AT 30, 40, 50 AND 65 MPH WITHIN 30 SECONDS! SMELL CLUTCH BURN IN CITY TRAFFIC. PAST 3 YEAR WARRANTY; STILL WITHIN 5 YEAR DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY PERIOD; SO GOING TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER AGAIN AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT IT. I HAVE 30+ YEARS OF DRIVING MANUAL SHIFT VEHICLES; DRIVE VERY CONSERVATIVE AND SMOOTH; AND COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSED. SERIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THIS NISSAN FRONTIER'S CLUTCH SITUATION! TWO CLUTCHES FAILED WITHIN 36K MILES AND LESS THAN 4 YRS OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE; PERFORMING NORMAL DRIVING DUTIES! OTHERS TOO. ALSO SEE??: HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/NISSAN/FRONTIER/2010/CLUTCH/PREMATURE_CLUTCH_FAILURE.SHTML THIS PREMATURE CLUTCH FAILURE ISSUE IS RIDICULOUS; NO WONDER DEALER(S) DID NOT BELIEVE ME AND OTHERS! THIS COULD ALSO BE A HAZARD IF FAILS IN TRAFFIC! *TR

NHTSA ID

10629354

Incident

Jun 30, 2012

Mileage

13,729 mi