ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
2013 Nissan Frontier
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 48 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Nissan Frontier, most frequently naming the airbags, electrical and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 128 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2013 | 2 | 2 |
| Jan 2014 | 2 | 4 |
| Apr 2014 | 2 | 6 |
| May 2014 | 1 | 7 |
| Jun 2014 | 2 | 9 |
| Sep 2014 | 1 | 10 |
| Nov 2014 | 1 | 11 |
| Mar 2015 | 1 | 12 |
| Apr 2015 | 2 | 14 |
| May 2015 | 2 | 16 |
| Jun 2015 | 1 | 17 |
| Jul 2015 | 1 | 18 |
| Aug 2015 | 1 | 19 |
| Nov 2015 | 1 | 20 |
| Mar 2016 | 1 | 21 |
| Jul 2016 | 2 | 23 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 24 |
| Jan 2017 | 1 | 25 |
| Aug 2017 | 1 | 26 |
| Nov 2017 | 1 | 27 |
| Feb 2018 | 1 | 28 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 29 |
| Nov 2018 | 1 | 30 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 31 |
| Mar 2019 | 1 | 32 |
| May 2019 | 1 | 33 |
| Aug 2019 | 1 | 34 |
| Oct 2019 | 2 | 36 |
| Feb 2020 | 1 | 37 |
| Jun 2020 | 1 | 38 |
| Aug 2020 | 1 | 39 |
| Apr 2021 | 1 | 40 |
| Oct 2022 | 1 | 41 |
| Jan 2023 | 1 | 42 |
| Jun 2023 | 1 | 43 |
| Aug 2023 | 1 | 44 |
| Dec 2023 | 1 | 45 |
| May 2024 | 1 | 46 |
| Nov 2025 | 1 | 47 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 48 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Airbags1526.3%
- Electrical712.3%
- Powertrain (other)610.5%
- Driver assistance58.8%
- Seat belts58.8%
- Engine47.0%
- Brakes47.0%
- Other / unspecified47.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor located in front of the radiator had failed and needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the Part Number: 98581-9BD8A; had been on backorder for approximately 6-12 months. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11724649
- Incident
- Sep 16, 2025
- Mileage
- 113,000 mi
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Nissan Frontier. The vehicle was purchased in a private sale. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 98,107, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 183,101. The Carfax report and the last report were in 2022.
- NHTSA ID
- 11698520
- Incident
- Jul 4, 2025
- Mileage
- 183,101 mi
Air bag light will not go off. Afraid will deploy. Dealer no problem just censor. Did not have part to fix.
- NHTSA ID
- 11588084
- Incident
- Dec 12, 2023
In Summer 2023 driving on uneven country road in Upstate New York hit a pothole and my airbag warning light came on. Then started to flash. Truck is still drivable BUT now The seatbelts no longer lock in place during a sudden stop Did research online Nissan has a Voluntary Service Campaign for this exact issue. Campaign ID P7318 I made appointment with Koeppel Nissan. Had to wait weeks then They canceled my scheduled appointment on September 4 and reschedule for September 12. Probably not safe to drive truck with airbag light on and seatbelt issues. I go to my regular mechanic. He tells me seatbelt retractors do not seem to be working. He tests them by extending seatbelt slowly. Then tugging hard. He said they should lock in place. They do not. He also put a scan tool into OBD port. There are zero codes Nothing showing why airbag light flashing. Informs me there is a 10 year Warranty on seatbelts. He said wait for dealer to do their replacement of air bag diagnostic sensor unit. HE SAID THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY IN STAGES. YOUR LIGHT COMING ON IS FIRST STAGE SECOND STAGE IS SEATBELT LOCKING IN PLACE. Yours did not lock in place but your retractor might have been damaged or a sensor in buckle part of seatbelt related to airbags. On September 12 I bring truck in. The dealer first tries to tell me there is a diagnostic fee of $200. I refuse to pay telling them it is a Nissan Voluntary Service Campaign and seatbelts are under warranty. They agree to waive fee. They call me up an hour or two later said “they are unable to perform recall the software update is no longer available. The problem with seatbelt related to software or sensor unit”. I complain to Nissan of America. The person on phone tells me a manager will call me back and e mail me. Case number 49514132 I have never received a call or e mail from anyone at Nissan regarding this safety issue. Perhaps a full recall is necessary for all affected Vehicles under campaign ID P7318
- NHTSA ID
- 11559978
- Incident
- Sep 12, 2023
I felt like I was loosing control of my steering it was so scary I took my car to the closest service place which was Meineke which was 3 months ago well the same problem is back with my steering wheel and definitely isn't safe. I am reporting this to make sure that there isn't a safety issue I should be aware of on how to resolve this
- NHTSA ID
- 11539819
- Incident
- Feb 21, 2023
This is an intermittent problem sometimes this problem will happen as far apart as a month, Then for two days then go away. When accelerating the truck will starting bucking, not getting to enough fuel, this will sometimes not stop the next day I take it to the mechanic it is running fine no check engine light comes on. He runs a diagnostic, no error readings this has been going on for 6mos.. Once it was so bad by the time I got it home it had fried the converters. The mechanic changed the converters replaced all the censors on the engine and converters clean the injectors, replaced the plugs, and changed fuel filter, tested the fuel pump, good. I need help, don't know what to do. Had another shop run a diagnostic check after all of this could find no problems, but the problem is still there. Afraid of stalling in an intersection and getting killed.
- NHTSA ID
- 11527635
- Incident
- Dec 15, 2022
My daughter backed out of our driveway, put the truck in reverse. She was then unable to put the truck into drive. It got stuck in the middle of the street. Thankfully we live on a quite street with not much traffic during the day. However if this happened in a parking lot it would have been much different. My husband was able to come home from work and manually push it forward, then drove it backwards into a parking spot (out of the middle of the street). He did an internet search and found a solution. Apparently one of the screws holding the gear shifter (park,neutral,reverse,drive...) came loose and was getting hung up on the plastic molding portion of the gear box. It was a simple fix - just pop open the cover and screw the part back in. However this was a terrible thing to happen, and could have really been a much bigger issue than it was. Had it happened in a busy parking lot, busy street, or on a boat ramp.... It would have been disastrous. Please consider sending a written notice to all owners. Thank you
- NHTSA ID
- 11504270
- Incident
- Jan 29, 2023
On a dark road going 40MPH I hit a large deer on Oct 7. The front end of my truck was damaged. Air bag went off but never inflated, and I smelled smoke briefly. I was able to drive home and in the morning I noted there were two quarter size burn holes in the air bag, which probably explains why the bag did not deploy. There was absolutely no evidence of fire under the hood, in the cab, etc. I understand that some kind of explosive is used to "project" the airbag but it looks like it may have also damaged it. What to do?
- NHTSA ID
- 11488621
- Incident
- Oct 10, 2022
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
STRUCTURE:BODY
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).
STRUCTURE:BODY
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides an application form for such replacements. · The “VIN Plate/Label” (metal plate or vinyl label) is attached to the instrument panel or body on the driver side at the base of the windshield (see Figure 1). · The “Certification Label” (vinyl adhesive label) is located on the lower area of the driver side B-Pillar (see Figure 1).
AIR BAGS
VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN 2005-2013 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER, AND XTERRA; DRIVER AIR BAG COVER CAMPAIGN ID #: PC945 and PC948 APPLIED VEHICLES: 2005-2013 Frontier (D40) 2005-2012 Pathfinder (R51) 2005-2013 Xterra (N50) Check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History to confirm campaign eligibility. INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary safety recall campaign on certain specific model year 2005-2012 Pathfinder, and 2005-2013 Frontier and Xterra vehicles to inspect and, if necessary, replace the Driver Air Bag Cover. This service will be performed at no charge to the customer for parts or labor. IDENTIFICATION NUMBER Nissan has assigned identification number PC945 and PC948 to this campaign. This number must appear on all communication and documentation of any nature dealing with this campaign. DEALER RESPONSIBILITY It is the dealer’s responsibility to check Service COMM or Dealer Business Systems (DBS) National Service History for the campaign status on each vehicle falling within the range of this voluntary safety recall which for any reason enters the service department. This includes vehicles purchased from private parties or presented by transient (tourist) owners and vehicles in a dealer’s inventory. Federal law requires that new vehicles in dealer inventory which are the subject of a safety recall must be corrected prior to sale. Failure to do so can result in civil penalties by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While federal law applies only to new vehicles, Nissan strongly encourages dealers to correct any used vehicles in their inventory before they are retailed.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 53.3 |
| 2023 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 52.1 |
| 2022 | 110 | 6 | 0 | 57.8 |
| 2021 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 45.2 |
| 2020 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 57.3 |
| 2019 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 46.3 |
| 2018 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 45.2 |
| 2017 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 49.1 |
| 2016 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 44.7 |
| 2015 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 38.4 |
| 2014 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 51.0 |
| 2013Viewing | 48 | 1 | 0 | 47.2 |
| 2012 | 78 | 3 | 0 | 47.6 |
| 2011 | 64 | 1 | 0 | 41.8 |
| 2010 | 59 | 6 | 1 | 51.8 |
| 2009 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 50.8 |
| 2008 | 136 | 6 | 1 | 51.1 |
| 2007 | 520 | 2 | 1 | 47.2 |
| 2006 | 616 | 7 | 2 | 55.0 |
| 2005 | 532 | 6 | 1 | 52.5 |
| 2004 | 66 | 4 | 0 | 52.4 |
| 2003 | 77 | 7 | 0 | 53.9 |
| 2002 | 124 | 8 | 0 | 54.3 |
| 2001 | 134 | 7 | 1 | 59.8 |
| 2000 | 189 | 6 | 0 | 56.4 |
| 1999 | 78 | 5 | 0 | 52.3 |
| 1998 | 129 | 5 | 0 | 53.1 |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.