TruckTally

2021 Nissan Frontier problems and recalls

Owners filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Nissan Frontier, and the agency lists 2 recall campaigns. Everything below comes straight from the federal database — no editorial ranking.

Complaints
17
Recalls
2
Crash-related
1
Complaints where the owner reported a crash.
Fire-related
0
Complaints where the owner reported a fire.

What owners complained about

Electrical System
4 · 23.5%
Power Train
4 · 23.5%
Unknown or Other
4 · 23.5%
Air Bags
3 · 17.6%
Fuel/propulsion System
3 · 17.6%
Exterior Lighting
1 · 5.9%
Engine
1 · 5.9%
Seat Belts
1 · 5.9%
Seats
1 · 5.9%
Tires
1 · 5.9%

A single complaint can name more than one system, so shares add up to more than 100%. Complaint counts reflect how many of these trucks are on the road as much as how reliable they are. A best-selling truck collects more complaints than a rare one at the same defect rate, so these figures compare a model against its own other years far better than against a different model.

Recall campaigns

Power Train:automatic Transmission22V671000 · 2022-09-07

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.

Remedy: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will perform the applicable repairs below, free of charge: • Model Year 2020-2022 Frontier vehicles: reprogram Transmission Control Module (TCM) • Model Year 2020-2022 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM and Engine Control Module (ECM) • Model Year 2023 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM • Model Year 2023 Z vehicles: reprogram TCM. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.

Power Train:automatic Transmission22V457000 · 2022-06-24

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.

Remedy: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A2 R22A3.

Common questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Nissan Frontier?

Of 17 complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most reported category is electrical system at 4 complaints (23.5% of the total), followed by power train at 4. These are owner-submitted reports, not confirmed defect rates.

How many recalls does the 2021 Nissan Frontier have?

2 recall campaigns. Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the vehicle's age or how many owners it has had. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a campaign listed here may not apply to your specific truck.

Is the 2021 Nissan Frontier reliable?

Complaint totals alone cannot answer that. Complaint counts reflect how many of these trucks are on the road as much as how reliable they are. A best-selling truck collects more complaints than a rare one at the same defect rate, so these figures compare a model against its own other years far better than against a different model. The useful comparison is against the same truck's other model years, which is what the year-over-year table on this page shows.

Related

Last updated 2026-08-10. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (api.nhtsa.gov), public domain. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by vehicle owners; NHTSA does not confirm them and a complaint is not a finding of defect. Recall applicability depends on your VIN — check nhtsa.gov/recalls.