Nissan Frontier 1998–2004
1st generation (D22)
NHTSA data through 13 August 2026964 complaints, 479 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 479
- Median of reported failures
- 75,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Tyres (9.8%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 41,961 and 115,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Nissan Frontier 1998–2004 · 479 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 47 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 17 complaints (3.5%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 10,000
- 25%
- 41,961
- Median
- 75,000
- 75%
- 115,000
- 90%
- 150,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 47 | 9.8% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 15 | 3.1% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 20 | 4.2% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 33 | 6.9% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 33 | 6.9% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 31 | 6.5% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 38 | 7.9% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 34 | 7.1% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 29 | 6.1% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 29 | 6.1% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 31 | 6.5% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 24 | 5.0% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 24 | 5.0% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 22 | 4.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 19 | 4.0% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 7 | 1.5% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 11 | 2.3% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 7 | 1.5% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 7 | 1.5% |
| 200,000+ | 17 | 3.5% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 964 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998–2004 Nissan Frontier, and 479 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 41,961 and 115,000 miles. The median is 75,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the tyres (9.8% of complaints, typically around 55,000 miles), the fuel system (9.3% of complaints, typically around 90,000 miles), the transmission and driveline (8.7% of complaints, typically around 90,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1998–2004 Nissan Frontier last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1998–2004 Nissan Frontier were filed by 75,000 miles and 90% by 150,000 miles — figures drawn from 479 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
17 reports (3.5%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Frontier reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1998–2004 Frontier: the 3-minute check
Generated from 479 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine - timing chain on 1998–2004 (2.4L) cars. KA24DE timing chain guide and tensioner wear producing a cold-start rattle and, if ignored, chain slap and guide fragmentation.
- Check body/frame - corrosion on 1998–2004 cars. Frame and rear structure corrosion in road-salt regions, a recurring theme in owner reports across Nissan compact trucks of this era.
- Check exhaust on 1998–2004 cars. Exhaust manifold cracking and pre-cat material ingestion reports on the four-cylinder trucks.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 42,000 and 115,000 miles, with a median of 75,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the tyres and the fuel system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The tyres in particular shows a median failure mileage of 55,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Nissan Frontier 1998–2004
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Engine and its cooling system71 reports51,00022,000–85,000Engine and its cooling system: 71 reports, median 51,000 miles, middle half 22,000 to 85,000 miles.
- Tyres94 reports55,00040,000–100,000Tyres: 94 reports, median 55,000 miles, middle half 40,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Suspension80 reports70,00015,000–100,000Suspension: 80 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 15,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Electrical system75 reports70,00039,000–115,000Electrical system: 75 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 39,000 to 115,000 miles.
- Fuel system90 reports90,00064,000–110,000Fuel system: 90 reports, median 90,000 miles, middle half 64,000 to 110,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline84 reports90,00056,000–124,000Transmission and driveline: 84 reports, median 90,000 miles, middle half 56,000 to 124,000 miles.
- Airbag system68 reports105,00068,000–142,000Airbag system: 68 reports, median 105,000 miles, middle half 68,000 to 142,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 94 | 9.8% | 55,000 | 40,000–100,000 |
| Fuel system | 90 | 9.3% | 90,000 | 64,000–110,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 84 | 8.7% | 90,000 | 56,000–124,000 |
| Suspension | 80 | 8.3% | 70,000 | 15,000–100,000 |
| Electrical system | 75 | 7.8% | 70,000 | 39,000–115,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 71 | 7.4% | 51,000 | 22,000–85,000 |
| Airbag system | 68 | 7.1% | 105,000 | 68,000–142,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 67 | 7.0% | 33,000 | 16,000–45,000 |
| Body structure | 44 | 4.6% | 102,000 | 64,000–130,000 |
| Steering | 41 | 4.3% | 70,000 | 50,000–120,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Nissan Frontier 1998–2004 · 479 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 37% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 58% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 76% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 3.5% of reports (17) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
37% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Tyres — middle half 40,000–100,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 56,000–124,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 15,000–100,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 39,000–115,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 22,000–85,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Fuel system — middle half 64,000–110,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 68,000–142,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
58% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine and its cooling system — median 51,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Tyres — middle half 40,000–100,000 mi
- Fuel system — middle half 64,000–110,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 56,000–124,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 15,000–100,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 39,000–115,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 68,000–142,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
76% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Tyres — median 55,000 mi
- Fuel system — median 90,000 mi
- Suspension — median 70,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 70,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 51,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 56,000–124,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 68,000–142,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 75,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The tyres account for 9.8% of complaints (94 reports, 36 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 55,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 40,000 and 100,000 miles.
The fuel system accounts for 9.3% of complaints (90 reports, 64 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 64,000 and 110,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 8.7% of complaints (84 reports, 41 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 90,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 56,000 and 124,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 8.3% of complaints (80 reports, 31 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 100,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 7.8% of complaints (75 reports, 44 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 39,000 and 115,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.4% of complaints (71 reports, 38 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 51,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 85,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2000 model year drew the most — 224 complaints — while 2004 drew the fewest at 89. The median year sits at 146.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 964 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 91 (9.4%)
- Fires
- 24
- Injury reports
- 53
- Fatality reports
- 5
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Engine - Timing Chain 1998–2004 (2.4L)
KA24DE timing chain guide and tensioner wear producing a cold-start rattle and, if ignored, chain slap and guide fragmentation.
Body/Frame - Corrosion 1998–2004
Frame and rear structure corrosion in road-salt regions, a recurring theme in owner reports across Nissan compact trucks of this era.
Exhaust 1998–2004
Exhaust manifold cracking and pre-cat material ingestion reports on the four-cylinder trucks.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 146 | 35 |
| 1999 | 106 | 34 |
| 2000 | 224 | 94 |
| 2001 | 155 | 88 |
| 2002 | 152 | 91 |
| 2003 | 92 | 70 |
| 2004 | 89 | 67 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Dec 2010 · 2002–2004 · SteeringThe shaft may break which could result in loss of steering control during these low speed maneuvers…
The defect. Nissan is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Frontier vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001 through october 20, 2004, and model year 2002-2004, xterra vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001, through january 6, 2005. Over time corrosion may form in the lower steering column joint and limit movement of the joint. The limited movement of this joint may create excessive load on the lower steering column shaft. If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, it may lead to cracking of the shaft during low speed maneuvers that require large steering inputs.
What can happen. The shaft may break which could result in loss of steering control during these low speed maneuvers increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. The steering column shaft and joint will be replaced with a shaft of a different design. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on december 13, 2010. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
What owners reported
Vehicle has 98,000 miles on Frontier truck speedometer works intermittently or sometimes does not work at all. Inaccurate speed determined by radar speed limit device its off by at least 20 miles per hour recall this vehicle.! A search of NHTSA database indicates many identical problems with this model recall this…
1998 · 98 miles · Electrical system
Firestone/bridgestone, wilderness at, p215/65r15, DOT#w2zfnna377. Tire sidewall blew out while driving at 70 MPH on the interstate. Vehicle ended up on the side of the road. *Ak the consumer indicated that nothng was hit to cause the tire to blowout. The tire pressure was checked before the trip. It was also check 30…
1998 · 40,000 miles · Tyres
the contact owns a 1998 Nissan Frontier. On september 1, 2007, the contact took the vehicle to the dealer because all of the instrument panel gauges were blank. He paid $900 for the repair and was informed that the circuit board would arrive the following day. After returning to the dealer several times, he was…
1998 · 58,000 miles · Electrical system
The circuit board behind the dash instruments that operates all of the dash board instruments on my 1998 Nissan pu has failed. The dealership could not obtain a new one and said that the part is no longer made. The pu has about 58000 miles on it but now i can not have it safety checked because none of the gauges on…
1998 · 58,000 miles · Electrical system
Built from 479 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page