2008 Nissan Frontier Problems and Recalls (134 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Nissan Frontier is Transmission / driveline (32% of 134 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 134 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Nissan Frontier?

43 of 134 filings named Transmission / driveline (32% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (23 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Suspension, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 518 reports on file; this year has 134. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 Nissan Frontier

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 43 complaints · 32.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 5
  • Deaths 0
All Nissan Frontier years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 43 of 134 owner complaints (32.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 43 complaints, 32.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 fire reports 43 · 32.1% Engine (ENGINE): 23 complaints, 17.2% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 23 · 17.2% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 16 complaints, 11.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 16 · 11.9% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 14 complaints, 10.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 14 · 10.5% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 8 complaints, 6.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 8 · 6.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 6 complaints, 4.5% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 6 · 4.5% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 3 complaints, 2.2% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 · 2.2% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 3 complaints, 2.2% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 3 · 2.2% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 2 complaints, 1.5% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 2 · 1.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 27 complaints, 20.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 27 · 20.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 43 32.1% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 23 17.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 16 11.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 14 10.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 8 6.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 6 4.5% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 3 2.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 3 2.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 2 1.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 27 20.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2008; the first recall shown was reported in Jan 2008. 2008-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2008 Oct 2024 Recall campaign 08V045000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V045000 Recall campaign 08V690000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V690000 Recall campaign 10V075000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V075000 Recall campaign 10E019000 ◆ Recall campaign 10E019000 Recall campaign 10V401000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V401000 Recall campaign 23V067000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V067000 Investigation DP12004 ● Investigation DP12004
  • Campaign 08V690000 was reported 6 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V401000 was reported 942 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V067000 was reported 5,162 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2008-Q1 Owner reports 1
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 2
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 4
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 4
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 3
2013-Q1 Owner reports 6
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 6
2014-Q3 Owner reports 5
2014-Q4 Owner reports 6
2015-Q1 Owner reports 7
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 3
2016-Q1 Owner reports 3
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 7
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 3
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 4
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 4
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 3
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 08V045000
Recall campaign 1 08V690000
Recall campaign 1 10V075000
Recall campaign 1 10E019000
Recall campaign 1 10V401000
Recall campaign 1 23V067000
Defect investigation 1 DP12004
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Suspension, and Fuel system.

  1. Recall campaign 08V045000

    Safety recall 08V045000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    THIS STANDARD SPECIFIES REQUIREMENTS FOR TIRE SELECTION TO PREVENT OVERLOADING.
    Remedy:
    NISSAN WILL MAIL A CORRECT TIRE PLACARD AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS TO OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 25, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 08V690000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN THE NON-DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAGS IN A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT CZS WITH A REDESIGNED SENSOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 26, 2009. OWNERS IN THE OTHER STATES WILL RECEIVE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE SENSOR TO 10 YEARS. THESE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY MAIL AND WILL RECEIVE A STICKER TO PLACE IN THEIR WARRANTY BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 10E019000

    Suspension

    Report date
    Component:
    Suspension (SUSPENSION)
    Consequence:
    IF THE COLLAR WELD SEPARATES, THE VEHICLE HANDLING WILL DETERIORATE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 10V075000

    Fuel system

    Report date
    Component:
    Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RUN OUT OF GAS AND STALL IN TRAFFIC, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW ONE THAT HAS A MODIFIED FLOAT ARM. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 10V401000

    Safety recall 10V401000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    OVERHEATED BATTERIES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND THE REPAIRS WILL BE PERFORMED BY GARMIN TECHNICIANS BY REPLACING THE BATTERY AND INSERTING A SPACER ON TOP OF THE BATTERY FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN DIRECTLY AT 1-866-957-1981 OR NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 23V067000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver’s airbag cover. Owner letters were mailed December 8, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall are PC944, PC945, and PC946.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 134 complaints · page 1 of 6
2024-10-29Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11622555
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving the vehicle and the fuel gauge reading 1/4 tank, without any prior notification such as a "low fuel" light thw car shut off on the highway, the vehicle ran out of gas. This has happened 3 times. Upon researching there is a known recall for this vehicle that exhibits these exact symptoms as the fuel gauge shows 1/4 tank but really there is no gas. Other than this the fuel gauge works, when filled with gas it shows full on the gauge, but upon reaching the 1/4 tank level the gauge stops moving and does not indicate low fuel leaving me to believe there is gas when in fact there is not.
2024-04-07Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11581535
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Saw that there was an airbag item recall (NHTSA I.D.: 08V69000) for my vehicle. Airbag warning light is on. However, dealer says, "No open campaigns" and vehicle is out of the warranty period.
2024-01-29Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11568461
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the driver's side air bag suddenly deployed without an impact. As a result, the contact swerved into a drainage ditch, and the vehicle flipped completely over on its top. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported by airlift to an area hospital and treated for several injuries, including a broken clavicle, a dislocated shoulder, three broken ribs, a fractured T10, and a shattered hip. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by insurance. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23E012000 (Air Bags), and the VIN was included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
2023-11-01Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11553024
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated, and the horn was inoperable. The dealer was not made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,667. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2023-08-12Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11538126
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My airbag dash light indicator is flashing and will not turn off.
2023-05-09Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11521155
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,481. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2023-05-01Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11519753
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2023-02-16Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11507690
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AIR BAG ICON STARTED TO FLASH , I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER BUT THEY SAID THERES NO RECALLS , AIR BAG SIGN KEEPS ON FLASHING
2022-09-26Engine (ENGINE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11486366
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at speeds over 40 MPH, the vehicle would shake and vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the radiator fluid had leaked into the transmission causing severe damage to the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 86,000.
2022-07-23Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11475452
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The transmission cooler integrated into the radiator failed damaging the transmission by cross contamination of fluids. Loss of power on a narrow country mountain road was not safe. I learned that this problem is very common. I feel that Nissan should have replaced the radiator before thousands in transmission damage occurred.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 Nissan Frontier?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 43 of 134 reports (32%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Nissan Frontier?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Suspension, and Fuel system. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Nissan Frontier?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources