U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Nissan FRONTIER problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

124 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

69,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 72 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Fuel/Propulsion System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 11 of 124 complaints (8.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	30	24.2%
Fuel system concerns	17	13.7%
Steering behavior	14	11.3%
Electrical and battery issues	8	6.5%
Transmission and shifting	4	3.2%
Engine operation	4	3.2%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Fuel/Propulsion System

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Fuel System, Gasoline

Steering

Structure:Body

Air Bags

Engine And Engine Cooling

Fuel/Propulsion System: 11; Vehicle Speed Control: 11; Electrical System: 10; Fuel System, Gasoline: 10; Steering: 10; Structure:Body: 5; Air Bags: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling: 4

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 17; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 15; 75,000 to 99,999: 8; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 6

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (17). 52 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2024

2001: 2; 2002: 16; 2003: 24; 2004: 9; 2005: 2; 2006: 5; 2007: 6; 2008: 9; 2009: 3; 2010: 4; 2011: 13; 2012: 2; 2013: 1; 2014: 5; 2015: 6; 2016: 1; 2017: 7; 2018: 2; 2019: 2; 2020: 1; 2021: 1; 2022: 2; 2024: 1

Pattern summary

Fuel/Propulsion System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 30 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 17 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10001358 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE ABS BRAKING LIGHT WILL APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD. AND WILL STAY ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS TURN OFF. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001358 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001498 · 2003-01-08 (January 8, 2003)

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT DUE TO ENGINE RACING WHEN CONSUMER PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS PREVENTED CONSUMER FROM STOPPING, REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. *JG *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1,054 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001498 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10212934 · 2007-12-27 (December 27, 2007)

GAS FUMES ARE SMELLED AFTER FILLING UP AT THE GAS STATION. THEY ARE NOT SMELLED INSIDE THE VEHICLE, ONLY OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE BY THE GAS TANK. NO LIQUID GAS DRIPPINGS ARE NOTICED. DASHBOARD CODE LIGHT COMES ON. THE CODE DESCRIPTION SAYS SMALL LEAK DETECTED. SECOND CODE SAYS VERY SMALL LEAK DETECTED. GAS CAP IS TIGHT AND WAS INSPECTED FOR LEAKS. ALSO NEW CAP WAS INSTALLED. NO EFFECT TO CHANGE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 92,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10212934 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10235699 · 2008-07-24 (July 24, 2008)

ON JUNE 30 MY NISSAN FRONTIER BROKE DOWN. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE WEBSTER NISSAN OFFICE. I SPOKE WITH BRIAN AT NISSAN ON JULY 1ST AND HE TOLD ME THAT MY TRUCK WOULD EITHER BE FIXED ON JULY 7/3 OR 7/8. THE PART THAT CAUSED THE ISSUE IS SAFETY RECALL FROM 2003 THAT IS AN ISSUE WITH FUEL SENSOR IN THE GAS TANK. I CONTACTED 1-800-NISSAN1 ON 7/3 IN SEARCH OF A LOANER CAR UNTIL THEY COULD GET MY TRUCK FIXED. GINGER AT 1-800-NISSAN1 OPENED A TICKET AND TOLD ME SOME ONE WOULD CONTACT AFTER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. I SPOKE CATHERINE THE REGION REPRESENT…

Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10235699 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10049181 · 2003-12-04 (December 4, 2003)

PULSATING IN STEERING WHEEL DUE TO APPARENT WARPED FRONT BRAKE ROTORS. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10049181 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10080755 · 2004-07-10 (July 10, 2004)

VEHICLE BECAME HARD TO CONTROL, REGARDING STEERING AND JUST TRYING TO KEEP THE TRUCK FROM DRIFTING. DISCOVERED THAT THE RETAINING NUT HAD WORKED LOOSE AND SWAY BAR WAS NOT SECURED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF CAR. WAS REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10080755 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10046561 · 2003-12-10 (December 10, 2003)

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE TURN SIGNAL/ HAZARD LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHTS WERE WORKING ABNORMALLY. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. *AK THE DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE SUB HARNESS IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046561 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10096502 · 2004-10-27 (October 27, 2004)

MY NISSAN FRONTIER, 2002 MODEL, IS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY, LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. WITHOUT ANY WARNING COMPLETELY DIED ON INTERSTATE. I TOWED IN AND PROBLEM WAS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR. I UNDERSTAND THIS VEHICLE HAS NO WARRANTY AFTER 36000 MILES HOWEVER THIS ISSUE SEEMS VERY RARE TO ME AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 46,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10096502 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10046932 · 2003-11-14 (November 14, 2003)

TACH, ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES DID NOT ACTIVATE ON START. DRIVING ENGAGED SPEED LIMITER ONCE TRANSMISSION ENTERED 3RD GEAR (AUTOMATIC). AFTER DRIVING 3-4 MILES, GAUGES CAME TO LIFE. THIS HAPPENED ON A PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE BUT WAS RECTIFIED BY TURNING OFF AND RESTARTING VEHICLE. A WEB SEARCH RESULTED IN FINDING OTHER NISSAN OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH DIFFERENT MODELS. TWO DEALERS SAID THEY COULDN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM UNLESS THEY COULD SEE IT HAPPENING. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046932 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10169550 · 2006-09-28 (September 28, 2006)

I TOOK MY TRUCK INTO BROWNS FAIRFAX NISSAN DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE OVERDRIVE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WAS COMING ON/OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I SPOKE WITH A FEW MECHANICS REGARDING THIS ISSUE, THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT COULD BE THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER NISSANS WARRANTY, I WAS ADVISED TO CHECK THE INTERNET. AFTER CHECKING THE INTERNET, I LOCATED THE RECALLS AND FOUND MY CAR ON THEIR LISTINGS. I CALLED NISSANS RECALL DEPARTMENT, SPOKE WITH SOLOMON KIRK ABOUT THE ISSUE I WAS HAVING WITH MY TRUCK. MR. KIRK WENT OV…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10169550 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10053339 · 2004-01-05 (January 5, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED THE VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC. PLEASE ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10053339 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067378 · 2004-05-11 (May 11, 2004)

WHEN DRIVING 70 MPH VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK WHILE VEHICLE IS SET ON CRUISE CONTROL, THE ENTIRE SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. CONSUMER COULDN'T RESTART THE VEHICLE. IGNITION SYSTEM FAILED FOUR TIMES, AND WAS BROUGHT TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067378 at NHTSA ↗