2012 Nissan FRONTIER: complaints, problems and recalls

MYSELF AND ONE PASSENGER WERE OFF-ROADING IN MY 2012 FRONTIER PRO-4X GOING OVER A BUMPY SURFACE AND WITHOUT WARNING THE SIDE AIRBAGS WENT OFF! LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED, BUT WE BOTH GOT QUITE A SCARE DUE TO THE NOISE AND LACK OF VISIBILITY. THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END NOR WERE WE AT ANY DEGREE OF ANGLE. YES IT WAS BUMPY BUT WHEN YOU PAY FOR A VEHICLE THAT STATES CLEARLY OFF ROAD ON THE SIDE YOU EXPECT IT HAS THE SUSPENSION TO SUPPORT THE RIDE. THE VERY LAST THING I WAS THINKING OF WAS THE AIR BAGS, UNTIL THEY CAME OUT. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 7,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10451246 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT HEAD REST COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED. THE HEAD REST WAS POSITIONED DOWNWARD, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S HEAD TO BE FORCED TO LOOK DOWN. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEAD REST WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER AND THEY COULD NOT COMPROMISE THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. UPDATED 06/07/12*LJ UPDATED 06/11/12. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10458031 at NHTSA ↗

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE A/C STOPPED WORKING THEN THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE NEXT DAY WENT TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THIS WAS THE FOURTH ENGINE THAT HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM. THE ENGINE HAS TO BE CHANGE AND I WAS 300 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. LOOSING MONEY AND TIME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10468825 at NHTSA ↗

WITHOUT MUCH WARNING SIGNS OR WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENT, ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STARTED JERKING AND MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE. AFTER INSPECTION BY THE SHOP, ALL SIX BOLTS ATTACHING THE FRONT DRIVE TO THE TRANSFER BOX WERE GONE. THE PARTS WENT LOOSE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE UNDERNEATH THE TRACK, WHICH WAS WORSENED BY THE TOWING. IF THAT PARTS WOULD HAVE DETACHED AT HIGH SPEED, THE INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. THE ONLY WARNING WAS A LOW NOISE, ASSOCIATED WITH TIRE ROTATION AND THEN A LOUD "BANG" LIKE I HIT A STONE UNDERNEATH. THIS NOISE WAS PRESENT…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482313 at NHTSA ↗

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO FLICKER AND WOULD NOT DISPLAY ACCURATE INFORMATION (ENGINE ALERTS, TIRE ALERTS, NOT DISPLAYING TURN SIGNALS, SPEEDOMETER, ETC). THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AND IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE VEHICLE SPEED OR IF THERE WERE OTHER ISSUES ACTUALLY WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. DEALERSHIP HAS DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MODULE HAS A PROBLEM AND IS BEING REPLACED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 1,120 miles reported. Look up ODI 10482661 at NHTSA ↗

AGAIN! WHILE TRAVELING APX 55 MPH, VEHICLE LOST POWER, ENGINE SURGING, SPUTTERING, SOME WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH ILLUMINATED. WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND DRIVE ANOTHER MILE OR 2. NO LUCK. VEHICLE WAS TOWED 80 PLUS MILES BACK TO DEALER. ANOTHER CRANK POSITION REPLACED AND PROBLEM WAS FIXED FOR NOW, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR!! ID THIS HAPPENED ON A BUSY MULTI LANE HIGHWAY WHILE TOWING SOMETHING IT MIGHT HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT OUTCOME!! *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 21,325 miles reported. Look up ODI 10486244 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME HESITANT TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,800. UPDATED 04/30/13*LJ THE DEALER STATED IT WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 05/21/13

Owner-reported narrative. 1,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10500012 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 NISSAN FRONTIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, BOTH THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE DEALER REFERRED HIM TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY HAD AN ENGINEER FURTHER INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINEER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR BAGS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TYPE …

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10510496 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2011-12-19 (December 19, 2011)

NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 INFINITI FX, MODEL YEAR 2012 INFINITI M, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN FRONTIER, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN XTERRA, MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 NISSAN PATHFINDER, AND MODEL YEAR 2012 NISSAN NV VEHICLES. SOME OF THE BOLTS THAT CONNECT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER AND THE ENGINE OIL FILTER TO THE ENGINE IN THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED TO BELOW SPECIFICATION STRENGTH. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY BREAK AT THE OIL FILTER ATTACHMENT POINT AND CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE OIL LEAK.

Consequence: IF THERE IS AN ENGINE OIL LEAK, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WOULD DROP AND THE ENGINE COULD SEIZE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTOR BOLTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2012-09-20 (September 20, 2012)

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra two-wheel drive vehicles manufactured from June 19, 2012, through July 12, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with front wheel hubs that may not meet the design hardness specifications. A wheel hub that was manufactured below hardness specification may wear prematurely and eventually crack.

Consequence: If the vehicle is driven in this condition, the wheel hub may break, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replaced the left and right side front wheel hub assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on October 22, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.

Reported: 2014-02-12 (February 12, 2014)

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012 through 2014 Frontier vehicles manufactured from November 28, 2012, through December 17, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly causing the main wire harness connected to the circuit breaker to face outward, potentially contacting a metal bolt located on the A-pillar.

Consequence: The bolt may wear through the wire harness covering, resulting in an electrical short which could cause a fire.

Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the circuit breaker orientation. If the circuit breaker orientation is incorrect, dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.