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2016 Nissan Frontier

Gas

Small Pickup Trucks 2WD
6 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 1

Complaints3 crash · 1 fire · 3 injured reported 43

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 21 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2016 Nissan Frontier is sold in the U.S. as a gas large pickup truck with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Frontier 2WD, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 43 complaints, most often about the air bags.

Nissan Frontier — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Nissan Frontier · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Frontier 2WD	Gas	RWD	2.5L 4-cyl	19	23	21	$3,200
Frontier 2WD	Gas	RWD	4.0L 6-cyl	17	22	19	$3,550
Frontier 2WD	Gas	RWD	2.5L 4-cyl	17	22	19	$3,550
Frontier 2WD	Gas	RWD	4.0L 6-cyl	16	22	18	$3,700
Frontier 4WD	Gas	4WD (part-time)	4.0L 6-cyl	16	21	18	$3,700
Frontier 4WD	Gas	4WD (part-time)	4.0L 6-cyl	15	21	17	$3,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 36939, 36917, 36938, 36916, 36921, 36920.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Frontier 2WD, Frontier 4WD	5–6 / 10	Bin 5 / LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Pickup
GVWR class	Class 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	4 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

261 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Transmission

Drivetrain

4x2

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim. Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	205.5–219.3 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.8 in
Height	68.5–70.1 in
Wheelbase	126.0–139.8 in
Track, front	61.8 in
Track, rear	61.8 in
Curb weight	3,774–4,749 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	57/43

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 6 configurations: Crew Cab 4X4 PRO-4X, Crew Cab 4X4 SL, Crew Cab 4X4 SV, King Cab 4X4 SV/PRO-4X, King Cab S/Box 4X2 S, King Cab S/Box 4X2 SV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Electrical System

1,554 vehicles 99% reported repaired built Feb 29, 2016 – Mar 7, 2016

Problem Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016 Frontier V6 vehicles manufactured February 29, 2016, to March 7, 2016. The starter motor wire harness may have been installed in an incorrect position, allowing the starter harness terminal to contact the heat shield and result in an electrical short. Risk An electrical short increases the risk of a fire. Fix Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reposition the starter wire harness, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2016. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF

NHTSA campaign 16V181000 reported Mar 31, 2016 Nissan North America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Frontier

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2016 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Nissan publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Nissan’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2016 Nissan Frontier, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

43complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2015: 1 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1

Most-cited components

Air Bags 10

Unspecified 9

Fuel/Propulsion System 8

Engine 8

Structure 4

Power Train 3

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired.

Engine at 90,000 miles May 25, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11466030

I have a 2016 Nissan Frontier with only 68,000 miles on it. The airbag light on the dash started flashing. I took it to any mohr Nissan and they diagnosed that the sensor inside the passenger seat that tells the system if someone is sitting there has failed and that it is an $1800 repair, because the only way to fix it is to replace the…

Air Bags at 68,400 miles Jan 22, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11389453

While fueling at different gas stations the tank spills/belches gas all over. This is a major safety issue and needs recalled. There are endless complaints on www. Clubfrontier. Org of similar issues occurring to other Frontier owners.

Fuel/Propulsion System at 36,000 miles Dec 30, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11385655

Key locked in ignition then steering wheel locked. Car was parked at a public beach parking lot before the issue occurred

Steering Sep 3, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11352922

The yawrate sensor and ABS diagnostic module had to be replaced to keep my vehicle from grabbing the brakes as I started driving

Service Brakes at 38,700 miles Jun 14, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11328733

In motion, pulling into parking stall, when something started to smell like it was on fire, started to see flames coming from motor. Car caught on fire. Police case #19-0773

Structure Jan 17, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11170646

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Nissan itself: 6 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 11 injured, as claimed, not verified. Every Frontier model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 35k

miles, typically

Half the 22 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 14,000 and 55,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 22 on file: 4 under 10k, 5 10k–20k, 6 30k–40k, 2 50k–60k, 2 60k–70k, 1 70k–80k, 2 90k–100k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
PU/CC 4WD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★★☆	20%
PU/CC RWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★☆☆	21%
PU/EC 4WD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★★☆	20%
PU/EC RWD	not rated	not rated	not rated	★★★☆☆	21%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 119

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-04-13

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 119 service bulletins

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Fuel/Propulsion System, Engine, Visibility/Wiper.

NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
NTB09-131C Service bulletin
2026-04-13 · Structure — Body
CERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision damage or other vehicle repair, a replacement “Certification Label” or “VIN Plate/Label” may be needed. HINT: Certification Label = FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards) label. These items may be available from Nissan by request if certain criteria are met. This bulletin lists the criteria and provides
NTB13-107G Service bulletin
2024-05-21 · Electrical System
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-027D Service bulletin
2024-05-21 · Electrical System
CAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB10-066C Service bulletin
2024-05-21 · Electrical System
CAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB17-019H Service bulletin
2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
WINDOW GLASS WARRANTY INFORMATION This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-028I Service bulletin
2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB09-081K Service bulletin
2024-04-30 · Visibility/Wiper
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0448 P0448 on Nissan →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump →	7 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Nissan →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Gas cap →	6 bulletins
P0442 P0442 on Nissan →	A small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Gas cap →	3 bulletins
P0455 P0455 on Nissan →	A large leak in the evaporative emissions system — often a fuel cap left off.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Gas cap →	3 bulletins
P0603 P0603 on Nissan →	The engine control module has lost its keep-alive memory.	Engine	3 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 3.1%

failed emissions

1,770 initial inspections of 1,737 vehicles.

Measure	The 2016 Frontier	Every 2016 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	3.1%	4.2%	1,765
Failed the safety inspection	3.4%	2.2%	1,770
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.23%	0.27%	1,770
Miles driven a year	9,853	10,028	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	101,468	103,109	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2016 vehicle” is every 2016 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Frontier by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 21 mpg 2026 A 1 11 21 mpg 2025 B 3 9 21 mpg 2024 B 3 22 21 mpg 2023 A 1 66 21 mpg 2022 D 6 112 20 mpg 2021 B 2 20 20 mpg 2020 B 2 23 20 mpg 2019 A 1 28 21 mpg 2018 B 2 25 21 mpg 2017 A 1 38 21 mpg 2016 this page B 1 43 21 mpg

Common questions about the 2016 Frontier

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2016 Nissan Frontier have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2016 Nissan Frontier, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 16V181000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2016 Nissan Frontier?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2016 Nissan Frontier yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (85/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2016 Nissan Frontier?

Across the 6 EPA-rated configurations of the 2016 Nissan Frontier, the best EPA combined figure is 21 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2016 Nissan Frontier?

Transport Canada measured it at 205.5–219.3 in long, 72.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 68.5–70.1 in tall, on a 126.0–139.8 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,774–4,749 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2016 Nissan Frontier?

Owners have filed 43 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Frontier, most often about air bags, unspecified, fuel/propulsion system. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2016 Nissan Frontier?

The EPA smog rating for the 2016 Nissan Frontier runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — Bin 5, LEV-II ULEV — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2016 Nissan Frontier?

The manufacturer has filed 119 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2016 Nissan Frontier, most often covering equipment, electrical system, fuel/propulsion system. The most recent is dated 2026-04-13. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2016 Nissan Frontier do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2016 Nissan Frontier failed the emissions check on 3.1% of first inspections — lower than the 4.2% for every 2016 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 3.4% (every 2016 vehicle: 2.2%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	6 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	6 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	43	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	4 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	119	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	8 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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