2022 Nissan Frontier
Gas Pickup truck
The 2022 Nissan Frontier is sold in the U.S. as a gas pickup truck with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Frontier 2WD, is EPA-rated at 20 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 110 complaints, most often about forward collision avoidance. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier 2WD | Gas | RWD | 3.8L 6-cyl | 18 | 24 | 20 | $3,100 |
| Frontier 4WD | Gas | Part-time 4WD | 3.8L 6-cyl | 17 | 21 | 19 | $3,300 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (6)
Back Over Prevention
minorProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Titan, Titan XD, Frontier, and 2021-2022 Rogue vehicles. The in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system may continuously reboot when the vehicle is restarted, which can result in an inoperative rearview display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The IVI software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 18, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's numbers for this recall are R22B8, R22C1, and PC923/25.
Power Train
highProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will perform the applicable repairs below, free of charge: • Model Year 2020-2022 Frontier vehicles: reprogram Transmission Control Module (TCM) • Model Year 2020-2022 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM and Engine Control Module (ECM) • Model Year 2023 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM • Model Year 2023 Z vehicles: reprogram TCM. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Niss
Back Over Prevention
minorProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Rogue, 2022 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Titan rental vehicles. When the Sirius XM subscription is set to "Not Subscribed," it may cause the infotainment head unit to reboot, resulting in an inoperative rearview camera. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An inoperative rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The Infotainment system software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 29, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A5 PC901 PC902.
Power Train
highProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A2 R22A3.
Seat Belts
highProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Frontier vehicles. The seat belt bracket mounting bolts on the left-rear seat may have been incorrectly tightened. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 207, "Seating Systems," 209, "Seatbelt Assemblies," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: During a crash, a loose seat belt bracket may break, causing a loss of seat belt restraint and increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the bolts on the left-rear seat and repair any damaged threads as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC856.
Trailer Hitches
criticalProblem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2022 Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed trucks. The tow hitch was not installed, compromising the structural integrity of the fuel tank in the event of a rear crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."
Risk: During a crash, the leaf spring could contact the fuel tank, causing a fuel leak and increasing the risk of a fire or injury.
Fix: Dealers will install the tow hitch and harness kit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2021. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC855.
Owner complaints
110 complaints filed
11 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2021: 2 · 2022: 42 · 2023: 28 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 14 · 2026: 8
Most-cited components
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 42
- Electrical System — 30
- Power Train — 24
- Unknown Or Other — 20
- Service Brakes — 18
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.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PU/CC 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 20% |
| PU/CC RWD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 20% |
| PU/EC 4WD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★☆☆ | 20% |
| PU/EC RWD | not rated | not rated | not rated | ★★★☆☆ | 20% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other Frontier model years
2026 Frontier
1 recalls · 7 complaints
B2025 Frontier
3 recalls · 7 complaints
C2024 Frontier
3 recalls · 21 complaints
A2023 Frontier
1 recalls · 64 complaints
B2021 Frontier
2 recalls · 17 complaints
B2020 Frontier
2 recalls · 23 complaints
A2019 Frontier
1 recalls · 28 complaints
B2018 Frontier
2 recalls · 25 complaints
A2017 Frontier
1 recalls · 38 complaints
B2016 Frontier
1 recalls · 43 complaints
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 44458, 44459). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.