2010 Nissan Frontier Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
67/100
#6 most-complained of 16 Frontier years
The 2010 Nissan Frontier logs 59 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls, with a complaint index of 67 and a rank of 6th worst among 16 model years. It carries a Caution verdict, driven mainly by airbag complaints (32% share) and transmission issues (25% share).
- Complaints
- 59
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 3 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 17
- 15.5 city / 20 hwy
Top 2010 Nissan Frontier problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags19 (32%)
- Transmission & Powertrain15 (25%)
- Engine10 (17%)
- Electrical System9 (15%)
- Brakes6 (10%)
- Structure & Body4 (7%)
- Fuel System3 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (5%)
- Steering2 (3%)
- Other1 (2%)
What owners report
- Driver's side airbag deployed without any crash or impact while cruising at highway speed, causing loss of steering control.
- Passenger airbag warning light stayed illuminated with the seat occupied, and dealers reported the sensor could not be reset.
- Automatic transmission and 6-speed manual clutch failures occurred, including a clutch that failed with a preceding intermittent burning smell.
- Brake pedal reportedly sank to the floor with no stopping effect while approaching a stop sign.
- A rear tire suddenly blew out while driving at moderate speed.
- Vehicle would not start and the ignition would not unlock with the key at very low mileage.
2010 Nissan Frontier recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 23V067000Feb 10, 2023Airbags404,690 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2008-2011 Titan, Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Armada, and 2008-2009 Quest vehicles. The resin emblem on the driver's air bag cover may develop cracks and detach during air bag deployment.
Risk: A detached emblem can become a projectile during air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driverÂs 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.
- NHTSA 10V401000Sep 10, 2010Other7,948 vehicles
Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)
Nissan is recalling certain vehicles that were equipped with a garmin nuvi model 750 navigation system. The batteries contained in the affected gps units can overheat.
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 10V372000Aug 12, 2010Other951 vehicles
Child seat:tether: connector/clip
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2010 nissan frontier king cab vehicles manufactured from june 10, 2010 through june 26, 2010. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the weld between the tether anchor and the seat gusset bracket is out-of-specification. As a result, and based on nissan's engineering judgment, the tether anchor could separate from the seat when tested under the conditions required by the standard.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the tether anchorage could separate from the vehicle seat increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in a child seat that uses the tether anchor.
Remedy: The seat gusset containing the tether anchorage will be replaced with a new one free of charge. The safety recall began on august 30, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
2010 Nissan Frontier fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 15.5 MPG
- Highway
- 20 MPG
- Combined
- 17 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2010 compared with other Frontier years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2010 Nissan Frontier reliable compared to other Frontier years?
- NHTSA data ranks the 2010 Frontier 6th worst out of 16 model years, with a complaint index of 67 and a Caution verdict. Years like 2018, 2020, and 2021 score much lower and carry Best verdicts.
- What are the most common problems on the 2010 Nissan Frontier?
- Airbags account for 32% of complaints and Transmission & Powertrain for 25%, followed by Engine at 17% and Electrical System at 15%, according to NHTSA complaint data.
- Does the 2010 Nissan Frontier have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2010 Frontier, covering airbag emblem cracking, a Garmin GPS battery overheating risk, a seat gusset tether anchorage issue, and a lower control link collar problem. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- At what mileage do 2010 Frontier problems typically show up?
- Median mileage at failure across all reported problems is 41,000, though airbag complaints show a higher median of 59,757 miles and brake complaints a lower median of 20,661.5 miles.
- Did the airbag issues cause crashes on the 2010 Frontier?
- NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 1 injury tied to the Airbags category out of 19 complaints in that area for the 2010 Frontier.