2004 Nissan Frontier Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Frontier years
- About as many complaints as other years 13th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Nissan Frontier. That ranks 13th out of 29 Frontier model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (13 complaints, 20%), typically at around 72,500 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 3 fires, 5 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
_Pro-4X_Automesse_Ludwigsburg_2022_1X7A5885.jpg){kind=link}
- 66owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Nissan Frontier problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 13 | 20% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 7 | 11% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 11% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 11% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 6 | 9% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 9% | 63,950 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 9% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 5 | 8% | 78,450 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 6% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 6% | 45,694 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 5% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 5% | 3,900 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 5% | 12,550 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 5% | 164,387 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 3% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 3% | 104,725 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 3% | 139,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 3% | 109,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 2% | 2,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 2% | 26,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Nissan Frontier recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:column
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 frontier vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001 through october 20, 2004, and model year 2002-2004, xterra vehicles manufactured from july 9, 2001, through january 6, 2005. Over time corrosion may form in the lower steering column joint and limit movement of the joint. The limited movement of this joint may create excessive load on the lower steering column shaft. If the vehicle continues to be driven in this condition, it may lead to cracking of the shaft during low speed maneuvers that require large steering inputs.
Risk: The shaft may break which could result in loss of steering control during these low speed maneuvers increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The steering column shaft and joint will be replaced with a shaft of a different design. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall began on december 13, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
ROBBINS Nissan in Humble, KD service advisor - REFUSED RECALL SERVICE - saying he needs a customer phone number! No phone no service. Is there a law in this country requiring every citizen to have a phone, by force? Is this China already?
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while parked, the contact pulled the cable release for the parking brake and the bracket under the parking brake detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer stated that the manufacturer no longer manufactured…
This is the first major safety incident with a stuck and wide-open throttle. I just started from a left hand turned at a stop light. I noticed the 2004 Nissan Frontier pickup truck began to increase its speed without any extra pressure applied to the gas pedal. I applied the brakes to slow down the…
This vehicle suddenly starts to accelerate on its own like it's in cruise control only it's not and I'm not pressing the gas pedal. It would go well only a 100 if I let it and applying the brakes does nothing. The only way of stopping the vehicle is to put it in neutral and one time that didn't…
Dealer sold a vehicle as a florida 2 owner vehicle. I did another carfax on it after i made the purchase to discover dealer sold it to someone in tn and they titled it. Then they returned it. Dealer sold it to me without having title on hand. Vehicle was shipped and dropped off at my house without…
Other Nissan Frontier years
← 2003 Frontier · 2005 Frontier →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Frontier | 11 | 1 |
| 2025 Frontier | 9 | 3 |
| 2024 Frontier | 22 | 3 |
| 2023 Frontier | 66 | 1 |
| 2022 Frontier | 112 | 6 |
| 2021 Frontier | 20 | 2 |
| 2020 Frontier | 23 | 2 |
| 2019 Frontier | 28 | 1 |
| 2018 Frontier | 25 | 2 |
| 2017 Frontier | 38 | 1 |
| 2016 Frontier | 43 | 1 |
| 2015 Frontier | 33 | 0 |
| 2014 Frontier | 42 | 2 |
| 2013 Frontier | 48 | 1 |
| 2012 Frontier | 79 | 3 |
| 2011 Frontier | 64 | 1 |
| 2010 Frontier | 59 | 4 |
| 2009 Frontier | 37 | 3 |
| 2008 Frontier | 136 | 5 |
| 2007 Frontier | 520 | 1 |
| 2006 Frontier | 617 | 4 |
| 2005 Frontier | 532 | 3 |
| 2004 | 66 | 1 |
| 2003 Frontier | 77 | 4 |
| 2002 Frontier | 124 | 4 |
| 2001 Frontier | 134 | 3 |
| 2000 Frontier | 189 | 3 |
| 1999 Frontier | 78 | 2 |
| 1998 Frontier | 129 | 2 |
See all Nissan Frontier problems by year, every Nissan model, or the Nissan VIN decoder.
Similar Nissan models
Embed this 2004 Nissan Frontier badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Nissan Frontier?
Owners most often report power train, fuel system, gasoline, steering problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 13 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Nissan Frontier?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Nissan Frontier a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Frontier model years, the 2004 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.