2005 Nissan Frontier Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 262 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2005 Nissan Frontier, 49% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 102,118 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission radiator” (16% of reports).
- 262power train complaints
- 102,118median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $6,950typical repair cost reported by owners
- 45%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission radiator: mentioned in 42 of 262 complaints (16%)
- Took truck: mentioned in 15 of 262 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2005 Nissan Frontier at $6,950, and half of them between $4,300 and $8,450.
Based on 27 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2017), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 240 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 262 complaints, 3 a fire.
Nissan Frontier power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Frontier | 3 | 27% | — |
| 2025 Frontier | 2 | 22% | — |
| 2024 Frontier | 6 | 27% | — |
| 2023 Frontier | 13 | 20% | 24,500 |
| 2022 Frontier | 24 | 21% | 598 |
| 2021 Frontier | 5 | 25% | 99,172 |
| 2020 Frontier | 12 | 52% | 28,000 |
| 2019 Frontier | 7 | 25% | 9,337 |
| 2018 Frontier | 2 | 8% | 16,000 |
| 2017 Frontier | 6 | 16% | 4,200 |
| 2016 Frontier | 3 | 7% | 35,000 |
| 2015 Frontier | 5 | 15% | 20,000 |
| 2014 Frontier | 6 | 14% | 17,250 |
| 2013 Frontier | 6 | 13% | 30,801 |
| 2012 Frontier | 20 | 25% | 32,215 |
| 2011 Frontier | 9 | 14% | 54,000 |
| 2010 Frontier | 15 | 25% | 54,319 |
| 2009 Frontier | 8 | 22% | 96,000 |
| 2008 Frontier | 54 | 40% | 95,500 |
| 2007 Frontier | 222 | 43% | 108,000 |
| 2006 Frontier | 220 | 36% | 103,100 |
| 2005 Frontier | 262 | 49% | 102,118 |
| 2004 Frontier | 13 | 20% | 72,500 |
| 2003 Frontier | 7 | 9% | 56,000 |
| 2002 Frontier | 7 | 6% | 121,750 |
| 2001 Frontier | 8 | 6% | 125,000 |
| 2000 Frontier | 26 | 14% | 119,179 |
| 1999 Frontier | 12 | 15% | 60,078 |
| 1998 Frontier | 9 | 7% | 110,323 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2005 Nissan Frontier. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The truck loss power stalling,shuddering, bucking, want pick up speed even when excellerating, slow take off, loss of speed
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle came to a complete stop and then hesitated to accelerate. Additionally, a burning odor was detected. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with transmission and radiator failure. The…
The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. There was no warning light before or after the failure. The vehicle was towed by an independent mechanic. The mechanic performed a diagnostic test and found that coolant had leaked…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Nissan Frontiers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 262 owner complaints about power train for the 2005 Nissan Frontier (49% of the 532 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Nissan Frontier power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 102,118 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2005 Nissan Frontier?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,950 (half paid between $4,300 and $8,450), from 27 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2005 Nissan Frontier?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission radiator”, in 42 of 262 complaints, followed by “took truck” (15).
Other 2005 Nissan Frontier problems
See all 2005 Nissan Frontier problems or power train problems across all Frontier years.