2006 Nissan Frontier Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 220 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2006 Nissan Frontier, 36% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 103,100 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission fluid” (24% of reports).
- 220power train complaints
- 103,100median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $6,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 29%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 fluid: mentioned in 52 of 220 complaints (24%)
- Radiator coolant: mentioned in 18 of 220 complaints (8%)
- Class action: mentioned in 12 of 220 complaints (5%)
- Rear axle: mentioned in 11 of 220 complaints (5%)
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 2006 Nissan Frontier at $6,000, and half of them between $1,750 and $7,300.
Based on 24 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2019), 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 209 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 220 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 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 2006 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.
2 months after purchasing the vehicle (with 98,410 miles) it started to shutter around 40 and 60 mph. At a little over 100,000 miles it began to slip in 5th gear (overdrive). It has been getting worse in the last 1,000s. Both Nissan or the local dealer are willing to offer any financial assistance.
I was at work, Which is 100% depended on my vehicle, as I work in the oilfield, I was out in the middle of nowhere, when I was getting back into my vehicle, I turned the key and the vehicle would not even turnover, I was forced to walk 5 miles to get to a job site that cell phone service to make a…
On 2/2/2019, i took my vehicle to aamco transmissions to have my transmission checked, because prior to this date i was experiencing alot of jerking and other issues, especially on the highway. After aamco techs looked over my transmission, i was contacted & informed that i had a defective radiator…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2006 Nissan Frontiers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 220 owner complaints about power train for the 2006 Nissan Frontier (36% of the 617 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 2006 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 103,100 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2006 Nissan Frontier?
Owners report a typical cost of $6,000 (half paid between $1,750 and $7,300), from 24 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2006 Nissan Frontier?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission fluid”, in 52 of 220 complaints, followed by “radiator coolant” (18).
Other 2006 Nissan Frontier problems
See all 2006 Nissan Frontier problems or power train problems across all Frontier years.