2008 Nissan Frontier Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Frontier years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Nissan Frontier. That ranks 5th out of 29 Frontier model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (54 complaints, 40%), typically at around 95,500 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 136owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 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 problems | 54 | 40% | 95,500 | “transmission fluid” (22%) | $7,050 |
| Engine | 26 | 19% | 84,606 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 15% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 13 | 10% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 13 | 10% | 58,938 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 7% | 4,844 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 7% | 87,390 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 4% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% | 87,085 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 9,505 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 2% | 136,911 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 45,123 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 44,293 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 192,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 108,945 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 1% | 50,249 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1% | 10 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 97,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 32,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Nissan Frontier recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tank
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2006 and model year 2008 frontier, xterra and pathfinder vehicles. The molded fuel tank shells can deform, causing the fuel sender float arm to contact an embossment molded into the tank shell causing the instrument panel fuel gauge to show that the vehicle has approximately one quarter tank when the fuel tank is empty.
Risk: This could cause the vehicle to run out of gas and stall in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit inside the fuel tank with a new one that has a modified float arm. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before march 22, 2010. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Nissan is recalling 242,720 my 2005-2009 pathfinder, frontier and xterra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. In those areas of the country which use heavy concentrations of road salt in the winter, a mixture of snow/water and salt can enter into the front crash zone sensor (czs) housing. If this occurs, the czs may internally rust resulting in a signal interruption. If this happens, the red air bag warning light will illuminate to alert the vehicle operator.
Risk: This issue could result in the non-deployment of the driver and passenger front air bags in a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front czs with a redesigned sensor. The recall began on january 26, 2009. Owners in the other states will receive extended warranty coverage for the sensor to 10 years. These owners will be notified of the warranty extension by mail and will receive a sticker to place in their warranty booklet explaining the extended warranty coverage. Owners may contact nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Nissan is recalling 5,523 my 2008 titan, frontier and xterra vehicles for failing to comply to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, 'tire selection and rims for motor vehicles.' the tire placard lists an incorrect vehicle capacity weight.
Risk: This standard specifies requirements for tire selection to prevent overloading.
Fix: Nissan will mail a correct tire placard and installation instructions to owners of the affected vehicles. The recall began on february 25, 2008. 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Transmission Failures (DP12004) — opened Jun 11, 2012, closed Oct 22, 2016.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
While driving the vehicle and the fuel gauge reading 1/4 tank, without any prior notification such as a "low fuel" light thw car shut off on the highway, the vehicle ran out of gas. This has happened 3 times. Upon researching there is a known recall for this vehicle that exhibits these exact…
Saw that there was an airbag item recall (NHTSA I.D.: 08V69000) for my vehicle. Airbag warning light is on. However, dealer says, "No open campaigns" and vehicle is out of the warranty period.
The contact owned a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the driver's side air bag suddenly deployed without an impact. As a result, the contact swerved into a drainage ditch, and the vehicle flipped completely over on its top. A police report was filed, and…
The contact owns a 2008 Nissan Frontier. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V067000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
the calipers in this kit have seized and been replaced (fronts 7/22,rears3/23) the front calipers have seized again 8/23. there is something wrong with these calipers and a potential for crash/injury situation, as a break components this reliability is unacceptable and potential dangerous. I feel…
Other Nissan Frontier years
← 2007 Frontier · 2009 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 | 136 | 5 |
| 2007 Frontier | 520 | 1 |
| 2006 Frontier | 617 | 4 |
| 2005 Frontier | 532 | 3 |
| 2004 Frontier | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Nissan Frontier?
Owners most often report power train, engine, air bags problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 54 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Nissan Frontier?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 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 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.