2009 Nissan Frontier Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Frontier years
- Fewer complaints than other years 21st of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 37 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Nissan Frontier. That ranks 21st out of 29 Frontier model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (9 complaints, 24%), typically at around 116,750 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 37owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 9 | 24% | 116,750 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 22% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 11% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 11% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 8% | 1,100 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 8% | 67,709 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 5% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 5% | 41,618 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 5% | 44,100 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 5% | 63,618 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 3% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 3% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 3% | 60,097 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 3% | 85 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% | 1,100 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2009 Nissan Frontier recalls (3)
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.
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2009 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 time for the recall repair. The contact…
Airbag warning light blinking and won't go off. Was not able to reset. Diagnostic Code 12.
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the vehicle overheated and shut off. The failure occurred while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that it took a while for the vehicle to regain full power. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle had to…
My airbag warning light is on. My mechanic noticed a recall, campaign id r0807, but the recall only affects vehicles registered in 'salt' states. I live in va but traveled extensively in pa, maryland, dc for work for many years. Since my vehicle is experiencing the failure that the recall was…
My airbag light is flashing and the front air bag crash zone sensor needs to be replaced. There is a recall in effect, but only for vehicles in 'salt' states. My vehicle is registered in va, but i traveled in pa, md, and dc for several years for work, so my vehicle should be covered on the existing…
Other Nissan Frontier years
← 2008 Frontier · 2010 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 | 37 | 3 |
| 2008 Frontier | 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 2009 Nissan Frontier?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, fuel system, gasoline problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 9 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2009 Nissan Frontier?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2009 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 2009 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.