2012 Nissan Frontier Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Frontier years
- More complaints than other years 10th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Nissan Frontier. That ranks 10th out of 29 Frontier model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (23 complaints, 29%), typically at around 46,250 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 8 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 79owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 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 | 23 | 29% | 46,250 | — | — |
| Power Train | 20 | 25% | 32,215 | — | — |
| Engine | 13 | 16% | 25,012 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 11% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 7 | 9% | 27,600 | — | — |
| Structure | 7 | 9% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 6% | 70,167 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 6% | 77,961 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 4% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 3% | 33,279 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 3% | 39,111 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 179,002 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 95,069 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 72,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Nissan Frontier recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers
Problem: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012 through 2014 Frontier vehicles manufactured from November 28, 2012, through December 17, 2013. In the affected vehicles, a circuit breaker may have been installed incorrectly causing the main wire harness connected to the circuit breaker to face outward, potentially contacting a metal bolt located on the A-pillar.
Risk: The bolt may wear through the wire harness covering, resulting in an electrical short which could cause a fire.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the circuit breaker orientation. If the circuit breaker orientation is incorrect, dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on March 17, 2014. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Suspension:front:hub
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2012 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra two-wheel drive vehicles manufactured from June 19, 2012, through July 12, 2012. These vehicles may have been equipped with front wheel hubs that may not meet the design hardness specifications. A wheel hub that was manufactured below hardness specification may wear prematurely and eventually crack.
Risk: If the vehicle is driven in this condition, the wheel hub may break, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replaced the left and right side front wheel hub assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on October 22, 2012. Owners may contact Nissan Customer Service at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: Nissan is recalling certain model year 2011 infiniti fx, model year 2012 infiniti m, model year 2011-2012 nissan frontier, model year 2011-2012 nissan xterra, model year 2011-2012 nissan pathfinder, and model year 2012 nissan nv vehicles. Some of the bolts that connect the engine oil cooler and the engine oil filter to the engine in these vehicles may have been manufactured to below specification strength. As a result, the bolt may break at the oil filter attachment point and can cause an engine oil leak.
Risk: If there is an engine oil leak, the engine oil pressure would drop and the engine could seize, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the connector bolts free of charge. The safety recall began on january 30, 2012. 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.
1. Frequent repeated multiple breakdown and damages to all and any MAF sensors, camshaft position sensors bank 2, VVT solenoid sensors as cause of short circuited and fire hazard high risk of IPDM and main loom wiring harnesses from careless, dangerous severe defective…
I was sold the 2012 Nissan Frontier SL from Lynne's Nissan City in Bloomfield, NJ being told it was a safe vehicle and passed their inspection. After bringing it to my mechanic I was informed the frame was so rusted it was unsafe to drive. They are now trying to resell the vehicle not disclosing…
CD player will not play any CD's and my CD's are stuck inside. The radio only works intermittently and you can hear a sound like there is an electrical connection problem somewhere. This problem started about 2 months ago. I am presently in Florida and have a long drive home back to Pennsylvania…
The contact owns a 2012 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the steering was difficult to turn. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and stopped the…
We were told about the recall, never got a recall letter in the mail. When we went to Nissan, they said they couldnât help us if only we had the recall letter.
Other Nissan Frontier years
← 2011 Frontier · 2013 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 | 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 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.
Similar Nissan models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Nissan Frontier?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 23 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Nissan Frontier?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 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 2012 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.