Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
16–21 mpgcombined; city 14–19, highway 19–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470–$20,300U.S. average; Ohio $13,820–$18,140 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 64 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Frontier. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
16
2
0
4
Service brakes
12
2
0
0
Power train
9
0
0
0
Electrical system
6
0
1
0
Structure
6
0
0
0
Unknown or other
5
0
0
0
Engine
4
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
4
1
0
0
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Seats
3
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
0
0
9 more parts
Steering
2
0
0
0
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2011 Frontier over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver’s 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 110 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 Frontier, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (23), equipment (20), air bags (12), engine and engine cooling (10), wheels (10).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2011 Frontier.
EPA class: small pickup trucks. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Manual 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
19 / 23 / 21
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 22 / 19
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 20 / 17
Frontier 4-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 20 / 17
Frontier 4-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
14 / 19 / 16
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data