Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
17–21 mpgcombined; city 15–19, highway 21–23; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470–$19,110U.S. average; Ohio $13,820–$17,070 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 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 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
15
3
0
1
Electrical system
8
1
1
0
Power train
6
0
0
0
Unknown or other
6
0
0
1
Seat belts
5
1
0
1
Engine
4
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
4
1
0
0
Wheels
3
0
0
0
Service brakes
2
1
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Structure
2
1
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
6 more parts
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Trailer hitches
1
0
0
0
Visibility
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 2013 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 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.
Remedy: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 128 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2013 Frontier, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (32), electrical system (30), fuel system (15), engine and engine cooling (13), gasoline (12).
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 2013 Frontier.
EPA class: small pickup trucks. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. 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 / 23 / 19
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 19
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Frontier 4-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Manual 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 21 / 18
Frontier 4-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 5-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
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