Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
18–21 mpgcombined; city 16–18, highway 21–24; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$15,470–$18,050U.S. average; Ohio $13,820–$16,120 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
NHTSA's VIN data lists no trims for the 2023 Frontier, so these are the versions EPA tested, by its names. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 66 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 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
Electrical system
30
1
1
1
Service brakes
15
2
0
1
Engine
13
1
1
1
Forward collision avoidance
13
2
0
0
Power train
13
0
0
0
Unknown or other
9
0
2
0
Vehicle speed control
9
2
0
1
Steering
6
0
0
0
Seats
4
0
0
0
Structure
3
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
3 more parts
Latches/locks/linkages
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 2023 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 2023 Titan and Frontier vehicles. The tires may have a tear in the inner bead which can cause a rapid loss of tire pressure.
Risk: A rapid loss of tire pressure while driving can lead to a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace all four road tires, or inspect and replace the spare tire assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 10, 2023. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is PC973 and PC974.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 82 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2023 Frontier, the latest on Apr 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (43), equipment (13), structure (11), power train (9), exterior lighting (5).
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 2023 Frontier.
EPA class: standard pickup trucks. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4 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
3.8 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S9)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 21
Frontier Rear-Wheel Drive
3.8 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S9)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Frontier Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.8 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S9)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 22 / 20
Frontier Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.8 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S9)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 21 / 19
Frontier PRO4X Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.8 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S9)
Regular Gasoline
17 / 21 / 19
Frontier PRO4X Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
3.8 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S9)
Regular Gasoline
16 / 21 / 18
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