2005 Nissan Frontier Problems: 13 Known Issues

On the 2005-2019 Nissan Frontier VQ40DE 4.0L V6, owners discuss low oil pressure at warm idle on VQ40DE engines and suspect the rear timing-cover oil-gallery seals. The available accounts do not establish that this is the cause on every truck. It affects second-generation Frontiers with the 4.0L VQ40DE. Owner discussions do not show that this is a common defect on every truck or in any particular year.

On the 2005-2010 Nissan Frontier VQ40DE 4.0L V6, a high-frequency buzzing or whining noise can come from the secondary timing chain system, rising in pitch with engine speed. It affects 2005-2010 Frontier (D40) trucks with the VQ40 4.0L V6; the bulletin also covers 2005-2010 Xterra and Pathfinder with the VQ40. It does not cover 2011-2019 Frontiers or the 2.5L four-cylinder.

On the 2005-2021 Nissan Frontier, owners report frame rust on second-generation Frontiers. A 2011 owner reports rear-frame perforation; a discussion about a 2016 King Cab describes rust that replies judged mainly superficial. These reports do not establish how often structural damage occurs. The cited accounts concern 2011 and 2016 second-generation (D40) trucks.

On the 2005-2006 Nissan Frontier, nissan's 10V517000 recall reaches the 2005 and 2006 Frontier pickup. At issue is the ECM relay contained in the Frontier's Intelligent Power Distribution Module assembly. The relay's diode uses a silicon molding to reduce electrical current noise, but Nissan found the relay may allow silicon vapor to form; as silicon evaporates from that molding, arcing deposits silicon oxide on the relay contact. According to Nissan, this can cause the engine to stall — the reason the campaign was filed as a safety recall rather than a service bulletin. Note that the 747,480 units listed apply to the campaign as a whole, which spans several Nissan and Infiniti models.

On the 2005-2019 Nissan Frontier, a 2005 Frontier owner reports the five-speed automatic not shifting into higher gears after a period parked. The owner reports that a speed-sensor replacement did not help and that a later used-transmission replacement resolved the complaint. This does not establish which internal part was faulty. It affects only D40 Frontiers with the RE5R05A five-speed automatic, not the nine-speed automatic or a manual transmission. Another cited discussion concerns a 2007 truck.

On the 2005-2009 Nissan Frontier, in areas that use heavy road salt, a mixture of snow, water and salt can enter the front crash zone sensor housing during continuous driving on salted roads. The sensor may rust internally and interrupt its signal, lighting the red air bag warning light; this could result in the driver and passenger front air bags not deploying in a crash. It affects 2005-2009 Frontier (D40) trucks built from June 2004 to November 19, 2008, so only 2009 trucks built before that date are included; trucks built later have a countermeasure sensor. The recall replacement applied to trucks registered in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and the District of Columbia when the campaign launched. Owners in other states instead got a 10-year sensor warranty extension for corrosion, which has now expired for these model years. The same recall covers Pathfinder and Xterra. Only a Nissan dealer can confirm by VIN.

On the 2005-2010 Nissan Frontier, on a small percentage of trucks, an internal crack can develop in the automatic-transmission oil cooler tube inside the radiator, letting engine coolant leak internally. Nissan's extension covered damage this leak caused to other components, including the transmission. It affects all 2005-2010 Frontier (D40) trucks with an automatic transmission; the same notice covers 2005-2010 Pathfinder and Xterra. Manual-transmission trucks are not included.

On the 2005-2019 Nissan Frontier VQ40DE 4.0L V6, owners of second-generation Frontiers with the 4.0L V6 report a check-engine light with P0420 (bank 1) or P0430 (bank 2). These codes mean the engine computer sees the downstream oxygen sensor reading too much like the upstream one, which suggests the converter is not cleaning the exhaust well enough. That reading does not prove the converter itself has failed. In an archived 2005 Frontier discussion, both codes stayed after an idle relearn fixed a separate high-idle problem. A 2008 owner reports P0420 coming back after earlier repairs. On a related Nissan, a 2006 Xterra owner still had both codes after replacing the O2 sensors and one converter. Replies in that thread suggested checking for an exhaust leak or cracked exhaust headers.

On the 2005-2019 Nissan Frontier, a 2016 PRO-4X owner reports a gauge dropping soon after filling and reading empty with fuel believed to remain. A 2017 owner reports a reading above full. These reports do not confirm the sender as the cause on another truck. Both accounts concern second-generation (D40) Frontiers.

On the 2005-2021 Nissan Frontier, a 2012 PRO-4X owner reports a flashing 4LO display without the requested engagement. Other second-generation owners report trouble selecting four-wheel drive. These reports do not identify one common failed actuator or switch. It affects only second-generation D40 Frontier 4x4 trucks, not two-wheel-drive trucks or the 2022-and-later generation.

On the 2005-2021 Nissan Frontier, frontier owners report the ABS, SLIP and VDC OFF warning lights coming on together. Most of these accounts come from 2011 PRO-4X and SV 4x4 trucks. Two 2008 owners also reported ABS light trouble. One said the ABS light came on and off between drives. The other said the ABS light came on after wheel hub, rotor and pad work, and came back with the SLIP light within about a day of cleaning the connectors and clearing the code. Nissan's bulletin NTB10-102a covers 2007-2013 Nissan vehicles with ABS/VDC and wheel-speed sensor codes. It lists these causes to check: a damaged sensor, bent, corroded or contaminated connector pins, a harness short, a dirty or damaged sensor tip, a contaminated or damaged tone ring, a damaged or loose wheel bearing, and wrong tire pressure or tire wear. Its last step is the ABS actuator unit itself. The bulletin notes that contamination on the tone ring can cause intermittent errors. The warning lights alone do not prove which part has failed. In the 2008 case, the owner replaced the ABS wires and later the camshaft and crankshaft sensors, and the lights still came back. The listed years run wider than the reports. The reports cited here come from 2008 and 2011 trucks, and the bulletin covers 2007-2013, so not every listed year has a confirmed case.

On the 2005-2021 Nissan Frontier, owners of 2015 and 2016 dual-zone Frontiers report one side blowing hot or cold while the other responds to the setting. One 2016 owner reports that replacing an actuator did not resolve the complaint, and later testing suggested the part replaced was the driver-side actuator rather than the passenger-side one. It affects only trucks with dual-zone climate control. The cited reports concern 2015 and 2016 Frontiers with the 4.0L V6.

On the 2005-2021 Nissan Frontier, owners of 2008 and 2014 Frontiers report flattened rear leaf springs or a low rear ride height. These accounts do not establish a spring defect or one suitable suspension modification for every truck. Both reports concern second-generation (D40) Frontiers.