NHTSA has received 17 owner complaints about the 2021 Nissan Frontier, or 3.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.07, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #5 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Nissan models its rate is 90% lower; against other Midsize pickups it is 86% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Limited data: fewer than 30 complaints, so shares and indexes are unstable.
Complaints filed between 2021-08-22 and 2025-10-14. Median delay from incident to filing: 10 days.
17Complaints
3.0Complaints per year on the road
0.07Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
2Recalls
5.9%Share involving a crash or fire
1Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 3.4 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 23.5 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 6 complaints, 90% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (23.5% of complaints), followed by Electrical (23.5%) and Airbags & seat belts (17.6%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 2.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 1 reports (5.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 29 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (35% of incidents). 1 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for this model year. 24% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.07
vs. other Nissan models0.1
vs. other 2021 models0.08
vs. other Midsize pickups0.14
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (6)0.1
My husband and I bought a new truck. My husband pulled the truck into our garage, once in the garage the back tires started to spin out of control, he looked down and saw he had his foot on the brake only, but truck surged forward causing no injuries but have…
Electrical · 2021-10-07 · ODI 11435971 · Crash
I [xxx] purchased the vehicle from daytona, nissan on [xxx] on the morning of [xxx], the airbag light came on. And was flashing.
Electrical · 2025-10-14 · ODI 11693475
When someone is sitting in passenger seat the light for their airbag blinks, is on or off. So we are unsure if the airbag would in fact deploy if we were to be in a collision.
Airbags & seat belts · 2025-07-28 · ODI 11676628
The contact owns a 2021 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted.
Transmission / powertrain · 2025-02-11 · ODI 11641955
Recall R22A1 has not been repaired by the dealership. Riverside Nissan in Rome, GA held the truck for twelve (12) weeks and was unable to repair the truck. They claim the part is not available.
Interior & equipment · 2024-10-16 · ODI 11620251
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 22V671000 · 2022-09-07
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will perform the applicable repairs below, free of charge: Model Year 2020-2022 Frontier vehicles: reprogram Transmission Control Module (TCM) Model Year 2020-2022 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM and Engine Control Module (ECM) Model Year 2023 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM Model Year 2023 Z vehicles: reprogram TCM. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION Campaign 22V457000 · 2022-06-24
Summary: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A2 R22A3.
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2021 Nissan Frontier?
17 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Nissan Frontier, or about 3.0 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2021 Nissan Frontier?
The most common category is Transmission / powertrain, accounting for 23.5% of complaints.
Does the 2021 Nissan Frontier have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 2 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2021 Nissan Frontier still generating complaints?
1 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
How does the 2021 Nissan Frontier compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 17 owner complaints about the 2021 Nissan Frontier, or 3.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.07, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #5 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Nissan models its rate is 90% lower; against other Midsize pickups it is 86% lower.