Model year 2026 · Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD

2026 Nissan Frontier: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2026 Nissan Frontier at 18–21 mpg combined across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 11 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

1

EPA combined mpg

18–21

NHTSA overall rating

4/5

Recall file dated Oct 28, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Nissan dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2026 Nissan Frontier recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 1 safety recall for the 2026 Nissan Frontier, newest first.

Latches/locks/linkages: Doors: Latch

NHTSA 26V023000 Reported Jan 20, 2026
Filed by
Nissan North America, Inc. (manufacturer recall no. PD185, PMA61)
Units affected
26,432 (estimate)
Problem
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2025 Altima, Sentra, 2025-2026 Frontier, and 2026 Kicks vehicles. The door strikers may have been improperly welded and break, allowing the door to open while moving. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Risk
A door that opens unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion increases the risk of injury or a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the door strikers, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2026. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 800-647-7261. Nissan's numbers for this recall are PD185 and PMA61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 28, 2026.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2026 Nissan Frontier fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2026 Nissan Frontier EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Frontier 2WD3.8L 6-cylAutomatic 9-speedRear-Wheel DriveRegular19/24/21 mpg$3,200423
Frontier 4WD3.8L 6-cylAutomatic 9-speedPart-time 4-Wheel DriveRegular17/21/19 mpg$3,550479
Frontier 4WD PRO4X3.8L 6-cylAutomatic 9-speedPart-time 4-Wheel DriveRegular16/20/18 mpg$3,700504

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2026 Nissan Frontier crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2026 Nissan Frontier NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2026 NISSAN FRONTIER CREW CAB PU/CC N/A 4WD4 stars3 stars5 stars3 stars20.4%Standard
2026 NISSAN FRONTIER CREW CAB PU/CC N/A RWD4 stars3 stars5 stars3 stars20.4%Standard
2026 NISSAN FRONTIER KING CAB PU/EC N/A 4WDNot ratedNot ratedNot rated3 stars20.4%Standard
2026 NISSAN FRONTIER KING CAB PU/EC N/A RWDNot ratedNot ratedNot rated3 stars20.4%Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2026 Nissan Frontier owner complaints

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Nissan Frontier, most recently on Oct 9, 2026. 0 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2026 Nissan Frontier complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Power train3
Unknown or other2
Electrical system1
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control1
Fuel system, gasoline1
Interior lighting1
Structure1
Structure: Body1
Tires: Tread/belt1

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Nissan Frontier model years

Nissan Frontier by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2027 Frontier18–21 mpg———
2025 Frontier18–21 mpg394/5
2024 Frontier19–21 mpg3224/5
2023 Frontier18–21 mpg1664/5
2022 Frontier19–20 mpg61124/5
2021 Frontier19–20 mpg2204/5
2020 Frontier19–20 mpg2234/5
2019 Frontier17–21 mpg1284/5
2018 Frontier17–21 mpg225—
2017 Frontier17–21 mpg1384/5
2016 Frontier17–21 mpg144—
2015 Frontier17–21 mpg033—

All Nissan Frontier years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2026 Nissan models

2026 Nissan Altima2026 Nissan ARIYA2026 Nissan Armada2026 Nissan Kicks2026 Nissan LEAF2026 Nissan Murano2026 Nissan Pathfinder2026 Nissan Rogue2026 Nissan Sentra2026 Nissan Z

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 28, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Nissan.