2013 Nissan Frontier

Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.

73/100

Worth a look

AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.

What owners actually report

Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Nissan Frontier, and it carries 1 recall. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.

Complaints by area, from NHTSA records for this model-year
Area	Complaints	Share
Air bags	8	17%
Electrical system	6	13%
Engine	4	8%
Power train	4	8%
Vehicle speed control	4	8%
Power train	2	4%
Wheels	2	4%
Seat belts	2	4%
Electrical system	1	2%
Steering	1	2%

In owners' own words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.

The contact owns a 2013 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the air bag sensor located in fron
NHTSA complaint: Air bags

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Nissan Frontier. The vehicle was purchased in a private sale. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 98,107
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system

Air bag light will not go off. Afraid will deploy. Dealer no problem just censor. Did not have part to fix.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags

In Summer 2023 driving on uneven country road in Upstate New York hit a pothole and my airbag warning light came on. Then started to flash. Truck is still drivable BUT now The seatbelts no longer lock in place during a
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system

I felt like I was loosing control of my steering it was so scary I took my car to the closest service place which was Meineke which was 3 months ago well the same problem is back with my steering wheel and definitely is
NHTSA complaint: Steering

This is an intermittent problem sometimes this problem will happen as far apart as a month, Then for two days then go away. When accelerating the truck will starting bucking, not getting to enough fuel, this will somet
NHTSA complaint: Engine

My daughter backed out of our driveway, put the truck in reverse. She was then unable to put the truck into drive. It got stuck in the middle of the street. Thankfully we live on a quite street with not much traffic duri
NHTSA complaint: Power train

On a dark road going 40MPH I hit a large deer on Oct 7. The front end of my truck was damaged. Air bag went off but never inflated, and I smelled smoke briefly. I was able to drive home and in the morning I noted the
NHTSA complaint: Air bags

Recalls on record

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2013 Nissan Frontier. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.

Electrical system:wiring:fuses and circuit breakers 14V052000

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 circ

Risk: The bolt may wear through the wire harness covering, resulting in an electrical short which could cause a fire.

Fix: 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 bega

The seven scores

Reliability raw	75	good
Longevity est.	75	good
Maintenance	83	excellent
Depreciation	80	excellent
Performance	71	good
Efficiency	33	below average

How it compares in its class

Percentile ranks against other pickup trucks in the catalog.

Reliability: better than 38% of pickup trucks
Longevity: better than 42% of pickup trucks
Running costs: better than 89% of pickup trucks
Value retention: better than 61% of pickup trucks

Which of these numbers are measured

What stands behind each score for this car:

Reliability 75: from NHTSA recalls and complaints. This one is a raw count: we do not have a sales figure for this model, so a high-volume car looks worse here than it should.
Longevity 75: an estimate from powertrain and brand record. No 200,000-mile population exists for a 2013 car yet, so this is a prior, not evidence.
Maintenance 83: repair-cost data where we have it for this model, otherwise a mechanical-complexity estimate from engine size, cylinder count and drivetrain.
Safety: no score. NHTSA crash testing thins out for older vehicles and we would rather show nothing than guess.

Common questions

What goes wrong with the 2013 Nissan Frontier?

Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 8 of them (17%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.

Is the 2013 Nissan Frontier reliable?

AVOIR scores its reliability 75/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.

How long will a 2013 Nissan Frontier last?

AVOIR scores its longevity 75/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2013 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.

Should I buy a 2013 Nissan Frontier?

AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 73/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.

Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.