The Lemon Index2005 Nissan Frontier.
The 2005 Nissan Frontier is about average by owner complaints: 46 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 91, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about fuel system, gasoline, it has 6 recalls, and it gets 16 to 21 mpg combined. The best Nissan Frontier year is 2019.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 532 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Nissan Frontier year. 2005 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 62K to 115K miles on the car (476 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 87K–120K miles
- fuel system, gasoline complaints mostly came at 46K–77K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 80K–120K miles
Recalls 6
- engine 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES.
- suspension 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 A…
- airbags 2008
NISSAN IS RECALLING 242,720 MY 2005-2009 PATHFINDER, FRONTIER AND XTERRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS…
Show all 6 recalls
- equipment 2007
CERTAIN HOPKINS AFTERMARKET TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL CONNECTION HARNESSES SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODELS OF NISSAN VEHICLES WHICH ARE LISTED ABOVE.
- lights 2006
CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- fuel system, gasoline 2006
ON CERTAIN KING CAB TRUCKS, IN A SEVERE SIDE IMPACT CRASH, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT DEFORMATION OF THE VEHICLE'S BODY COULD CAUSE THE FUEL FILLER CAP TETHER TO BE STRETCHED TO THE POINT OF UNSCREWING THE FUEL FILLER C…
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Nissan told dealers about
Nissan sent dealers 109 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Rear axle seal leaks
- IF YOU CONFIRM A refrigerant leak at a refrigerant pipe/hose joint location
- The MIL is ON with DTC P0448 (EVAP canister vent control valve close) stored in the ECM
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedTransmission failures2012–2016
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★★ · rollover —
Fuel cost and engines
About $3050–4000 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.5L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
2005 Nissan Frontier nismo 4x4, 4 liter. Check engine illuminated. Intermittent function of fuel gauge , , dtc p0463, same chassis and electrical as Pathfinder. Several similar complaints for Pathfinder.
2005 Nissan Frontier owner · NHTSA complaint 10240131
More owner reports
The drive-shaft pulley broke which broke a belt that disabled power-steering and almost caused an accident when steering became very difficult.
NHTSA complaint 10146547
2005 Nissan Frontier with engineering defects customer states that the universal joint is subject to fail due to rust. *
NHTSA complaint 10195720
Quick answers
Is the 2005 Nissan Frontier reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 91; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Nissan Frontier year by this measure is 2019.
What are the most common 2005 Nissan Frontier problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are fuel system, gasoline (48%), transmission & drivetrain (22%) and body structure (17%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2005 Nissan Frontier have?
6 safety recalls (latest: engine). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Nissan Frontier get?
16 to 21 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Frontier problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 62,000 and 115,000 miles. The middle report was at 90,000 miles, from 476 complaints.
Does the 2005 Nissan Frontier have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 22% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2005 Nissan Frontier cost in fuel a year?
About $3050 to $4000 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2005 Nissan Frontier have?
2.5L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
What Nissan Frontier year is better than the 2005?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2019, 2018 and 2014.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works