The Lemon Index2006 Nissan Frontier.
The 2006 Nissan Frontier is worse than average by owner complaints: 81 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 150, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about fuel system, gasoline, it has 7 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 617 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Nissan Frontier year. 2006 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 48K to 110K miles on the car (554 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 85K–127K miles
- fuel system, gasoline complaints mostly came at 41K–75K miles
- engine complaints mostly came at 85K–130K miles
Recalls 7
- 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…
- fuel system, gasoline 2010
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND MODEL YEAR 2008 FRONTIER, XTERRA AND PATHFINDER VEHICLES.
Show all 7 recalls
- 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…
- 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 99 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Front suspension noise
- SERVICE INFORMATION When diagnosing possible power steering gear (rack and pinion steering…
- SERVICE INFORMATION - This bulletin is to assist you in responding to customer questions about…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedFuel smell and loss of motive power2026
- 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
2006 Nissan Frontier has a faulty fuel level sensor and the gas gauge works sporadically. This could cause the vehicle to run out of fuel and shut down and possibly cause a crash.
2006 Nissan Frontier owner · NHTSA complaint 10267760
More owner reports
With 41,000 miles my 2006 Nissan Frontier is giving me an incorrect gas gauge reading. Apparently this is a common issue with Nissan that they are not addressing.
NHTSA complaint 10260210
Fuel level indicator will not respond after fill up. Then the check engine light came on. Code registered is p0463. Indicates fuel level indicator defective.
NHTSA complaint 10246505
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Nissan Frontier reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.5× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 150; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Nissan Frontier year by this measure is 2019.
What are the most common 2006 Nissan Frontier problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are fuel system, gasoline (51%), steering (11%) and airbags (9%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Nissan Frontier have?
7 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 2006 Nissan Frontier get?
16 to 21 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Nissan Frontier problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 48,800 and 110,200 miles. The middle report was at 80,000 miles, from 554 complaints.
Does the 2006 Nissan Frontier have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 6% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2006 Nissan Frontier cost in fuel a year?
About $3050 to $4000 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Nissan Frontier have?
2.5L 4-cyl, 4.0L 6-cyl.
What Nissan Frontier year is better than the 2006?
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