Nissan Frontier 4x4

[ski3pin]

Okay, I like to plan ahead............sometime we may replace our current truck and I am researching options.

The Nissan Frontier looks like a good fit for us. I'm asking current Frontier owners to please share an honest critique of your truck, pros, cons, what you would change, and if you would buy again.

Nissan has a place in our hearts as we had a 1963 L320 for three decades.

 

[Squatch]

I don't have a Frontier. But have owned a Titan I liked a lot. My best friend and fishing bud has a 4 door Frontier. It's basically a small Titan. I've been real impressed with it. I prefer the layout to the 'Yota's. Interior is quiet and comfortable. The engine is smooth and powerful. It tows bassboats like they aren't even there. His has over 200k miles on it now and I haven't heard of any real complaints or problems with it. He frequently drives back and forth from Vermont to Louisiana.

Aftermarket support wont be as extensive as with a Taco. But you folks don't seem to get worked up about bolt on's anyway.

I'm sure any spring and shock upgrades for the camper can easily be worked out.

 

[drumwood]

We like our 2008 crew cab long bed V6 2WD with Bobcat shell. Plenty of smooth power. MPG with camper is 18-20 on long trips, so I’m happy with that. It rides fine with Ride Rite air bags and E rated Tires. I haven’t done any off-road, so I can’t speak to that.

Payload rating isn’t great, but I assume you are familiar with that issue on the mid-size trucks. That would be the only reason I would consider a different truck. With the Colorado/Canyon, I might be able to get under (barely) GVWR on short trips. But the Frontier has never felt like it had trouble with the weight or braking.

 

[Josh41]

We have our FWC Fleet Sheel on a 2016 Frontier SV Crew LWB (6ft bed). It hauls great, Mass to Florida, Mass to Glacier NP and back, then down Nashville for the eclipse. Lots of power, cruised fine through the mountains with no problems. Cab is comfortable for family of 3 and sometimes a large dog. This is our second Frontier, our last was a 2012 CC short bed for towing a boat, great truck.

Pros:
Comfortable
Power when needed
Brakes seem fine
Its been made for a long time (2005-present), easy to find rims, caps, tonneaus, etc. on Craigslist.
The parts you will need are available, hitches, air bags, skids etc.
Nisstec has everything you need.
ClubFrontier has all the answers to your questions.

Cons:
Really poor turning radius
Not a lot of after market parts available (might be a pro says my bank account)
Gas mileage is pretty bad, especially once you add AT tires and of course a camper
There is no aftermarket roof rack that attaches to roof without drilling (I think, I am a Yakima guy and there is no Yakima)
Skids, sliders and bumpers are expensive (but available) as there are not a lot of manufactures.

 

[Kokopelli]

I've got a 2007 King Cab Frontier - Nismo (what they call Pro-4X now) package and a 2008 Eagle - both bought new. With BFG KO2 tires and air bags this set up works great for me. Stable, nimble, and not too big a package to use as a daily driver. I take the camper off in the winter, but it is on spring to fall. I wanted the smaller truck for the tighter 4 wheel drive roads we can have in Colorado and Utah. This set up has worked very well for exploring around in these areas, and driving in some places I probably shouldn't have . It is probably over GVWR when packed full, but the handling is fine with the tires and air bags. You could probably do some suspension upgrades, but I haven't felt the need for them. Power is fine over passes, but I tend to drive slower on these to keep the RPM's and gas guzzling down. Does very well in 4WD and 4WD low range. Has lockers on the back which have come in handy.

There's not a lot of extra space for "stuff" with the King Cab, but it keeps the length down, and if you have the mindset of being efficient with your packing and what you bring, it is not an issue. Has worked fine for me and my wife. The "jump seats" in the back are pretty worthless for an adult - it really is a 2 passenger vehicle.

I have not modified the truck/engine in any way and it works fine for us. I have been very happy with this setup, and would do it again.

 

[Rob in MT]

Since 1978 I've owned 6, and never had any problems.

I now have a 2010 crew cab long bed with a 2011 Bobcat simply modified shell. I added an extra leaf and e rated tires. Although I have never had any problems, I've always felt it was a bit heavy for the truck, and feel braking could be an issue. Maybe these issues can be resolved, as I am far from mechanically inclined. I can't imagine any truck this size would not have the same concerns.

Would I do it again? Not sure. I certainly like the reliability and size of the Nissan, and this setup has worked fine, but I do feel I am pushing the safety factor

 

[ski3pin]

I don't have a Frontier. But have owned a Titan I liked a lot. My best friend and fishing bud has a 4 door Frontier. It's basically a small Titan. I've been real impressed with it. I prefer the layout to the 'Yota's. Interior is quiet and comfortable. The engine is smooth and powerful. It tows bassboats like they aren't even there. His has over 200k miles on it now and I haven't heard of any real complaints or problems with it. He frequently drives back and forth from Vermont to Louisiana.

Aftermarket support wont be as extensive as with a Taco. But you folks don't seem to get worked up about bolt on's anyway.

I'm sure any spring and shock upgrades for the camper can easily be worked out.

Squatch, thanks for your observations and comments on your friend's Frontiers. I appreciate the information on the longevity of over 200,000 miles.

Yes, we don't get worked up on aftermarket parts and pretty much don't buy into the term "upgrade". If we're going to pay the asking price for a truck these days, it better do the job out the door or why did I buy it? We're hoping to surprise our niece with helping her buy a house. That's the jar we put our "extra money" into.

 

[ski3pin]

We like our 2008 crew cab long bed V6 2WD with Bobcat shell. Plenty of smooth power. MPG with camper is 18-20 on long trips, so I’m happy with that. It rides fine with Ride Rite air bags and E rated Tires. I haven’t done any off-road, so I can’t speak to that.

Payload rating isn’t great, but I assume you are familiar with that issue on the mid-size trucks. That would be the only reason I would consider a different truck. With the Colorado/Canyon, I might be able to get under (barely) GVWR on short trips. But the Frontier has never felt like it had trouble with the weight or braking.

drumwood, thanks for your observation on your truck, we appreciate it!

 

[ski3pin]

We have our FWC Fleet Sheel on a 2016 Frontier SV Crew LWB (6ft bed). It hauls great, Mass to Florida, Mass to Glacier NP and back, then down Nashville for the eclipse. Lots of power, cruised fine through the mountains with no problems. Cab is comfortable for family of 3 and sometimes a large dog. This is our second Frontier, our last was a 2012 CC short bed for towing a boat, great truck.

Pros:
Comfortable
Power when needed
Brakes seem fine
Its been made for a long time (2005-present), easy to find rims, caps, tonneaus, etc. on Craigslist.
The parts you will need are available, hitches, air bags, skids etc.
Nisstec has everything you need.
ClubFrontier has all the answers to your questions.

Cons:
Really poor turning radius
Not a lot of after market parts available (might be a pro says my bank account)
Gas mileage is pretty bad, especially once you add AT tires and of course a camper
There is no aftermarket roof rack that attaches to roof without drilling (I think, I am a Yakima guy and there is no Yakima)
Skids, sliders and bumpers are expensive (but available) as there are not a lot of manufactures.

Josh41, good input, thank you! Your comment about turning radius was helpful as it got me doing some research. It looks like our current 125" wheelbase Ranger is 43' and a 126" wheelbase Frontier is 43.5', so not much difference.

 

[ski3pin]

I've got a 2007 King Cab Frontier - Nismo (what they call Pro-4X now) package and a 2008 Eagle - both bought new. With BFG KO2 tires and air bags this set up works great for me. Stable, nimble, and not too big a package to use as a daily driver. I take the camper off in the winter, but it is on spring to fall. I wanted the smaller truck for the tighter 4 wheel drive roads we can have in Colorado and Utah. This set up has worked very well for exploring around in these areas, and driving in some places I probably shouldn't have . It is probably over GVWR when packed full, but the handling is fine with the tires and air bags. You could probably do some suspension upgrades, but I haven't felt the need for them. Power is fine over passes, but I tend to drive slower on these to keep the RPM's and gas guzzling down. Does very well in 4WD and 4WD low range. Has lockers on the back which have come in handy.

There's not a lot of extra space for "stuff" with the King Cab, but it keeps the length down, and if you have the mindset of being efficient with your packing and what you bring, it is not an issue. Has worked fine for me and my wife. The "jump seats" in the back are pretty worthless for an adult - it really is a 2 passenger vehicle.

I have not modified the truck/engine in any way and it works fine for us. I have been very happy with this setup, and would do it again.

Kokopelli, thanks for the in depth critique. It looks like we have very similar use of our trucks and campers. We love the size of our truck and camper for it's nimbleness in getting us way from mos everyone else. We would not consider a larger footprint when it comes to replacing our truck. I appreciate the comments on your roads in Colorado. We have driven in Colorado many times. We also do well on not adding more "stuff" to haul about. I appreciate your comments.

 

[ski3pin]

Since 1978 I've owned 6, and never had any problems.

I now have a 2010 crew cab long bed with a 2011 Bobcat simply modified shell. I added an extra leaf and e rated tires. Although I have never had any problems, I've always felt it was a bit heavy for the truck, and feel braking could be an issue. Maybe these issues can be resolved, as I am far from mechanically inclined. I can't imagine any truck this size would not have the same concerns.

Would I do it again? Not sure. I certainly like the reliability and size of the Nissan, and this setup has worked fine, but I do feel I am pushing the safety factor

Rob in MT, thanks for your good insights and your comment about not sure you would do it again.

I am fairly mechanically inclined and do most the work on our truck. That's one reason I'm inclined to keep it. I know it and it has been incredibly reliable now with over 125,000 miles carrying our camper and us to some pretty amazing places. It has done way more than it's share of nasty 4x4 low range roads. We trust it.

So in this exercise of contemplating a replacement, it would have to equal and exceed what we currently have.

 

[PaulT]

We had a 93 Nissan 4wd truck that we put 200k+ miles with little trouble until about 175k when things started needing replacements. Lost a head gasket about 205k & decided fixing it was not a good economic move.

Looking for a replacement as it was both my wife's daily driver and had farm work truck duties. Liz wants another Frontier because a truck should feel like a truck & too many newer ones do not.

One caveat is that while the '93 4 banger had a 4000 lb towing capacity, the manual said towing brakes were required on any trailer exceeding 1000 lbs. Probably says a lot about the brakes. Never had a camper on it, but did carry every bale of hay we could cram on it out of the field that probably exceeded 1500 lbs. for short trips across rough fields, gravel roads & pavement.

Paul

 

[ski3pin]

Liz wants another Frontier because a truck should feel like a truck & too many newer ones do not.

Paul, Liz sounds like the Lady when the conversation turns to trucks.

 

[drumwood]

I remember something else, for those looking at 2005-2010 Frontiers. There is a known issue with secondary timing chain tensioner. The symptom is an engine whine. You can read about it on www.clubfrontier.org. My 2008 had the problem and I knew about when I bought it. The truck was still a good deal even after getting it fixed.

 

[SwissandGerman]

I had a 1995 v6 that I took Mexico to Canada for many years. All over the desert in Utah, the Black Hills, Washington, Colorado, environmental surveying in all places. It did amazing outside of blowing the motor at 63k in Canada (known issue to the Canadians for my year) but I took it to 215k, before selling. I own a titan now but my coworker swears by the Xterra. Basically the same platform. I prefer my titan king cab but have the dents and pin striping to prove it just isn't as nimble or have the same clearance as a frontier. I couldn't see buying one new comparing to the resale of a taco over a frontier. However, with my Titan I bought it for 10k less for the same year tundra with same mileage. Good luck!

 

[ski3pin]

Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences. I appreciate it.

 

[wetcoast]

One issue 2006ish ones have is the radiator transmission cooler leaks causing automatic transmission failures. Make sure to find out if the transmission has been replaced or a fix has been done, I replaced my radiator as PM.

I have an 08 4x4 SE with a Falcon and it has been great. Lots of power and no breakdowns at 100k miles. The limited slip is great, so 4x4 is rarely needed but I have driven a ton of miles in the snow. Great truck.

 

[Squatch]

The tranny leak was also a TSB problem with the Titans. I fixed mine myself. Basically a loose (not strong enough spring clamp) clamp or 2 at the radiator and the hard line that goes to trans. Hard to get to. But a couple of proper screw clamps fixed it fine. Not a huge issue unless neglected. The best fix would be a manual trans in my opinion. I've never been a fan of auto's.

 

[SwissandGerman]

I tried to buy a 2012 pro 4x frontier with a 6 speed but even though I was the first caller and was scheduled to see and buy the day of someone beat me to it. A manual 6 speed would be great

 

[barstool916]

I've taken my Frontier(s) all over North America and I love it. The first was a 2015 which got wrecked and the second and current is a 2017. It's a crew cab, long bed, SV 4x4, with upgraded suspension and air bags. The tires are Cooper AT3s, E load range and just slightly taller than stock (265/75 rather than 70). It's most recent trip was out to the Tuweep campground on the North rim of the Grand Canyon and the Frontier had absolutely no trouble getting there.
I love this truck. It has more than enough power to carry my Eagle, the family, and weeks worth of gear. There has never been an instance where I've wished it was more powerful and I've taken it over dozens of mountain passes both on and off road.