2001 Nissan Frontier Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
SEVERAL WEB SITES I HAVE READ INDICATE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE/EXHAUST ACCUMULATION OF WATER VIA THE LEAKAGE IN WATER LINES AND/OR FAULTY MANUFACTURING HEADS/ENGINE SYSTEM. MY VEHICLE ACCUMULATED WATER IN ONE OF THE PISTON (4-5), AND PERHAPS WARPED THE ALUM HEADS OR MAYBE BLOWN GASKET. IF REPAIRED WILL THIS PROBLEM PERSIST, AND WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE WITH EITHER MANUFACTURE OR USED CAR DEALER (BOUGHT IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS). *TR
REF CASE: NTB03-048A MY CAR HAS THE SAME ISSUE EXCEPT MY TRUCK IS 2001. *TR
LEAKING EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING NOISE AND FUMES TO ENTER CAB OF TRUCK AND MAKING ME SICK. COST TO REPAIR ALMOST $800. *NM
BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLDS CRACKED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM
CAR WITH 55,000 OVERHEATS & SHUT DOWN ON FREEWAY. WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP, 3 WEEKS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. TWO DAYS AFTER RECEIVING IT BACK FROM THE REPAIR SHOP, CAR OVERHEATS AGAIN. CRACKED MANIFOLD WAS ALSO DISCOVERED. *JB
EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED DUE TO MANIFOLD IS MADE OF ONE TYPE OF METAL, AND ENGINE BLOCK IS ANOTHER TYPE. THESE TWO METALS HEAT/COOL AT DIFFERENT RATES CAUSING UNDUE STRESS ON MANIFOLD. AS A RESULT THE MANIFOLD HAS CRACKED, ALLOWING TOXIC FUMES TO ENTER VEHICLE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *JB
I OWN A NISSAN FRONTIER SE V-6 3.3 4X4, ALL IS ORIGINAL AS PURCHASED, AT APPROXIMATELY 75,000 MILES, THIS WINTER I HAVE DEVELOPED A LOUD TICKING NOISE UPON COLD START UP, AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL WARMED UP IT SUBSIDES AND RETURNS UPON COLD START UP. *NM
CONSUMER SMELLED FUMES COMING INTO THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THE RIGHT MANIFOLD EXHAUST WAS DEFECTIVE. THE WARRANTY COMPANY STATED, NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MANUFACTURER STATED NO COMPLAINTS RECEIVED.*AK
2/25/05 I PURCHASED A USED NISSAN FRONITER SC '01. ONE WEEK LATER THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT APPEARED. A NISSAN TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE OXYGEN SENSORS NOT PROVIDING FEEDBACK DUE TO CONDENSATION IN THE WIRE HARNESSES. THE TECH. TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN HE FOUND STATING THAT THE WIRE HARNESSES IN THAT YEAR FRONTIER WERE FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND REPLACED WITH UPDATED HARNESSES, WHICH I WOULD HAVE TO BUY ALONG WITH FOUR SENSORS, TO FIX MY PROBLEM. THE COST IN PARTS WAS $965 AND LABOR IS ESTIMATED AT $880. NISSAN WILL NOT EVEN PAY FOR PARTIAL PARTS EVEN THOUGH THEY ADMIT IT IS FAULTY PRODUCT. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM TO COMPLAIN WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT AND NOW THEY WILL NOT RETURN MY CALLS.*AK
I BOUGHT A 2001 NISSAN FRONTIER 27,000 MILES ON IT SOON AFTERWARDS SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON, DEALER REPLACED CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SINCE THEN LIGHT CONSTANTLY COMES ON NOW HAVE 128,000 MILES ON TRUCK THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FROM THE GET GO. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR WAS CHANGED AROUND 50,000 MILES WOULD THERE BE ANY WARRANTY ON THE NEW UNIT?*JB
WHILE DOING SOME PERSONAL MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THERE WAS OIL LEAKING FROM THE OIL PAN. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THREE DEALERS TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. ONE DEALER REPLACED THE REAR MAIN SEAL FOR THE POWER TRAIN. THE SEAL HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND IS LEAKING AGAIN. *AK
CONSUMER NOTICED FOR 3 1/2 YEARS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TECHNICIAN DETERMINE DPROBLEM WAS DUE TO GAS CAP. *AK
I BOUGHT THE 2001 FRONTIER BRAND NEW WITH ONLY 10 OR 20 MILES ON IT. SINCE THEN I'VE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 8 TIMES FOR THE A/C (THATS RIGHT 8 TIMES). EACH TIME THE SERVICE PEOPLE ASSURE ME IT'S FIXED THIS TIME. THE A/C BLOWS HOTTER THAN THE HEATER DOES AND THATS RIDICULOUS. WHEN I GO THERE THE SERVICE MANAGER ( PAT BURKE ) TREATS ME LIKE A CRIMINAL INSTEAD OF A CUSTOMER. AS OF TODAY THE TRUCK WAS FIXED ONCE AND FOR ALL, ACCORDING TO THEM, BUT I'VE HEARD THAT 7 TIMES BEFORE. VERY CONCERNED AND TIRED!!! NV. *AK
THE VEHICLES GAS NOZZLE DOES NOT SHUT PUMP OFF WHEN GAS GETS TO A CERTAIN POINT. CONSUMER STATES AS A RESULT GAS GETS POURED OVER DRIVER AND VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. PH
CONSUMER FEELS THE VEHICLE IS CONSUMING TOO MUCH OIL. CONSUMER STATES' VEHICLE IS BURNING 1 QUART PER 1000 MILES. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. TOOK TO NISSAN AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED AND WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
CONSUMER STATES THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARK AND NO WARNING THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
ANY TIME THE SUV REACHES SPEEDS GREATER THAN 95 MPH IT BEGINS JUMPING DANGEROUSLY. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT STATE SPEED LIMIT, CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A SITUATION WITH AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER. CONSUMER SPED UP TO 95 MPH WITHOUT WARNING AND ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. WAS ABLE TO CONTROL VEHICLE AFTER SLOWING DOWN. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS A SPEED LIMIT INSTALLED IN ENGINE WITHOUT NOTIFYING CONSUMER.*AK
THIS NISSAN PICKUP HAS HAD A RANDOM STALL PROBLEM SINCE NEW. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES (AT LEAST FOUR, PERHAPS FIVE?) BUT IS SIMPLY RETURNED EACH TIME WITH THE COMMENT ' COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM'. I HAVE PURSUED THROUGH NISSAN'S 'CUSTOMER HOTLINE' BUT THIS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULTY IN DIAGNOSING A RANDOM PROBLEM BUT I DON'T REALLY FEEL AS IF MUCH EFFORT HAS BEEN PUT FORTH BY THE DEALERSHIP EITHER. THIS PROBLEM IS DANGEROUS AS IT INVARIABLY DECIDES TO SHOW UP WHEN I AM IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC AND I FIND MYSELF STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION UNABLE TO MOVE. IT WILL SOMETIMES RESTART ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT BUT AGAIN MAY REQUIRE NUMEROUS TRIES TO GET RESTARTED. MOST RECENTLY, I LEFT WITH THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN ON MAY 31, 2002, AND WHEN I CONTACTED THEM YESTERDAY, JUNE 3, 2002, I RECEIVED THE SAME OLD REPORT, 'CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM'.*AK
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2001 Nissan Frontier has 20 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.