CarComplaints.com Notes: In a very limited selection on small pickup trucks, the Frontier is one of the best options except -- and I cannot emphasize this enough -- for one problem that makes it an avoid-at-all-costs pain in you know what: the radiator ruptures and leaks coolant into the transmission, killing it. Such a buzzkill.
Bought the truck from a Jeep dealership that was a trade in. Eventually I noticed clear and oily goo all over my rear passenger inner rim and caliper. Long story short the mechanic ordered a whole new rear axle half for me which you can only get from Nissan which is $500. It comes with the seal and bearing. The key here is that the axle shaft was pitted (poor quality metal?, erosion from dirt or salt?, bad fluid?). Regardless, a pitted shaft will not hold even a new seal it will still leak. If you only change the seal and not the axle you will have to pay again for the labor to remove it and you will hate yourself. The short of this issue, at least inspect the axle if not just change the whole axle instead of just the seal. Also changing the whole axle I believe is faster than taking it apart so that may save some time on labor theoretically.
Really have nothing more to say to Nissan other then when it's time it's time !!! goodbye to our 30+ year relationship I have had so many problems with this frontier and my juke that it's clear Nissan is just making a bunch of crap and throwing it out there hoping people will buy it asta la vista NISSAN
The rear seals have had to be repaired three times since about 2010. I purchased the vehicle at the end of 2004 new. I now have only 63000 mi. on the vehicle as of today 3/6/201 I was told the other day the axle is beginning to leak again.
After getting the right rear axle seal replaced in Dec. '09, Had the truck in the shop to get the fuel sending unit replaced (see other posts), and service guy calls to tell me that the left side rear axle seal was leaking and needed replacement. I have had a lot of different vehicles and other than the "66 merc I owned about 30 years ago, I have never had to get axle seals replaced. Now this truck I have had both left and right seals replaced on a vehicle with less than 70k miles on it. Something tells me that this is going to be an ongoing problem with this vehicle.
Over the course of 6 months, I have spent over $2800.00 on repairs that, to me, were Way beyond normal wear and tear.
- Richard E.,
Folsom, CA, US
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Bought the truck from a Jeep dealership that was a trade in. Eventually I noticed clear and oily goo all over my rear passenger inner rim and caliper. Long story short the mechanic ordered a whole new rear axle half for me which you can only get from Nissan which is $500. It comes with the seal and bearing. The key here is that the axle shaft was pitted (poor quality metal?, erosion from dirt or salt?, bad fluid?). Regardless, a pitted shaft will not hold even a new seal it will still leak. If you only change the seal and not the axle you will have to pay again for the labor to remove it and you will hate yourself. The short of this issue, at least inspect the axle if not just change the whole axle instead of just the seal. Also changing the whole axle I believe is faster than taking it apart so that may save some time on labor theoretically.
- Christopher F., Ellington, CT, US