CarComplaints.com Notes: Radiators are still cracking, leaking coolant and destroying transmissions. Which is a shame when you consider that otherwise, this would be a great small pickup truck.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
97,196 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Nissan Frontier engine problems

engine problem

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2006 Nissan Frontier Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #82

Jan 222024

Frontier

  • 110,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking oil. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed that the valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. Additionally, the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The dealer later called the contact and informed the contact that the bank #1 and #2 cam sensors and the coil packs needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer later called back and stated that the vehicle was making an abnormal sound and upon performing a diagnostic test, the dealer advised that the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

- Duluth, GA, USA

problem #81

Dec 152023

Frontier

  • miles
Truck will turn on once in awhile and I was told it is the ipdm module and that there's a recall on the part. What can I do to get the part sent to me since there is a recall and the mechanic told me that with a recall I can get the part sent to me at no cost to

- Albuquerque , NM, USA

problem #80

Jul 092021

Frontier

  • miles
On June 30, July 6 and 9th 2021 I was driving down the street at 50 miles p/hr. And the truck just stopped in the middle of the road. No engine just stopped. I called the NHtSAAnd reported this according to the October 28th 2010NHtSA campaign number 10V517000 engine Control Model. It was recalled and supposedly repaired. The person I talked to Kathyrn said that it had been recalled and fixed so it was no longer a recall problem. This vechile is a safety recall and still is, It should be fixed, it was evidently not fixed before.

- Long Beach, WA, USA

problem #79

Feb 022019

Frontier

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On 2/2/2019, I took my vehicle to aamco transmissions to have my transmission checked, because prior to this date I was experiencing alot of jerking and other issues, especially on the highway. After aamco techs looked over my transmission, I was contacted & informed that I had a defective radiator that had contaminated my transmission, due to the radiator leaking coolant into my transmission. I was also informed that Nissan had a lawsuit regarding this very problem, which I was in shock, since no one had ever advised me through mail, email, or even word of mouth. My Frontier is a 2006, but I purchased the vehicle in may of 2007, & on 2/2/2019, my Frontier only had 80,034 miles on it. I'm disabled, & I need my vehicle for doctor appts, & for my two children as well. The most frustrating part of it all is, I take my Frontier to the local Nissan to have them do the oil changes & tire rotations whenever its due, & they always check all of my fluids at the same time. In addition, this issue arouse in 2006 before I purchased the Frontier, but nothing was ever conveyed to me about any issues with this particular year or model. Since there were 3-4 models affected between 2005 thru 2010. I had aamco replace the radiator & transmission, which cost me $4,000, & my Frontier only had 80,000 miles on it, I've never heard or even experienced such an issue, especially with such low mileage before! I even reached out to Nissan corporate office, but they did not feel responsible for the $1,500, which they are because they are the ones that put defective radiators into their products, but did not send out any notifications about this potential problem that a owner could have. My family or myself could've easily been hurt because of their negligence in not notifying consumers/owners. Do they not care about their customers, or is it just about the all mighty dollar!!

- Hagerstown, MD, USA

problem #78

Feb 022021

Frontier

  • 192,000 miles
Ipdm module and ECM systems failure 4.0 L V-6 check engine light came on also battery light

- Rural Hall, NC, USA

problem #77

Aug 192020

Frontier

  • 10 miles
Fuel sending unit working sporadically and triggered check engine light. Fuel gauge is marking half tank then slowly went up, but fuel tank was filled up. There is also a recall on radiator leaking antifreeze into transmission but has not happened yet.

- Santa Rosa, TX, USA

problem #76

Jul 202020

Frontier

  • 130,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled with the four-wheel drive and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the intelligent power distribution module needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #75

Jun 162010

Frontier 6-cyl

  • 320,000 miles
For three consecutive times I have been having a problem with my car. When I drive it for a few miles after I turn it off and I wanted to start it again I have to wait like an hour to go on again. I have take it a couple of times to the dealer and had charge me $ $450 and two or three years after same problem but they never had told me what the problem is. What can I do in this case?

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #74

Apr 062020

Frontier 6-cyl

  • 106,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 mph, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred twice. An unknown dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that the radiator failed which allowed coolant fluid to enter the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.

- Overlandpark, KS, USA

problem #73

Jan 012020

Frontier

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed several times to tony Nissan located at (94-1299 ka uka blvd, waipahu, hi 96797(866) 980-3983) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that an unknown sensor and air filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Waianae, HI, USA

problem #72

Mar 062020

Frontier

  • 127,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering ceased and the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure recurred. Balise Nissan of warwick located at (1350 post rd, warwick, ri 02888) was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 10V517000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.

- Warwick, RI, USA

problem #71

May 102017

Frontier

  • 3 miles
The transmission line that runs through the radiator broke in half, the cooling was pushed into the transmission and the transmission oil was pushed into the radiator, , the radiator, radiator hoses, transmission lines, threats, heat core, water pump, and read to tank, now had oil and cooling in them, D-patrick of evansville Indiana had ran a 15 point inspection on this truck, they said the radiator was leaking and the transmission oil was discolored, they knew that there was some thing wrong with this trif I.

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #70

Sep 272019

Frontier

  • 49,900 miles
While turning to go up hill toward home vehicle suddenly died. Luckily no one was behind me so I put it in park and after hesitation it finally restarted. I took to dealer, wallace Nissan in kingsport, Tennessee and they ran ces code. They suggested having right side cam sensor replacement and float in gas tank where it has quit reading at a cost of approximately 700 to 800 dollars. Currently has not been repaired. Ps : I performed the bypass to avoid cross contamination of radiator fluid and transmission fluid myself after reading of all of the problems that has caused.the transmission has a separate cooler; I don't know why it goes through the bottom of the radiator anyway. Current milage is 49,899 which is low miles for a 2006 model. A person should not have to surf the web to know what their vehicle needs when Nissan should be notifying them. People are paying for unnecessary repairs where a simple recall could have saved them thousands of dollars and more importantly someone's life from an accident.

- Kingsport, TN, USA

problem #69

Jul 022019

Frontier

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. While driving approximately 30 mph, the rpms increased to 4,000. When the vehicle was placed into reverse, the gear went into neutral. When the vehicle was shifted into drive, it went into low gear without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the radiator fluid leaked into the transmission, and the radiator and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,000.

- Wodbury, CT, USA

problem #68

May 012019

Frontier

  • 110,000 miles
Vehicle will not change gears and is sluggish. The display on the speedometer does not show the position of the transmission. I have spent over 600 dollars to find out that the transmission control module is bad and that there was a recall to fix coolent leaking into the transmission fluid. My vehicle is still broken because of the part cost 1100 usd and the repair. Total bill is 1600 usd. This was a known problem and should be fixed without me paying a dime. My vehicle was in motion. Now it won't even get up to speed the transmission sounds as if it is stuck in a gear. Very erratic. My cruise control also just blinks and when the mechanic tested the codes it gave a network failure code

- Culpeper, VA, USA

problem #67

May 112019

Frontier

  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, when attempting to drive. There was no warning indicator light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #66

Feb 072019

Frontier

  • 80,000 miles
The 2 complaints I have regarding my Frontier have been recalled for the same yr that my Frontier is, but I didn't receive a recall notice for either one. First is the fuel pump sending unit, which shows you how much gas you have in the vehicle. My fuel gauge will show that I have no gas even after I fill up my tank, but then I can park for a few minutes & then the gauge will show that I have a full tank of gas. I ran a diagnostic test, & the results displayed a code that meant it needed a new sending unit. However, with this particular model, I cannot just get the sending unit, because it only comes in one whole piece, meaning that the mechanics will have to empty the gas tank & drop the tank, which is much more work. Therefore, this repair will cost me $900. The second complaint & the most outrageous & disappointing one is regarding my transmission & radiator. Recently I took my Frontier into the shop to habe the transmission fluid checked & changed if it needed to be. However, the mechanic called & informed that after hooking my truck up to a transmission tester, the results indicated that I had pressure problems due to the radiator coolant leaking into the transmission fluid, & causing a chemical reaction that will destroy the clutches inside the automatic transmission. Keep in mind that I only have 80,000 miles on my 2006 Frontier, & needing a new transmission already with this low mileage is absolutely ridiculous & uncalled for. Especially since Nissan has done a recall for the same yr & model of my truck, & for the exact thing that my faulty radiator was doing. For some unknown reason, my radiator model was not on the recall list for either one of the recalls & it should've been, because there are hundreds of consumers that have had the same problem that I have had, & that's with both of my complaints. So I just spent $4,000 for a rebuilt transmission.

- Hagerstownn, MD, USA

problem #65

Jan 202019

Frontier

  • miles
Radiator system

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #64

Nov 102018

Frontier

  • 109 miles
On 11/10/2018 while driving on the freeway with no warning light my 2006 Nissan starts to lose power!!! I was able to get off the freeway and pull into a gas station to call aaa to tow it to a mechanic. The mechanic told me the transmission has coolent in it and the transmission will need I be rebuilt or replaced with a rebuilt transmission. He said there was a crack in the coolent hose that was a manufacture defect. I never got any warning light until after the transmission failed.

- Perris, CA, USA

problem #63

Nov 052018

Frontier

  • miles
My transmission went out. The mechanic said the radiator leaked into the transmission. This repair costed me $4000, new transmission and new radiator. Was considering buying another Nissan but will never buy another one. I will be providing the bill as soon as I can scan them.

- Ennis, TX, USA

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