BestCarRank
Nissan

2020 Nissan FRONTIER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Above Average

Quick Summary

The 2020 Nissan FRONTIER has 29 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.4x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (34% of all complaints), specifically: the contact owns a 2020 nissan frontier. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into neutral and the vehicle lost motive power. the check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c.

3 crash reports 1 injury

29

Total Complaints

0

Recalls Issued

/5

Safety Stars

0.4x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

10 complaints
34%
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into NEUTRAL and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c
  • 2020 NISSAN FRONTIER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TRANSMISSION ISSUES. THE CONSUMER STATED UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IT WOULD PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS FAILURE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN PARK. ON TWO OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. ONCE STRIK
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V671000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of t
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into NEUTRAL and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

4 complaints
14%
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into NEUTRAL and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was purchased but the contact was offered no assistance. The contact continued driving the vehicle and stated that the
  • Vehicle alternator failed at 79,000 miles. Instead of shutting off, vehicle disabled the cooling fans but kept the engine and fuel supply systems running leading to the vehicle overheating during diagnostics which require the engine to rev and hold an elevated RPM. Unsure if other systems like brak
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into NEUTRAL and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

3 complaints
10%
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, the dashboard lights were significantly dim, affecting his visibility of the speedometer while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failur
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was purchased but the contact was offered no assistance. The contact continued driving the vehicle and stated that the
  • Vehicle alternator failed at 79,000 miles. Instead of shutting off, vehicle disabled the cooling fans but kept the engine and fuel supply systems running leading to the vehicle overheating during diagnostics which require the engine to rev and hold an elevated RPM. Unsure if other systems like brak
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, the dashboard lights were significantly dim, affecting his visibility of the speedometer while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failur

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

3 complaints
10%
  • There are 3 incidents thus far. ***I have video confirmation of these incidents*** First, I had parked my vehicle at a gas pump, put my vehicle in park, and locked the vehicle. Apparently, as I walked away, my vehicle had slowly rolled backwards more than 15 feet until it hit the curb. I noticed t
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, there was a loud grinding sound coming from the brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake pads needed to b
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the brake system was erroneously activated causing the vehicle to reduce speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the front and rear brake assemblies but the failure contin
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

There are 3 incidents thus far. ***I have video confirmation of these incidents*** First, I had parked my vehicle at a gas pump, put my vehicle in park, and locked the vehicle. Apparently, as I walked away, my vehicle had slowly rolled backwards more than 15 feet until it hit the curb. I noticed t

— NHTSA complaint filing

SEATS/RESTRAINTS

2 complaints
7%
  • THE PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK WHEN MOVED. ON ONLY ONE SIDE. WE TOOK IT IN AN THE DEALER SAID THAT IS WAS KNOWN TO THEM BUT WAS NOT SAFETY RISK. IF I HAD TO STOP FAST AND THE SEAT WAS NOT LOCKED ON ONE SIDE THE TORQUE WOULD HAVE BENT THE BAR AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER. THEY SAY THEY F
  • The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the passenger’s side air bag warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the passenger’s side seat belt pretension sensor to be replac
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

THE PASSENGER SEAT WOULD NOT LOCK WHEN MOVED. ON ONLY ONE SIDE. WE TOOK IT IN AN THE DEALER SAID THAT IS WAS KNOWN TO THEM BUT WAS NOT SAFETY RISK. IF I HAD TO STOP FAST AND THE SEAT WAS NOT LOCKED ON ONE SIDE THE TORQUE WOULD HAVE BENT THE BAR AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER. THEY SAY THEY F

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)
$500
ENGINE(~50K mi)
$500
ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)
$500
BRAKES(~50K mi)
$500
SEATS/RESTRAINTS(~50K mi)
$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 29 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

  • TRANSMISSION: The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into NEUTRAL and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ENGINE: The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted into NEUTRAL and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with c

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ELECTRICAL: The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that since purchasing the vehicle, the dashboard lights were significantly dim, affecting his visibility of the speedometer while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failur

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • BRAKES: There are 3 incidents thus far. ***I have video confirmation of these incidents*** First, I had parked my vehicle at a gas pump, put my vehicle in park, and locked the vehicle. Apparently, as I walked away, my vehicle had slowly rolled backwards more than 15 feet until it hit the curb. I noticed t

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)

NHTSA Safety Rating

No NHTSA safety rating available

At a Glance

Complaints
29
Recalls
0
Fire reports
0
Crash reports
3
Injury reports
1
Segment avg
80

Check a Specific VIN

See recalls for YOUR 2020 Nissan FRONTIER