1998 Nissan Frontier problems & reliability
129 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Nissan Frontier. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
7 complaints report injuries (11 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Nissan Frontier vehicles were involved in 13 fatal crashes with 9 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 23 | 18% |
| Tires | 23 | 18% |
| Suspension | 19 | 15% |
| Air Bags | 12 | 9% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 8% |
| Power Train | 9 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 3% |
| Seats | 4 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 110,162 miles (middle 50% between 68,500 and 142,040 miles), based on 32 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1995 Nissan Frontier XE. The contact stated upon opening the hood to check the engine oil level at the fuel station, the radiator blew out and propelled a hot anti-freeze that burned his upper body. The contact was transported to the hospital with the assistance of a friend. The contact received…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Mar 14, 2023
“driver's side seat belt receptacle failed in fall of 2021. Nissan initially said they would replace it, but in May of 2022 reported that the part is "unavailable."”
Seat Belts · filed May 17, 2022
“I was involved in a frontal crash where a vehicle pulled out in front of me. Both vehicles were a total loss resuting personal injury to me. The air bag did not deploy. I was traveling 55 mph on a major highway at tiime of a accident. I had to have brain surgery as a result. I had other injuries also. The air bags…”
Air Bags · filed Nov 12, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
65 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Nissan Frontier. The 10 most recent:
DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB08-097L · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2023
SILICONE-BASED LUBRICANT OR GREASE CAN DAMAGE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SERVICE INFORMATION Do not apply Silicone-based lubricants or grease to, or around, any interior electrical components. To avoid the risk of death or…
NTB23-053 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
12 VOLT BATTERY TESTING FOR IN-SERVICE VEHICLES SERVICE INFORMATION The following Service Information lists NNA procedural recommendations for establishing good connections while performing 12V battery testing. These…
NTB23-049 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 16, 2023
VEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-107F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 27, 2023
INTELLIGENT KEY REPLACEMENT OR SWAPPING BETWEEN VEHICLES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Discard all previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB16-003C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2023
REMOVING FOREIGN MATERIAL FROM THE WINDOW GLASS This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB13-028H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WINDSHIELD CRACKING This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB09-081J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2023
WHEEL BEARING COLLISION DAMAGE This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB10-126C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
DIAGNOSIS OF VEHICLE PULL (DRIFT) AND/OR STEERING WHEEL OFF-CENTER This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB08-097K · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 22, 2023
STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER REPLACEMENT GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended. See AMENDMENT HISTORY on the last page. Please discard previous versions of this bulletin.
NTB99-001F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1998 Nissan Frontier in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Nissan Frontier?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 110,162 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.