NissanFrontier2018Overview/nissan/frontier/2018/base/

2018 Nissan Frontier

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2018 Frontier.

Body TRUCK

The 2018 Nissan Frontier is a midsize truck that, according to owner-reported data, represents a period of notably improved reliability for the nameplate, with just 25 total complaints filed—down substantially from the 210 complaints recorded in 2000 during the model's peak complaint years. Electrical system issues constituted the most frequent concern among owners, and the model year carried two associated recalls. Positioned roughly midway through Nissan's documented complaint history spanning 1998 to 2025, the 2018 Frontier reflects the manufacturer's efforts to address earlier reliability shortcomings, as complaint volumes had already declined significantly from early-generation levels while still remaining above the historic low of seven complaints recorded in 2025.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920182017

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Lug nut torque98 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 1520865F0E. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Tail / brake / turnSTOPOEM · verified
Tire sizeP265/75R16OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.0 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter1520865F0E alt 152089E01A
Engine air filter16546EA000 alt 165467S000
Spark plug22401CK81B alt 22401ZE01B
Front wiper blades288909CA0A alt 288909CA0B
Serpentine belt11720EA001 alt 11720EA20A
Thermostat21200EA000 alt 21049ED00A
Cabin air filter27277VR00A

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length205.5 in
Overall width72.8 in
Overall height70.1 in
Wheelbase126 in
Curb weight4597 lb
Track (front / rear)61.8 / 61.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)57/43

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Frontier of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

7.2–7.6 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 7.20 sec — 2012 PRO-4X V6 King Cab (6.1 ft. Bed)
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2017PRO-4X V6 Crew Cab (4'11.5" Bed) 4.0L V67.30 sec15.80 sec261 hp4x4
2020PRO-4X V6 Crew Cab (4'11.5" Bed) 3.8L V67.30 sec15.60 sec310 hp4x4
2020PRO-4X V6 Crew Cab (4'11.5" Bed) 3.8L V67.50 sec15.80 sec310 hp4x4
2012PRO-4X V6 King Cab (6.1 ft. Bed) 4.0L V67.20 sec15.70 sec261 hp4x4
2005LE V6 Crew Cab (4.9 ft. Bed) 4.0L V67.60 sec16.10 sec265 hp4x4
2005NISMO Off-Road V6 King Cab (6.1 ft. Bed) 4.0L V67.60 sec15.80 sec265 hp4x4
2005NISMO Off-Road V6 King Cab (6.1 ft. Bed) 4.0L V67.60 sec16.00 sec265 hp4x4

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

Torque lug nuts to 98 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)7.4 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)8.0 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)5.1 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)31.0 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts98 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub101.0

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerNissan
Spark Plug Gap.043 in
Spark Plug Torque14 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerNissan
Spark Plug Gap.043 in
Spark Plug Torque18 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type100
Oil Capacity6.10 oz

Service checks

RPM51.0
Injector Primary Resistance11.1-14.3 ohms

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque20
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 136; Rear: 63
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: 1.024; Rear: .630
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0006
Maximum Rotor RunoutRotor attached to vehicle: .002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 3 stages
117.0 inch lbs.17 in
252.0 inch lbs.52 in
396.0 inch lbs.96 in
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 3 stages
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2Back off 360.0 degrees360 degrees
314.0 ft. lbs.14 ft. lbs
390.0
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
131.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 6031 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

Prep Lower: Step 1: 5.5 ft. lbs.

221.0 ft. lbs.; Upper Bolts: 8.021 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 3 stages
1Bolts 1-1029 ft. lbs
2Bolts 1-1060 degrees
319.0
Engine Valve Cover Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
12.5 ft. lbs., Step 2: 7.02.5 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 3,750 mi; spark plugs at 105,000 mi; coolant at 105,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 105,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 3,750 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 5,000 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace) · Keyless Entry Remote Battery (replace)
Every 20,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Drive Axle Assembly (inspect) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
At 40,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
At 105,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 180,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

In the modern-generation arc from 2011 onward, the Frontier shows a clear downward trend in owner complaints, with annual complaints falling from 64 in 2011 to a low of 17 by 2021, while recalls stayed low (0–3 per year) until a 2022 spike. The 2018 model sits near the bottom of that curve: its 25 complaints are lower than 2017 (38), 2016 (42), and 2015 (33), with only 2019 (28) and 2021 (17) posting fewer complaints in the dataset. Recalls ticked up slightly to 2 in 2018 after one each in 2016 and 2017, but they remained modest compared with the 6 recalls recorded in 2022; TSBs at 73 continued a decline from the triple-digit levels of 2013–2016 and were above the 62 in 2019 and 60 in 2021. The top complaint categories—Electrical System (4), Suspension (3), Air Bags (2), and Power Train (2)—are low-frequency, and the year recorded zero crash-related and zero fire-related complaints. Given its position at the low-complaint end of a generally improving trend, with small-volume, non-fire/crash issues and only two recalls, the 2018 Frontier is a comparatively good year to buy in this generation.

2
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
73
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
25
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 25 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System4
Suspension3
Air Bags2
Power Train2
Unknown Or Other2
Service Brakes2
Fuel/Propulsion System2
Vehicle Speed Control2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

18V551000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 21/08/2018

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017 Nissan NV200, Sentra, NV3500 Van, NV3500 Bus, NV200 Taxi, NV1500, NV2500 Van, Chevrolet City Express, 2017-2018 Frontier, Versa Note, and Versa Sedan… Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production information on the ignition switch, and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1…

19V654000Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: CameraReported 12/09/2019

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Titan Diesel, Versa Note and… Remedy: Nissan will notify owners in phases, having dealers update the back-up camera settings software, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2019 and all affected VINs should be…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 73 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
NTB09-131C2026-04-13StructureCERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB09-131C2026-04-13StructureCERTIFICATION LABEL AND VIN PLATE REPLACEMENT SERVICE INFORMATION Because of collision…
NTB13-107G2024-05-20Electrical SystemVEHICLE KEY NOT DETECTED / AUTHENTICATED, ENGINE WILL NOT START This bulletin has been…
NTB13-027D2024-05-20Electrical SystemCAN COMMUNICATION – NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC FLOW CHART This bulletin has been amended. See…
NTB10-066C2024-05-20Electrical SystemCAN COMMUNICATION CODES – DIAGNOSTIC TIPS AND GUIDELINES This bulletin has been amended…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Frontier. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

Does the 2018 Frontier have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.