2002 Nissan Frontier Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 9%of 124 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 35,365miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2002 Nissan Frontier, 9% of the 124 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 35,365 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Smelling exhaust fumes in my pickup cab. I had a new exhaust system installed and check by a mechanic. It was ok. He said I have a cracked exhaust manifold. I checked on the www and a lot of people are talking about this same problem. My truck is a Nissan Frontier year 2002.”
NHTSA complaint #10378173, filed 2011-01, 100,000 miles“2002 Nissan Frontier. Electrical component; alternator/generator/regulator. Experiencing exact same problem as described in the NHTSA campaign id #05v319000. 1) normal operation leading to failure. 2) consequence; battery and brake warning lamps come on and battery begins to discharge. Engine goes into fail safe mode, engine will stop and could result in crash. …”
NHTSA complaint #10141235, filed 2005-10, 28,730 miles“Engine rattle during cold starts. Severity and duration change from day to day. Some days more pronounced and lasts as long a 10-12 sec, others not to noticable and lasts3-5- secs.”
NHTSA complaint #10019836, filed 2003-02, 200 miles“My vehicle is a 2002 Nissan pathfinder. It only has about 55,000 miles. For a long time, I've heard kinda abnormal noise. Come to find out that the exhaust pipes on the left and right catalytic converters are cracked right down the middle. One side costs over $450 from dealer. I feel this is a defect and many pathfinder owners are reporting this problem. Dealer does not want to warranty.”
NHTSA complaint #10201012, filed 2007-08“While driving at about 70 to 75, under acceleration, I heard a loud noise and then the vehicle's rpms dropped down to about 500 as if the vehicle had no gas. I pulled over and turned the truck off I made sure that there was gas, and started the vehicle again and the check engine light came on. It seemed to run at about the correct RPM so I took it directly to the dealer. They had it for a week, and ultimately said that it was a bad oxygen sensor (the vehicle is supercharged) that caused the problem. I am not too confident in that explanation. God willing, the problem is fixed. …”
NHTSA complaint #756551, filed 2002-01Related service bulletins
- 10019300Feb 8, 2006Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code u1000 or u1010 stored in engine control unit.
Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1 | 1% |
| 2011 | 2 | 3% |
| 2010 | 2 | 3% |
| 2008 | 9 | 7% |
| 2007 | 62 | 12% |
| 2006 | 74 | 12% |
| 2005 | 106 | 20% |
| 2004 | 3 | 5% |
| 2003 | 4 | 5% |
| 2002 | 11 | 9% |
| 2001 | 22 | 16% |
| 2000 | 9 | 5% |
| 1999 | 10 | 13% |
| 1998 | 10 | 8% |
Other parts of the 2002 Nissan Frontier
25 complaintsBrakes
15 complaintsElectrical system
13 complaintsSteering
13 complaintsVehicle speed control
13 complaintsBody and structure
11 complaintsSuspension
9 complaintsExterior lighting
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsAir bags
5 complaintsTires
5 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Nissan Frontier
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology