2009 Nissan Frontier Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 22%of 37 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 96,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2009 Nissan Frontier, 22% of the 37 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 96,000 miles. 1 a fire, 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.
“My wife and I own Nissan vehicles. 2 years ago we had to replace the transmission on her 2005 pathfiner. In october of 2015 my 2009 Frontier transmission started to fail because of coolant mixing with the transmission fluid. I did research and found that this is an ongoing issue with Nissan”
NHTSA complaint #10816699, filed 2015-12, 121,000 miles“Transmission needs to be rebuilt due to manufacturing defect after only 64,000 miles. Radiator fluid has leaked into the transmission oil which is a manufacturer defect. Quoted $4200 in repairs-they will need to re-manufacture the transmission and replace the at valve. I reached out to Nissan for assistance in the matter since I am just outside of the 5 yr 75,000 mile extended warranty (5 months over 5 yrs). They advised this is not something they will help with. …”
NHTSA complaint #10671927, filed 2015-01, 64,000 miles“My 09 Nissan Frontier se (automatic transmission) grinded a bit when changing gears. I noticed it was between 3rd and 4th gears. Sometimes it was louder and longer than other times. Sometimes it didn't happen at all. I noticed it happens when I accelerated slowly with the gas only slightly pressed. It didn't happen at all when accelerating to get on the freeway, for example.I had purchased my Frontier as a used truck with about 113k miles on it from the Nissan dealership in everett, wa and nothing was said of any transmission issues (as you'd expect from a dealer). …”
NHTSA complaint #11014684, filed 2017-08, 113,700 miles“2009 nisan Frontier 114k miles same sings as many others vibration when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear start happening in the morning special winter progressively getting worse and now happens all the time.”
NHTSA complaint #11132465, filed 2018-10, 105,000 miles“Weak clutch 2009 Nissan Frontier se 4x4 4.0 litre, 6 speed man transmission. 10,331 miles and clutch slips in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and little no engagement in reverse. Slips on sudden acceleration. Manufacturer always blame customer's on fault. Truck was not abused by me. Manufacturer is not admitting failure. If you search for Nissan Frontier clutch problems on the internet, you will see, that the same powerplant belongs to a 2006 Nissan xterra and at 13,000 and the 24,000 this person had to replace the clutch as well as slips. …”
NHTSA complaint #10334158, filed 2010-06, 10,331 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10192821May 10, 2016SERVICE INFORMATION Replacement 5-speed rear wheel drive Automatic Transmission (A/T) assemblies and replacement control valves (valve bodies) now come with blank Transmission…
- 10192615Aug 6, 2015SERVICE INFORMATION The information in this bulletin is provided to help ensure correct diagnosis and repair of fluid leaks. All fluid leaks, when properly diagnosed, should be…
- 10192524Feb 6, 2015SERVICE INFORMATION When diagnosing possible power steering gear (rack and pinion steering rack, or steering rack) leak issues, it may appear the steering rack is leaking when…
- 10192474Nov 20, 2014SERVICE INFORMATION If a customer describes lack of power or poor acceleration, perform the following checks before attempting any repair: * Check for stored DTCs. * Check if the…
- 10192051Oct 12, 2012Nissan has decided in the interest of customer satisfaction, to further extend the warranty for the Radiator Assembly on all 2005-10 Frontier, Pathfinder, and Xterra vehicles…
- 10043950Apr 10, 2012Nissan: ecm replacement procedures with consult iii plus. Applies to all 2004 and later (does not apply to leaf/ev) vehicles.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 27% |
| 2025 | 2 | 20% |
| 2024 | 6 | 27% |
| 2023 | 13 | 20% |
| 2022 | 24 | 21% |
| 2021 | 5 | 25% |
| 2020 | 12 | 52% |
| 2019 | 7 | 25% |
| 2018 | 2 | 8% |
| 2017 | 6 | 16% |
| 2016 | 3 | 7% |
| 2015 | 5 | 15% |
| 2014 | 6 | 14% |
| 2013 | 6 | 13% |
| 2012 | 20 | 25% |
| 2011 | 9 | 14% |
| 2010 | 15 | 25% |
| 2009 | 8 | 22% |
| 2008 | 54 | 40% |
| 2007 | 222 | 43% |
| 2006 | 220 | 36% |
| 2005 | 262 | 49% |
| 2004 | 13 | 20% |
| 2003 | 7 | 9% |
| 2002 | 7 | 6% |
| 2001 | 8 | 6% |
| 2000 | 26 | 14% |
| 1999 | 12 | 15% |
| 1998 | 9 | 7% |
Other parts of the 2009 Nissan Frontier
9 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsBody and structure
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaintsEngine
2 complaintsEquipment
2 complaintsTires
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2009 Nissan Frontier
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 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