general problems of the 2006 Nissan Frontier

26 problems related to electrical system have been reported for the 2006 Nissan Frontier. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2006 Nissan Frontier based on all problems reported for the 2006 Frontier.

1 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 02/19/2026

The truck has been stalling while driving or won't start. The ecm relay was recalled and was taken care of Thursday, February 19. However, the truck still stalls while driving and won't start at times. I've asked Nissan to look at the ipdm to see if there was any consequential damage, but they won't without paying a fee for a diagnostic test. This is a major safety issue that needs to be fixed. The recall was from 2010, but we have only owned the vehicle since 2024 and had no idea about the recall.

2 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 12/15/2023

The truck will start once in awhile has been taken to the shop and they said they ipdm module is the problem and that there's a recall on that part.

3 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 12/15/2023

Truck will turn on once in awhile and I was told it is the ipdm module and that there's a recall on the part. What can I do to get the part sent to me since there is a recall and the mechanic told me that with a recall I can get the part sent to me at no cost to me.

4 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 02/02/2021

Ipdm module and ecm systems failure 4. 0 l v-6 check engine light came on also battery light.

5 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 07/20/2020

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle stalled with the four-wheel drive and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the intelligent power distribution module needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 130,000.

6 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 06/08/2019

Passenger airbag warning light illuminated. In motion from a parking lot. Fuel gauge suddenly fell to empty on 07/10/2019 lights on dash illuminated showing need for upcoming service and tire pressure low.

7 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 05/01/2019

Vehicle will not change gears and is sluggish. The display on the speedometer does not show the position of the transmission. I have spent over 600 dollars to find out that the transmission control module is bad and that there was a recall to fix coolent leaking into the transmission fluid. My vehicle is still broken because of the part cost 1100 usd and the repair. Total bill is 1600 usd. This was a known problem and should be fixed without me paying a dime. My vehicle was in motion. Now it won't even get up to speed the transmission sounds as if it is stuck in a gear. Very erratic. My cruise control also just blinks and when the mechanic tested the codes it gave a network failure code.

8 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 12/07/2018

Fuel sender unit failed and can no longer establish amount of fuel and now at risk being stranded. Apparently this is a known issue with Frontiers.

9 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 11/24/2018

Vehicle dies while driving looses all electrical , sits for few hours works normal.

10 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 04/28/2018

The evidence of engine and power transfer evidently progressed over of days and regressed within a matter of hours, then minutes to the point where engine would barely start and obviously barely propel the truck over 10 mph w/engine dying out regardless of throttle or automatic shift position. I limped the vehicle to the nearest respected and qualified tech bob wells -total car care. This is the second time Nissan's lack of "due diligence" left customer down, all within a year or so. A frustrating,time consuming,and costly experience.

11 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 02/01/2017

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that there vehicle had slowly reduced speed and had come to a complete stop several times with no warning. The dealer robert woodall Nissan, 132 union st, danville, va 24540, (434) 797-1411 had replaced the transmission however the repair failed to provide a permanent fix as the failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who had only inspected the vehicle but was unable to determine if this was an electrical failure, engine failure or a power train failure. The contact was uncertain if the vehicle was included or excluded from the manufacturer service campaign number pc068. A remedy to repair the vehicle was not available yet from the dealer which was unacceptable to the contact. The contact was not included in NHTSA action number: dp12004 (power train). The manufacturer had issued 6 TSB on electrical, 7 TSB on the engine and 4 TSB on power train. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 108,172. Dyd.

12 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 02/25/2016

There is a recall listed for 2006 Nissan Frontiers where the gas gauge drops to 1/4 tank when filled, and the service engine light comes on. "the molded shells can deform, causing the fuel sender float arm to contact an embossment molded into the tank shell causing the instrument panel fuel gauge to show that the vehicle has approximately one quarter tank when the fuel is empty. " when I called Nissan north America they looked up my VIN and said it was not from a "batch of cars that are covered". Are you kidding? please address this with Nissan. . .

13 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/01/2016

When fuel tank is full, gauge drops to empty until you drive 75-150 miles, then the needle registers normal for the past year and dealer didn't find the issue. Now engine light registers and inspection sticker is being refused.

14 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 01/14/2015

Gas gauge stops working after half tank is used01.

15 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 10/28/2014

My vehicle shuddered and felt to slip out of gear while driving! because of this known issue of leaking coolant causes transmission failure. I bought this Frontier with very low miles and was never told of this potential issue from the dealership. It should be a safety recall as it prevents the vehicle from accelerating and if you are driving can cause an accident. I am now reading that Nissan owners have no idea this is happening until too late. Once the coolant is mixed with the transmission fluid this lethal combination kills the valves, seals and torque converter -- rendering your entire transmission useless. I read that this issue is currently contained to the 2005—2010 model years. I have a 2006 with 64k miles! it is only time until this issue causes multiple accidents since this issue happens while cars are driving. Please push Nissan for a recall. I should not have to pay for a known engineering / manufacturing defect.

16 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 04/04/2014

Passenger seat belt light flashes on, dealer says connected to computer under passenger seat (reset several times), light still flashes, dealership service says problem with seat sensor and not sure if air bag on passenger side will work or defective (want $800 to $3,000 to diagnose-fix-replace), Nissan corporate refuses to fix (says out of warranty), technician unable to say if air bag will deploy in an accident, service manager I deal with told me she had seen at least 10 similar problems with similar vehicles (x 8 service writers means at that dealership alone they have had at least 80 complaints in a month of the same nature x all dealerships??), Nissan corporate sent me a $250 gift card for other services at the dealership but refuses to acknowledge or address or attempt to fix a problem they admit they know they have (and I am only referring to Nissan Frontiers - not all other Nissan vehicles). May be a problem with the air bag or a problem with the computer or a problem with the seat sensor or an electrical issue.

17 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 02/10/2014

Service engine soon light came on and fuel gauge went to empty. Distance to empty was erratic, however slowly recovered. Filled vehicle with gas even though it was only on 1/4 tank. Service engine soon light continues to stay on and fuel gauge remains on empty. I have seen many posts online with people having the same issues. This is an issue Nissan should remedy due to so many having this problem.

18 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 08/21/2013

I was driving on the freeway and notice smoke coming from near (it turns out it was coming from underneath) about few seconds later the check engine light is flashing, my Nissan pickup engine lost some speed and it appears to have lost power as well because it was not accelerating. I took it for inspection to 2 different auto shops locally and have gotten the same reports from both shops. I have a bad transmission and radiator coolant leaks seems to have caused the transmission failure. I have taken my pickup to Nissan after learning about the extended warrenty to roseville future Nissan and they seems have agreed about this known issue. They said Nissan has extended the warranty up to 100k mikes (so technical it should be covered), however they are asking for 3000k for deductible. I have contacted Nissan consumer affairs and they said they are waiting for court to decide on this known issue and will not be able to help until it's resolved. I did some research online and found out I was not the only one having this issue. Please help and advise if I need to take action against Nissan as this is clearly a known issue and they should not be asking for 3k. . Read more...

19 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 07/08/2013

I had driven aprox 20 miles on interstate when I noticed when truck shifted between 4th and overdrive the motor was racing. I turned off cruise control and turned of the overdrive with the trailer switch. I stopped at station checked fluids but everything seemed ok. When leaving station the transmission was slipping when shifting. I was able to drive it home. Next day transmission shop told me transmission would need to be rebuilt. After google info I told shop to also replace radiator also. I got the truck back 2 weeks later. After 5 days of driving while traveling home from job. Transmission locked up and truck came to stop in middle of road. I looked under hood and found oil in radiator. The truck was towed back to shop. Come to find out the shop had replaced with used radiator. The same thing had happened again where antifreeze mixed with transmission oil causing extensive damage, still in shop and waiting on its return. Spent 12000 on truck and in first month. 400 miles and 3000 in repairs. And still climbing.

20 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 11/21/2012

The contact owns a 2006 Nissan Frontier. The contact stated that the fuses located in the ipdm malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to stall while the contact was driving 32 mph. The contact had a mechanic perform a diagnostic test which determined that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The contact did not take the vehicle to the dealer for repairs. The failure mileage was 118,000.

21 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 11/14/2012

Fuel gauge show empty when it has a full tank. . Fuel gauge will slowly get up to full and then won't drop below a quarter of a tank. You have no clue how much gas is in the vehicle. Looks like there are a ton of people complaining about the same thing online. Faulty fuel sending unit looks like the cause.

22 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 11/01/2012

I purchased my truck with about 1900 miles on it. I was a very proud owner, doing everything in my power to keep my truck dependable and reliable by getting all scheduled maintenance plus preventative care. However, one morning I tried starting my truck for work and it wasn't cranking. Unfortunately, I decided to take my truck to a small mechanic shop and I witnessed them start an engine fire that damaged the wire harness. I quickly took my truck out of this mechanics shop and towed it to the Nissan service department. I asked the service advisor to repair the wire harness and to find out why my truck is not cranking. The service advisor explained to me that there was a recall on my vehicle because of a problem of coolant leaking inside the transmission which will damage the computer component causing the truck not to start or crank. The service advisor then continued to tell me that my truck is no longer covered for the repairs because I exceeded the allowed mileage to repair the factory defect and I have to pay for the repairs out of pocket which total more then what the truck is worth. The service advisor also revealed that I should have received a letter with details of the recall, but I never received it because it went to the previous owner. I was confident in purchasing a Nissan truck and invested all of my money toward one hoping this would be my only vehicle purchase for at least 10 years but now I have less than a year of payments left and a vehicle that doesn't run. My only mistake is that I purchase my Nissan with 1900 miles and because of that I never received my warranty or recall information which I feel this problem could have been prevented. I am asking Nissan corporation to stand by their vehicle with me and honor the recall so I can get my reliable truck running properly again.

23 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 09/03/2012

Gas tank gauge level only goes to full 24 hrs after fill up. Probably sending unit and not hole in tank.

24 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 09/01/2010

2006 Nissan Frontier with fuel gauge not working correctly at approx 55,000 miles on vehicle. Initially service engine soon light came on intermittently when the fuel reached approx 1/4 tank full. Now, ses light stays illuminated and actual gas gauge intermittently works. This is well documented problem addressed many many times on vehicle forums. This is a serious safety issue as I have no idea of how much gas is in my vehicle and the potential exists for an accident on a major road due to a real gas outage. There has been a safety bulletin about this but no recall yet to my understanding and has occurred throughout many different Nissan truck models from the xterra, pathfinder, and Frontier.

25 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 10/31/2009

I have a 2006 Nissan Frontier nismo I have had 3 fuel "sending units" replaced and have only 21000 miles on the truck. This is due to very erratic and somewhat unsafe defective equipment ie; gas gauge/sending unit. I recently had it replaced for the third time and it is now worse than before. I am very frustrated and this seems to be a universal problem with the gas gauge/sending unit. I would like to see a recall and this problem fixed once and for all. Thanks.

26 Electrical System problem

Failure Date: 04/14/2009

My 2006 Nissan Frontier crew cab 4x4 had the fuel gauge quit and the service engine soon light (ses) come on after filling up with fuel around 46,800 miles. The fuel gauge started to work again a few days later but the light will not go off for the ses. This truck has been maintained and serviced above and beyond all manufacturer requirements. I bought this truck in sept of 2006 , so it is not even 3 years old but since the warranty ran out at 36,000 miles I can not go to the dealer because they don't care. I also have had numerous paint issues, fading, chipping and rust on this truck and have , as stated before always taken very good care of it.


Other Electrical System related problems of the 2006 Nissan Frontier


Frontier Service Bulletins
Frontier Safety Recalls
Frontier Defect Investigations