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Thinking about buying a Frontier - comments and suggestions welcome


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I have been thinking about getting a Nissan Frontier.

 

Want to have a 4x4 and 4 doors and be able to tow with it. What are the best years to look at?

Any years to avoid ?

Don't want to spend too much so probably looking and nothing newer then 2010.

 

TIA

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Pass. Buy a Tacoma. 

 

 

Any of the 4 combinations of Frontiers you will find in your price range will have it's own issues. 

Get more for your money, and better value with a Toyota. 

 

 

This is exactly what I did. I looked at the Frontiers in depth.. they have the 4x4 4dr with a 6ft bed. That's the plus... the negative is that they get like 13mpg. Not sure on the newer ones but what I remember is the Frontiers and the Titans get similar gas mileage. I wanted replace my 720 with a Nissan.... but I just couldn't bring myself to do it due to the mileage and associated issues.

 

Yes, Tacoma's do cost more.. but there is a reason for that. I ended up finding a 2002 4x4 4dr Tacoma with the rear locker with 140k for a decent price, from a private party.

 

Someone that would really know about these trucks is Busta Nut. He owns one.. not sure what year but likely early 2000's.

 

Best of luck on your search. I know there are a few Frontier threads on here. This has come up a few times and comments usually go the same way. :)

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I can tell you one thing for sure, the Nissans will have less miles on them than the Toyotas, and for less money. Its not as much of a get what you pay for deal as it is everyone seems to think that a Toyota is the best import truck you can buy and pays too much for them.

 

I had a Tacoma that was a great truck, wish I still had it, they really are good rigs. That being said, I haven't heard of any problems that the Nissans have that the Toyotas don't except for fuel mileage.

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Oh really?

 

VQ4.0 radiator cooler likes to explode and mix coolant with ATF. Chain guides break. 

QR25 oil burning pigs. intake air valves break and get sucked into motor. chain guides break. 

VQ3.3 or 3.0 coolant leaks, heak gaskets, exhaust manifolds, oil leaks. All junk

 

Best ones available will be the cheapest, most used. KA24DE.

Oil leaks and coolant leaks from intake manifolds still. Loose/broken chain guides. 

 

 

All will still have horrible mileage. 

 

 

I've worked with Toyota for 2 years now with many years as a Nissan technician prior to that.

I am not a fan of Toyotas but I did way more repair work to Nissans with way less miles than I ever do at Toyota. 

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I rock a frontier. 01. 140,000 miles. She goes where I ask her to, on terrain unlike you guys on the pacific NW. More like the sequel to Pitch Black. Actually, exactly that, as I've driven the areas they filmed. She has had a couple of coolant hoses blow. And while towing big loads. But always recovered without more than a new hose or t-stat gasket. I love the driving experience more than a Toyota, without question. Toyotas hold their value better than Nissan. Nissan has better 4wheel ability both from factory, and built. Toyota has better aftermarket support. I love Toyota Tacomas, but I chose a Nissan because of what I got for the $. I don't drive too far, but the tacos aren't that great on gas either, so whatever. For commuting, god created the 510. For off road, the Frontier is a good truck. The driving experience is why it won for me. And I'll out drive Tacomas all day. I expect a Tacoma would be a better investment, but a Frontier is a more enjoyable truck to drive till it's done. So different strokes as they say. Know what you are getting, and you will be making a good choice.

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You're right-Toyota has way more aftermarket support. 

Any thing made for Nissans, accessory/lift/4x4 wise, is expensive. 

 

 

I'd rather own the Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder over Toyota's equivalent. 

Just need to know what you're getting int before committing to purchase. 

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Oh yeah, Tacoma double cabs 01-04 come in automatic only. That's a minus as well.

 

I get 20 mpg and nothing more. Hauling a trailer.. maybe like 16. Mixed city highway.. 18.  300 miles per tank.

 

To be fair, the frontier is not the only Nissan vehicle to have the ATF cooler fail and wipe out the tranny. Happens to Z32's.... happens to the newer frontiers... 

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Flat has good info.

 

If it's not a commuter.. then get the Frontier. 

 

Mine is a DD.. I needed every last drop of fuel economy that I could get.

 

 

Also newer frontiers aren't that great to look at..  Plastic everything for days. 

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Oh yeah, Tacoma double cabs 01-04 come in automatic only. That's a minus as well.

 

I get 20 mpg and nothing more. Hauling a trailer.. maybe like 16. Mixed city highway.. 18.  300 miles per tank.

 

To be fair, the frontier is not the only Nissan vehicle to have the ATF cooler fail and wipe out the tranny. Happens to Z32's.... happens to the newer frontiers... 

 

Pathfinder/Xterra/Frontier all have the trans cooler issues. 

 

When they do go out new radiator and trans to repair. 

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Oh really?

 

VQ4.0 radiator cooler likes to explode and mix coolant with ATF. Chain guides break. 

QR25 oil burning pigs. intake air valves break and get sucked into motor. chain guides break. 

VQ3.3 or 3.0 coolant leaks, heak gaskets, exhaust manifolds, oil leaks. All junk

 

Best ones available will be the cheapest, most used. KA24DE.

Oil leaks and coolant leaks from intake manifolds still. Loose/broken chain guides. 

 

 

All will still have horrible mileage. 

 

 

I've worked with Toyota for 2 years now with many years as a Nissan technician prior to that.

I am not a fan of Toyotas but I did way more repair work to Nissans with way less miles than I ever do at Toyota. 

 

 

I agree to this 100%. It's incredibly absurd how unreliable and SHITTY late model Nissans are. FYI, Nissan hasn't existed since around 2002. Nissan was bought by Renault and have gone down hill. Fast.

 

I would, however, buy a Frontier that has a KA. That would be nice. 

 

I'll tell you now, If you decide to go with a later model Toyota the worst thing you'll have is either a leaky water pump, or a leaky timing cover - both of which only happen in the 1GR V6. The 4 cyl... they're slow and gutless, but affordable. No issues with the 4 cyl Tacoma.

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Toyota best for new smaller trucks, yes timming belt needs to be changed(1000$)

 

Buy a beat Dodge Dakota with the V6 say 2003 year 4 door.

 

but hear of trans issues

 

Toyota hasn't had a timing belt truck since around 2004-05. All chain driven now.

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For the 3.4L taco, timing belt timing belt timing belt, replace it every 80k.

 

I've literally seen those belt last 190,000 miles. Stretched, sure. But they rarely break. Good news is, it's a non-interference engine.

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I can't tell you how many Frontiers, Xterra, and Pathfinders we've had traded in and I've wholesaled them because they're complete JUNK.  (I'm a used car tech at a toyota dealer)

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Hate to say it, but Toyota makes the better truck. My brother has had a 3.4 taco for years and we've put it through its paces from offroad, interstate battles, snow, whatever it is, the taco takes its abuse willingly and never falters. I've had that bitch on red line in 4th, cuz no limiter, to get every mile an hour out of it while ripping through traffic on I80 trying to get home at a decent hour. Motherfuckers get jaw dropped seeing a 4x4 handle like that, shit better in twistys than a lot of cars too.

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Nissan trans coolers have been a joke since the 90s. Not exactly rocket science to bypass factory cooler and install an aftermarket cooler, completely eliminating this problem.

 

An early 00s would still have the VG33 in it. Same motor I have in my 96 pathfinder. It's not exactly awe inspiring performance, but it's a solid workhorse that keeps going. I bought mine from a mechanic who told the owners it needed a new engine. I flushed the oil and ran Lucas and 15-40 in it for two and a half years before installing a different motor just a couple weeks ago. The old one still hadn't quit, but it was definitely very tired.

 

If you buy a vg here's what I would plan on. Remove the intake plenum and change out every piece of rubber hose you can find. The cooling plumbing on the vg 33 is a joke, thus the coolant leaks mentioned. Replace them all in one go. While there, throw in spark plugs. It calls for copper, I used iridium, just because of the long life. The plugs might be possible without removing the plenum, but it would suck. And plan on timing belt unless you know the engines history. If auto, completely skip the factory trans cooler and use a big aftermarket one.

 

All that being said, if I were buying a newer truck than my 720, it would be a 4 door long bed frontier. The vg33 is a but bitchy but once you get to know her, it's not so bad.

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I've literally seen those belt last 190,000 miles. Stretched, sure. But they rarely break. Good news is, it's a non-interference engine.

 

Replaced mine at 147k. It was cracking at every cog... but it didn't break. Replacing was easy.

 

IMG_20140510_122350_922_zps8dlvc4ib.jpg

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