NissanFrontier2019Overview/nissan/frontier/2019/base/

2019 Nissan Frontier

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2019 Frontier.

Body TRUCK

The 2019 Nissan Frontier maintains its TRUCK classification with a 4.9-quart oil capacity specifying 5W-30 viscosity, while reliability data registers 28 total owner complaints with Power Train cited as the top concern area alongside one recall campaign. Within the model's 1998-to-2025 complaint history, this model year's 28 grievances position it well below the 2000 peak of 210 reported issues yet significantly above the 2025 low of 7, occupying a middle-to-lower tier in the series' longitudinal defect spectrum. This placement indicates the 2019 edition represents neither the platform's most problematic period nor its most recent low-complaint era, providing researchers with a baseline for moderate reliability performance distinct from both the early high-complaint years and subsequent production cycles.

Model year202520242023202220212020201920182017

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
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 a BCI NS · 550 CCA battery, OE oil filter 152089E01A. 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.

Battery groupBCI NS · 550 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnSTOPOEM · verified
Tire sizeP265/75R16 114TOEM · verified
Wheel / rim7JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter152089E01A alt 1520865F0E
Engine air filter16546EA000 alt 165467S000
Spark plug22401ZJ51B alt 22401ZE01B
Front wiper blades288909CA0B alt 288909CA0A
Serpentine belt117209BM0A alt 11720EA001
Thermostat21200EA000 alt 13050ZA000
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
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
2017PRO-4X V6 Crew Cab (4'11.5" Bed) 4.0L V67.30 sec15.80 sec261 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.

This engine holds 4.9 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, Dot 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 98 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDot 3
Engine CoolantNissan Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
Engine Coolant Capacity9.9
Engine CoolantNissan Long Life Antifreeze/Coolant
Engine Coolant Capacity10.8
Engine Oil5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.9 qt
Engine Oil5W-30

Engine torques

Engine Flywheel Bolts80 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts65 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts14 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts31 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts22 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs96 inch lbs. 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
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)625 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)Speed up: 625 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerNissan
Spark Plug Gap.043 in
Spark Plug Torque14 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Standard BCI Cranking Performance550 cca

Service checks

RPM51.0
RPM51.0
Injector Primary Resistance11.1-14.3 ohms

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque20.0 ft-lbs
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 136.0 ft-lbs; Rear: 63.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor TorqueFront: 6.0; Rear: 6.0
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 1 stages
117 inch lbs., Step 2: 17 inch lbs., Step 3: 52 inch lbs., Step 4: 96 inch lbs.17 in
Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts17 in
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
122 ft. lbs., Step 2: 0 ft. lbs., Step 3: 14 ft. lbs., Step 4: 90°.22 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
114 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90°.14 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
131.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 6031 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
133.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 84 degrees-9033 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
137 ft. lbs., Step 2: Turn 60°, Step 3: Fully loosen all bolts in reverse order., Step 4: 29 ft. lbs., Step 5: Turn 75°, Step 6: Turn 75°.37 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
172 ft. lbs., Step 2: Fully loosen all bolts in reverse order., Step 3: 29 ft. lbs., Step 4: Turn 90°, Step 5: Turn 90°.72 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 1-1029 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 5,000 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 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & 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)
Every 20,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect) · Steering Linkage (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.

Across this long-running generation, federal records illustrate a dramatic decline in complaints from the early 2000s—which peaked at 210 complaints in 2000—into a highly stable, low-complaint era beginning around 2011. The 2019 Frontier sits near the end of this mature, reliable arc, recording just 28 complaints, 1 recall, and 62 technical service bulletins, which aligns closely with the preceding 2018 model (25 complaints) and the following 2021 model (17 complaints). For the 2019 model specifically, Power Train leads the complaint categories with 5 reports, followed by Air Bags and Service Brakes with 3 each, though the data does not specify the root causes of these issues or the single reported crash and fire incidents. Crucially, 2019 avoids the severe reliability drop-off that hits the 2022 model year, which saw a spike to 110 complaints and 6 recalls. Because it represents the culmination of a proven, low-issue period in the vehicle's lifecycle, the 2019 Frontier is a statistically strong and recommended used purchase.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
62
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
28
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 1 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 28 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Power Train5
Air Bags3
Service Brakes3
Structure2
Unknown Or Other2
Electrical System2
Back Over Prevention1
Engine1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

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 62 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

How much oil does the 2019 Frontier take?

4.9 qt of 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 2019 Frontier have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.