Nissan Frontier 2005+

xwesx

They are still upset with me on the Honda site because I bought the Frontier instead of the Ridgeline.

Haha.... I doubt that they are upset with you, though maybe disappointed. Like you said, for the way you are using the truck, I agree that you bought the best on the market!

jason0820

Just got a new '05 Frontier 4x2 with the 2.5L 4 Banger. Manual gives instructions for Break In period of 1st 1,200 miles, basically stating to baby the engine with low and varying RPMs & no hard braking.
But I've been hearing more & more that the proper break-in for these newer engines is to drive like you normally do, and actually Rev it up heavily to properly seat the ring seals. Anyone have any input on this, and how they're breaking in a new Frontier??

badness

what kind of Mileage are you getting?

jason0820

I'm averaging about 19.1 mph, both city and hwy.

plasticpro

I've owned my new Frontier for just over a month now and have 1800 miles on it. Since almost day one I occasionally have problems with the key releasing from the ignition. It seems that the vehicle doesn't read that it's in park and will not let the key turn all the way to release. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I'm going to take it in but I'm hoping the dealership doesn't have to pull the dash apart. If so, I'm sure I'll end up with a bunch of rattles that I never heard before.

danielacosta

NISMO CC 4x4 typically getting 16-18 mpg. Mileage computer is usually within .2 mpg of actual. Takes .8 gallons to fill to the rim once the pump shuts off. Lowest tank was 13 off-roading. Highest was 19 on a highway trip doing 80-85.

jmsd1

I have 2005 Frontier Nismo 4x4 KC. 1500 miles and getting 12MPG city & highway driving like I am 65 yrs old. Whats up?

lostwrench

"Heavily rev up a new engine"-No, no, no! Listen to the engineers who wrote the manual and not "the guys on the street".

flfireman1

I just bought my 05 Frontier cc 2 WD LE, super black, with leather upgrade, rockford/fosgate, sunroof, tow hitch, mats and airfilter, for 27500 out the door. Or 25210 plus tax, tag and dealer fees. They keep telling me I got a great deal but I dont buy it. Keep baragining and be prepared to walk out.
Eric

midnightsun

Bought a KC NISMO 4x4 6-spd recently and have a little more than 800 miles on it.

Mpg, mixed highway and around town: about 18, using 87 octane (which in this state is considered "mid-grade", regular being 85). My actual fuel consumption records are in line with what the vehicle's computer displays for mpg.

I have not used the 6th gear for any of my driving yet and have kept speeds under 70 mph except for passing.

Will be taking a long road trip soon and plan to post an update after that, to reflect (a) post-break-in mpg and (b) use of 6th gear included in the highway mileage.

I just love that low first gear on the manual-tranny NISMO!

sk96734

does anyone know whether nissan manufactures overhead racks that fit into the utili-track system? i have a new frontier without the standard roof rack, but need overhead racks.
thanks.

jmsd1

they make one for the Titan but not the Frontier. Go on line to Nissan and check out the Titan utili-track accessories. I asked Nissan last week about getting one for the Frontier and they have no plans yet. Hopefully they will get us some more options soon. Otherwise the track is pretty useless except for tie downs. I thought about buying the Titans and cutting it down to size-but that could be an expensive oops.

nova

Does any one know how to reset the Service engine soon light?. I cannot find in the owners manual how to reset the light. I have 4900 miles so I am assuming that it came on for the oil change. I already changed the oil at 1 & 3 thousand miles.

THANKS

clintw

I really need help!
I want to purchase a KC NISMO 4x4 6 speed but cannot find any 6 speeds anywhere. the dealer and I have looked in the whole state of Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. all that we can find are Automatics. for anyone that has one, where did you get it, and when? did they stop making them or something or are they just behind in production. I would really appriciate any input because I am leaving soon in the Military and only have a certain amount of time to buy.

Any advice would really help,
Thanks,
Clint

riccees

You may check your Owner's Manual: pages 2-18 and 2-19 for some valuable information.

waterman1

Hey Frontier fans.
I just picked up my new SE CC with a 6 speed manual tran and i really like it. it has more power than i will ever need(maybe). but nissan did there home work on this beast. from power, ride, and room. it only has 425 miles on it and i am glad that I picked the nissan over the other midsize trucks. the only question i have is why does the oil pressure drop when the engine is warmed up and you are sitting with the engine running? while you are moving the pressure is normal. has anyone else seen this.

asa

The owner's manual covers oil pressure, Page 2-8 perhaps. It's normal.

asa

I've seen some 6-Speeds in dealer lots in the eastern US, but that doesn't do you much good. I'm a huge manual tranny fan too and will order my SE CC when I'm ready to buy. These are built in Tennessee; I'd imagine delievery would take 4 to 6 weeks. Your dealer would know for sure.

clintw

are these only the SE Models though? there are a lot of SE Manuals here in Arizona, I just cannot find any Nismo Manuals in the king cabs, and the dealer supposedly tells me it will take 2 Months to order. I don't have that time. anyone else have this problem or know what is going on, any info really helps, I appreciate it!

Clint

KCRam

Those of you with new Fronts, stop in at Nissan Frontier: Prices Paid & Buying Experience.

kcram - Pickups Host

KCRam

...on the NISMO Fronty
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/LongTerm/articleId=105485

kcram - Pickups Host

asa

Yes, the manual trannys I've seen are in SE Crews, not NISMO KCs.

kyle hendo

i am a college student so i am always doing all kinds of things from moving poeple out of their apartments, off roading, road trips, party! I bought my truck in february, it the LE sunroof edition. I took it to san diego from new mexico on a road trip, it was awesome on the highway. Down at sea leval the truck is alot faster! I have taken it off roading and it is an animal, but i dont like too because, i have the side step ip rails and i am afraid they will break. Recently i took it to Mexico with 5 freinds, 1 small woman, and 4 big men all ranging from over 6'0 ft. the truck is so functional in all the situations i have come to lately. The only things i wish i had was the rockford phosgate package. this truck is a bad mother!!!

asa

I'm 6' and have found the sunroof takes up 2"+ of headroom. I can fit in a sunroof-equipped Frontier without hitting my head, but there's only 1" of clearance over my head. I'll probably eschew the sunroof in my hoped-for SE CC 6-Speed to gain more headroom. Unfortunately, without a sunroof I can't get side airbags to protect my family. I'm hoping that in '06 Nissan allows side airbags without the sunroof.

Asa

jflash

Nissan is really weird about their option packages on the new Frontier; I have a 2005 K/C LE model with side airbags but no sunroof...

danielacosta

I have seen 05 Frontier CC's with sab but without the sunroof. They are not common, but they are out there. When the dealer places their orders, the two options are commonly lumped together. A couple extra clicks of the mouse and the sunroof is deleted but the sab remains, but not every dealer ordering department knows this.

Go to nissanusa.com and build one for yourself. When you get to options, click on side airbags and it will come up as an acceptable configuration with or without the sunroof.
http://www.config.nissanusa.com/Dispatch.jsp?state_token=2%3A9%3Anissan%7Cfrc%7C2005%7C2%7- C8v9DA/D8/uB%7CAARAACAEAEA%7CAARAACAUAEA%3A85213&lc=true&seq_id=9&.CurrentState=Config&.Ne- wState=ConfigVehicleSummary&_scrollPos=367

In fact, my local dealer has at least one of these in stock: VIN: 1N6AD07W85C434205
http://www.config.nissanusa.com/Dispatch.jsp?state_token=2%3A14%3Anissan%7Cfrc%7C2005%7C0%- 7CAAAAAAAAAgDA%7CAABAAAAAAARA%7CAAAAAAAAAARA%3A85213&lc=true&seq_id=14&.CurrentState=Match- ingVehiclesBrowse&.NewState=VehicleDetailsBrowse&selectVehicle=0

midnightsun

Nissan still makes the NISMO KC 6-spd, but dealers never seem to have them on the lot. I ordered mine, after test driving an SE 6-spd and, later, a NISMO automatic. Could not find the NISMO 6-spd to save my life, so I figured I could tell if I wanted this combo by testing the other two trucks. Then I ordered it, and I am very happy with it. Took 2 months to get it--well worth waiting for.

I bought mine from Empire Nissan in Lakewood, CO. As I said before, nobody around here had a truck like that on the lot. Situation may have changed since late March, though. If I were you, I would check around the entire *country* and try to locate the "right" truck. You might want to use an auto buying service, such as AAA's. I bought a very limited-edition truck back in '92 that way; they located 2 in the entire country and shipped one here for me to pick up. If you already belong to AAA, there is no charge for this service.

asa

jflash and danielacosta, that's verrry interesting that, contrary to Nissan's literature, a buyer can decouple the side air bags from the sunroof. The combination never made much sense anyway, as the side air bags don't require extra space in the roof. I thought it stemmed from extra wiring or something. When I'm ready for it, I'll probably have to order my CC SE 6-Speed, so I can try out the exception process then. Thanks!

Asa

frontybone

Stillen has released it's product line for the '05 Fronties and Titians, looks like they have some good things in mind. Nice looking cat-back exhaust, roll pan, and maybe a supercharger. Has anyone purchased any bad products from Stillen? Does anyone know about a K&N Cold or Ram air intake?

pro152

I am thinking about buying the SE 4x4 with the 6 speed. Can anyone tell me how good or bad it is on fuel ?? The brochure says it is rated 17 - 21 . Anyone getting better ?

seleyet

I Have the 05 Frontier 4.0 . I it's normal for the oil pressure needle to drop at idle. Some cars or trucks only use the oil light which would oly come on if pressure is too low. With the guage system you see the pressure drop. Don't be alarmed. It will go up as you start accellerating. Pressure should be around 40 at idle and around 60+ during accelleration.

coveredi

I have an 05 Frontier Crew Cab SE V-6 4x4 6 Speed.

Averaging 18.3 MPG in all around driving. Worst tank, almost all around town, was 16.95 MPG, best tank, almost all highway at around 70 MPH was 20.2 MPG, so the numbers they give you are pretty realistic.

gwp3

Does anyone know of an aftermarket lift kit for the '05 frontiers?

jmsd1

see my post # 939. I am still getting around 12-13 miles per gallon city & highway. I have a KC Nismo auto. Any help on why my mileage is so bad? My worst has been 8 city and my best was 18 freeway. Suggestions on what to check?

badness

thats pretty good considering I drive a Chevy s-10,4.3Lt

you have more power then my truck and I dont even get 20mpg even on the highway doing 70 mpg I get 17.35 full tank 270mi I get around 15if I'm lucky city driving.

badness

I think your not getting good mpg is because is you have a auto trans,I too have an auto chevy like stated before your ?
man I don't even drive over 70. I feel you pain man

jflash

I have a 2005 LE King Cab, auto transmission. Typical highway mileage is 21-22 MPG, very carefully measured. I have over 6,000 miles on the truck and during that time I have averaged about 16 mpg city, 21 highway.

gwp3

I have a '05 King Cab w/auto transmission, 4wd. I swear the worst gas mileage I have gotten is around 18.5mpg. According to the computer, it is averaging 20.6 mpg over 5 or 6 tanks of gas. Only thing I have done is add a tonneau cover. Best it ever got was on interstate trip where it was getting about 23mpg. Usually drive about 65 to 70 mph on interstate.

waterman1

Thanks for the info, How do you like your truck.

waterman1

I have a 05 with manual trans and i have been ave 18 around town. Havn't been on any long trips yet.

coveredi

Do you tend to drive it hard? That's when my mileage usually falls on its face.

Otherwise, I'd see if the dealership would be willing to check stuff like the O2 sensor. If it's off, it could be telling the computer to run way to rich on fuel, which could cause lousy mileage.

Air filter?

Tire Pressure?

Those are a few I can think of right off the top...

Good luck!

jmsd1

Actually, I have been driving it very easy. No quick starts, no highway flooring it. My grandmother would be proud. I'm taking it to the dealer on Wednesday. I'll have them check the computer and the O2 sensor. Thanks for the O2 tip, I'll let you know what happens. Filled the tank today. 12.5 miles per gallon city and highway. OUCH.

asa

Althought it sounds odd, you might try disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes and then re-connecting it. This resets the ECM back to it's "ignorant" state so that it can start learning your driving style again. Some fellows who own Chevy Colorados/GMC Canyons have discovered that this trick helped their mileage a lot; the improvement is only temporary however. You might have Nissan reflash the ECM code just for the heck of it -- most manufacturers improve the engine control codes as the months go by.

nickt1

I made a huge mistake five months ago when I bought an 05 Tacoma. It's been one problem after another, from rattles to shudders to water leaks to major paint chipping, and all I ever seem to do with it is drive around in loaner cars while it sits in the shop. As soon as I get it back, because it's in the shop again right now, I'm thinking of trading it in for a Frontier, but I don't want to make another mistake. Have there been any widespread problems with the Frontier like there have been with the Tacoma? After doing some searching, the most I can find is an engine rattle, but I think Nissan has already addressed that with a TSB.

centralcal

I have been only happy with my LE CC 4x4. There are a couple of message boards for the Frontier. About the only things I have seen are the engine TSB would should be taken care of by now. There is a TSB on the spray in bed liner needed to be touched up in a couple of places. For me, I am at 8500 miles. I have a Dec build date (one of the first months): I bought in early Feb, I have had the engine TSB, my fan motor was making some noise, so they replaced that. Otherwise, great truck. My mileage is 17 mpg of 70/30 hwy/city on regular (87 octane) gas. Also, I drive with a heavy foot. The engine/transmision are very smooth. The only down side I can see not as many Fronty's sold, so not as much aftermarket stuff as the Taco or other trucks. Good luck, sorry about the truck.

midnightsun

I've read and heard lots of EPA-bashing about the mileage estimates they print on new vehicles' Monroni stickers.

Well, my actual results match or exceed their estimates. I knew it early on, when the in-town mpg was always over their 17 mpg rating for my KC 4WD NISMO 6-spd. Mixed driving got/gets me 18.5 to 19 mpg. (Mpg figures calculated from actual gas consumed, not the trip computer. Trip computer is pretty close but has always been slightly under the real number.) The big question was true highway driving, as I had done none of that till recently.

Am now on a road trip in the boonies, and the truck is getting more than the 21 mpg highway rating, IF I use 6th gear. That's at speeds between 65 and 80 mph. The first leg of the trip included a lot of high-speed, high-altitude climbing (I-70 up Floyd Hill, Eisenhower Tunnel, and Vail Pass), which I did in 5th gear rather than 6th, so getting 21+ mpg on that leg surprises (and pleases) me.

With strong headwinds on the next stretch, the mileage dropped a little, to around 20 mpg. But it's back up again today, so I think it's safe to say the 21 mpg is a fairly reliable number for strictly highway driving, if 6th gear is put to good use (i.e., not lugging it).

This is darned good for a heavy 4WD truck. Haven't heard of any with similar engine power/torque matching it, though I sure hope that future years bring even more efficient drivetrains.

I have only about 2250 miles on it so far but the more I drive it, the more I like it.

Now, if only the topper would be ready when I get back.

2005lekc

I recently purchased a 2005 LE KC and the piece between the grill and the chrome
bumper did not match the rest of the truck. I was told that this was because of the material it was made of.

If it has a chip shield on it, it doesn't work as it had four small chips from the drive from Texas to Oklahoma during dealer transfer.

I noticed that several other Frontiers on the lot has this same problem.

2005lekc

2005lekc

I just ordered a Fold a Cover bed cover for my LE KC. Has anyone tried this cover yet and if so how do you like it? I was going to order one of the roll out covers, but was
told that I would have to remove the Utili-trac system.

2005lekc

I would like to put a nice sounding exhaust system on my LE, but I have not been able
to find any locally that have been changed to tell how they sound.

I would like it to be just slightly louder than stock and quite a bit deeper. I was told that
a Magnaflow muffler would do the trick, but the same installer told me that a Flowmaster
on my '00 XE 4 cylinder would be deeper and not too much louder.

It was a lot deeper sounding, but it also was a lot louder too. I had an '01 Miata and
put a RoadsterSport exhaust on it. It was deeper and just a little too loud for long trips,
but it had a baffle you could put in to make the long trips much nicer.

I wish they made one for the LE and I would buy it in a heartbeat. The finish was excellent.

Is there anyone out there that has done this modification and been pleased with their
conversion?