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Ford Ranger vs Nissan Frontier: reliability compared

From 2006 to 2026, owners filed an average of 127 complaints per model year about the Ford Ranger and 97 about the Nissan Frontier.

Side by side

Ford RangerNissan Frontier
Model years compared2006-20262006-2026
Owner complaints2,1652,040
Complaints per model year12797
Recalls6129
Years to avoidNone stand out200620072008
Best years202020212022200920152017
Most common problemAirbagsTransmission
Crash ratingNo dataNo data
Fuel economy17-23 mpg combined (2026)18-21 mpg combined (2026)

A car that sells more collects more complaints, so the fairest test is the number of years to avoid, which compares each year with a typical year of the same car.

Complaints per model year

2006 Ford Ranger: 2722006 Nissan Frontier: 61720062007 Ford Ranger: 2702007 Nissan Frontier: 5202008 Ford Ranger: 3262008 Nissan Frontier: 13620082009 Ford Ranger: 1692009 Nissan Frontier: 372010 Ford Ranger: 1562010 Nissan Frontier: 5920102011 Ford Ranger: 2352011 Nissan Frontier: 642012 Nissan Frontier: 8020122013 Nissan Frontier: 482014 Ford Ranger: 12014 Nissan Frontier: 4220142015 Nissan Frontier: 332016 Ford Ranger: 12016 Nissan Frontier: 4420162017 Ford Ranger: 12017 Nissan Frontier: 382018 Nissan Frontier: 2520182019 Ford Ranger: 2722019 Nissan Frontier: 282020 Ford Ranger: 1312020 Nissan Frontier: 2320202021 Ford Ranger: 1192021 Nissan Frontier: 212022 Ford Ranger: 392022 Nissan Frontier: 11220222023 Ford Ranger: 192023 Nissan Frontier: 682024 Ford Ranger: 992024 Nissan Frontier: 2320242025 Ford Ranger: 462025 Nissan Frontier: 112026 Ford Ranger: 92026 Nissan Frontier: 112026
Ford RangerNissan Frontier

Problems compared

RangerFrontier
Airbags1,195218
Transmission304648
Electrical149204
Engine141404
Brakes93132
Body9163
Fuel system62514

Questions about the Ford Ranger vs Nissan Frontier

Which is more reliable, the Ford Ranger or the Nissan Frontier?

Between 2006 and 2026, the Ford Ranger has 0 years to avoid and the Nissan Frontier 3. The Ford Ranger has been more consistent from year to year. By raw volume, the Nissan Frontier drew fewer complaints per model year (97 vs 127), though sales volume affects that number.

Which has more recalls, the Ford Ranger or the Nissan Frontier?

From 2006 to 2026, the Ford Ranger was covered by 61 recalls and the Nissan Frontier by 29.

What years of the Ford Ranger and Nissan Frontier should you avoid?

Ford Ranger: no year stands out. Nissan Frontier: 2006, 2007 and 2008.

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