2002 Nissan Frontier Review
Type:
Pros & Cons
- Supercharged power, bold styling, wide variety of body configurations.
- Cramped rear seats for Crew Cab pickups.
Other years
Get More For Your Trade-In
2002 Nissan Frontier appraisal values can range from $718 - $2,250.
Find out what your car is really worth in minutes.
Edmunds' Expert Review
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2002 Nissan Frontier.
Most helpful consumer reviews
biker,03/22/2010
2dr King Cab XE 2WD SB (2.4L 4cyl 5M)
This is my second update since I posted my original review.
It is January 2018 and my 2002 frontier has approximately 132,000 miles and has required zero repairs since my last update July 2016.
Maintenance since then is tires, belts, oil changes, Coolant Flush and Brake fluid replacement.
I broke my cab mounted rear brake light (Not the fault of the truck) and when I replaced it found a little rust beneath it.
As the paint on the roof is getting oxidized a bit, I am going to repaint the roof soon and address the small rust area.
This is an update of my original review from 2010. It is now July 2016. I still have this truck I bought new....
Now I am at 14 years with my Frontier and it still going strong. I bought this truck new in 2002. I use my Frontier for towing a motorcycle trailer and it does fine.
The interior looks great with slight wear on the drivers seat and sun visor.
The paint is still in good shape even though it is always outdoors in the Florida weather (Including 3 hurricanes in 2004)
In 14 years and 125000 miles, I have replaced the A/C compressor, a valve cover gasket and a shifter seal. That is it....The gasket and shifter seal...200 bucks including labor....The A/C about 900.... Not bad for 14 years.
Front brake pads replaced once.
Rear brakes...original. Clutch...Original.
Suspension, original.
The 2.4l 4 banger with the 5 speed is adequate but won't win any drag races. The gas mileage is great. Even with a raised topper, I get 25 and without the topper I average 26-28 on the highway. The ride is a bit stiff but it is a truck after all. Overall I am very satisfied and plan to keep it forever....
I will update this review again in a few more years.....
john d,02/24/2009
4dr Crew Cab XE-V6 2WD SB (3.3L 6cyl 5M)
I use the truck primarily to tow a 3000 lb camper. The 3.3 L engine in the 2002 was rated at only 170 hp but this little truck seems to use all of them as it tows the camper plus another 500 lbs of camping gear as though it is not there. That is both with power and mileage. The camper and gear doubles the weight of the truck alone with no more than a 15-20 % increase in fuel consumption. For power I'm comparing it to my old Ford full-size with a 351 V-8. Never any maintenance in nearly 8 years of use other than regular preventative maintenance. Cannot recommend this little truck too much!!
Alan Sargent,11/19/2015
4dr Crew Cab SVE-V6 4WD LB (3.3L 6cyl S/C 4A)
I've had this truck for almost 14 years, it's been in the shop once. It still runs and looks great.
carol_okc,01/03/2011
4dr Crew Cab XE-V6 4WD LB (3.3L 6cyl 5M)
I looked long and hard for the perfect
truck - and I've found it.
I've always driven full-size pickups but wanted better economy, 4wd, a decent cargo capacity, and room for my two big dogs for everything except hauling the big round bales of hay.
Still have the 2500 Ram for the latter, but the Frontier handles everything else beautifully.
Since I tend to drive my vehicles forever, I wasn't concerned about this being older and having a bit over 100k miles on it.
I did have my mechanic go over it thoroughly, freshening several things that needed to be addressed, but still brought it in at my budgeted figure - and expect to drive it at least another 100k miles.
Can you tell I love it??