NHTSA reviews defect petition on 2006 Nissan Frontier: Fuel smell and loss of motive power
On March 30, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Defect Petition (DP26003) into 2006 Nissan Frontier, concerning the engine and engine cooling and fuel system, gasoline. A Defect Petition is a request, usually from a vehicle owner, asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; ODI reviews it and then grants or denies it. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- DP26003 (Defect Petition)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling; Fuel System, Gasoline
- Listed
- 1 make/model/year entry in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Nissan |
|---|---|
| Model | Frontier |
| Model years | 2006 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a Petition dated February 5, 2026, requesting an investigation into model year (MY) 2006 Nissan Frontier vehicles. The Petitioner alleges that the vehicle poses an imminent fire hazard due to “[a] powerful and persistent odor of raw gasoline” that he says “emanates from the vehicle” and “indicat[es] a breach in fuel system integrity.” He further alleges that the vehicles can experience sudden engine stalling “during startup and operation,” which he believes could cause collisions or loss of vehicle control. The Petitioner further alleges these symptoms are identical to conditions addressed in previous NHTSA recalls (10V-517, 07V-435, and 10V-075) and that the issues persist in the 2006 MY Nissan fleet despite these past actions. ODI is opening this Defect Petition to evaluate the Petitioner’s allegations and determine whether to grant or deny the Petition. The Petition can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under NHTSA Number 11718552.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for DP26003, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Timeline
- ODI opens defect petition DP26003
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search DP26003 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.