How Much Weight Can A Nissan Frontier Carry?

If you're going to use any vehicle for hauling, it's a good idea to know what it's limitations are. Whether you're loading the bed with a load of furniture or getting ready to hitch-up a camper, being aware of payload maximums and towing capacities are the first steps in avoiding disaster. We've researched the Nissan Frontier to give you a foundation in understanding these important specs of this pickup.

The Nissan Frontier can carry between 1,220 pounds and 1,460 pounds. The exact amount varies based on the Frontier's model, trim level, cab size, and bed length, among other options. We've broken down payload capacity by trim level below to give you a glance at the options:

  • Nissan Frontier: 1,430-lbs to 1,460-lbs
  • Nissan Frontier SV: 1,360-lbs to 1,460-lbs
  • Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition: 1,360-lbs to 1,460-lbs
  • Nissan Frontier Long Bed SV: 1,220-lbs to 1,360-lbs
  • Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Pro-4x: 1,020-lbs

While being a very durable and dependable pickup truck, capacity maximums must be followed for anyone operating a Nissan Frontier. This post will share our extensive research about the Frontier and its various payload capacities. We'll also discuss the consequences of overloading a pickup, how payload capacity influences towing capacity, and what you can expect for Frontier's longevity over the long haul. Let's get started!

Nissan NP300 Navara stopped on the beach, How Much Weight Can A Nissan Frontier Carry?

Nissan Frontier Payload Capacity

Nissan Frontier NP300 car crossing glass fields

Before we begin, let's first clarify the difference between payload and towing capacity. Payload refers to the amount of weight a vehicle can carry on itself, in addition to its curb weight. (Curb weight is the vehicle's weight when it is empty.) Towing capacity refers to how much you can safely tow behind your truck without causing damage or endangering the passengers on board. 

Payload combines the weight you've put in the bed of the truck as well as the weight of passengers and any additional cargo in the cabin. So, if you've got a cab fully loaded with passengers, it lessens the amount of weight you can haul in the truck's bed. We'll focus on payload capacity here, for how much weight a Nissan Frontier can carry. As you'll see below, we've broken this down by trim level to provide the maximum payload for each Frontier model: 

Nissan Frontier S

  • King Cab 4x2: 1,460-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4: 1,460-lbs
  • King Cab 4x4: 1,430-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4:  1,460-lbs

Nissan Frontier SV

  • King Cab SV 4x2: 1,430-lbs
  • Crew Cab SV 4x2: 1,460-lbs
  • King Cab SV 4x4: 1,360-lbs
  • Crew Cab SV 4x4: 1,360-lbs

Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition

  • Crew Cab 4x2: 1,460-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4: 1,360-lbs

Nissan Frontier Long Bed SV

  • Crew Cab 4x2: 1,360-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4:  1,220-lbs

Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

  • Crew Cab: 1,020-lbs

What Happens If You Exceed Payload Capacity?

Pick-up truck bed without lining

These weight capacity maximums exist to not only help prolong the life of your Nissan Frontier but to avoid fatal accidents on the road. Not following the manufacturer's guidelines can be both expensive and deadly.

Structural Damage

Overloading will eventually strain even the most durable truck frame to its breaking point. Excessive mass can cause the frame to bend, often beyond reasonable repair. Before a frame breaks, however, excess weight can cause other parts to fail.

The axles, while strong, can't handle near as much weight as a truck frame. They can bend or break entirely by overloading. The tires also have a weight limit, and exceeding it will make them explode from the pressure.

Burst tire on the road attached to a Nissan Frontier

Engine & Transmission Damage

Your Frontier's engine is one of the best in its class, but it also has limits. Overloading the truck will make the engine work a lot harder than it's meant to, especially when accelerating up a hill. The transmission isn't made to work with much more than the payload maximum, which exceeded will greatly shorten transmission life expectancy.

Passengers in Harm's Way

The danger in overloading your truck also impacts passengers and other vehicles on the road. An overloaded pickup truck can very easily tip over on its side while turning, creating a potentially fatal situation for the people inside and nearby.

How Do You Tell If Your Frontier Is Overloaded?

Some tell-tale signs warn you that a truck is loaded beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Keep an eye for these things if you think you've overloaded your Frontier.

  • Steering - too much weight on board will make it much harder to turn the wheel. It's also noticeably more difficult to control the truck when it's in motion. Many will agree that it has the same feeling as driving a truck when the power steering fails.
  • Driving an overloaded truck will also make every single bump and pothole in the road feel much more noticeable. As noted above, an overloaded truck places more pressure on the shocks, axles, and tires. Too much weight will make an ordinarily smooth drive seem very jostling and bumpy.

How Long Does The Nissan Frontier Engine Last?

The Nissan Frontier will easily reach 100,000 miles, and many Frontier owners report that they enjoy their pickup truck well beyond 200,000 miles. Those who reported their trucks lasted longer also noted that they performed the recommended maintenance routinely, did not exceed the payload capacity or towing capacity maximums, and drove a higher ratio of highway miles to city miles. Stop and go driving in the city makes any vehicle work a lot harder than cruising on the interstate; the more work it is forced to do, the shorter the lifespan.

As with any vehicle, the amount of mileage you'll enjoy from it will depend not only on the quality of how it's manufactured but on how well the owner treats it. The Nissan Frontier is no exception to this. Routine maintenance is critical in prolonging the life of the Frontier's engine. Regular oil changes and timely replacement of spark plugs are relatively inexpensive engine maintenance strategies that save you considerable amounts of money in costly repairs.

What Is The Towing Capacity Of A Nissan Frontier?

The towing capacity for the Nissan Frontier will depend on what trim level and other available options you select with your model. Bed length, cab size, and two-wheel drive versus four-wheel drive features will factor into how much your Frontier can safely pull.

We've listed the maximum towing capacities for Nissan Frontier by every available model below. Keep in mind that maximum towing capacity is the TOTAL weight behind the Frontier. So, if you are towing a trailer, the trailer's weight should be included in your figure, not just the cargo's weight.

Nissan Frontier S

  • King Cab 4x2: 6,620-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x2: 6,620-lbs
  • King Cab 4x4: 6,730-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4: 6,730-lbs

Nissan Frontier SV

  • King Cab 4x2: 6,720-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x2: 6,640-lbs
  • King Cab 4x4: 6,510-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4: 6,380-lbs

Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition

  • Crew Cab 4x2: 6,640-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4: 6,380-lbs

Nissan Frontier Long Bed SV

  • Crew Cab 4x2: 6,250-lbs
  • Crew Cab 4x4: 6,250lbs

Nissan Frontier Pro-4X

  • Crew Cab: 6,290-lbs

Conclusion

While only a mid-size pickup, the Frontier is a great pickup truck for hauling light cargo loads. The Nissan Frontier is also known for retaining its value over time, and owners also note that they get many miles on them. While it's not a good option for heavy hauling or towing, the Frontier is overall an excellent choice of pickup truck for everyday use.

If you'd like to learn more about the Nissan Frontier, we recommend the following articles to assist you:

How Long Does a Nissan Frontier Last?

 
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