Second generation (D40)

2011 Nissan Frontier towing capacity

Max towing, 20116,500 lb

Maker2,948 kg

The 2011 Nissan Frontier tows up to 6,500 lb (SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 6-speed manual 4x2, per the 2011 Nissan Frontier King Cab Specs).

Two more configurations are rated the same.

The lowest rating is 3,500 lb, for the S King Cab 6 ft 2.5L QR25DE I4 5-speed manual 4x2.

2011 Nissan Frontier King Cab Specs (nissanusa.com)

Configurations: 28
Payload: 932–1,565 lb

2011 PRO-4X King Cab 4x4 4.0L V6 6MT, drawn to scale from its published dimensions.

01 / Ratings

Every 2011 Frontier configuration

28 configurations Nissan sells, each with the ratings Nissan publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row.

Engine

Cab

Drive

Showing 25 of 25 rows

2011 Nissan Frontier

Makerin pounds

2011 Nissan Frontier towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing^{source 2} lb	Max payload^{source 2} lb	Tow check
2.5L QR25DE I4
SKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500^{source 1}	976^{source 1}	Check load →
SKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	3,500^{source 1}	937^{source 1}	Check load →
SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,500^{source 1}	950^{source 1}	Check load →
SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	3,500^{source 1}	932^{source 1}	Check load →
4.0L VQ40DE V6
SV MostKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 6-speed manual	6,500^{source 1}	1,565^{source 1}	Check load →
SV MostKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,500^{source 1}	1,449^{source 1}	Check load →
SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 6-speed manual	6,300^{source 1}	1,399^{source 1}	Check load →
SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,300^{source 1}	1,381^{source 1}	Check load →
PRO-4X MostKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,500^{source 1}	1,393^{source 1}	Check load →
PRO-4XKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 6-speed manual	6,300^{source 1}	1,237^{source 1}	Check load →
PRO-4XKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,300^{source 1}	1,217^{source 1}	Check load →
SCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 6-speed manual	6,300	1,462	Check load →
S · SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,300	1,486	Check load →
S · SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 6-speed manual	6,100	1,255	Check load →
S · SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,100	1,390	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 6-speed manual	6,300	1,461	Check load →
SLCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,300	1,355	Check load →
SLCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,100	1,256	Check load →
PRO-4XCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,300	1,271	Check load →
PRO-4XCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 6-speed manual	6,100	1,103	Check load →
PRO-4XCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,100	1,083	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,300	1,393	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,100	1,260	Check load →
SLCrew Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,300	1,257	Check load →
SLCrew Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,100	1,124	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. A number by a column’s name is the source of its figures that have none of their own. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourcesMakerThe small number by a figure says which document it is from.

How Nissan rates towing: maximum; 7-pin harness and tow receiver hitch required.

Documents last checked Oct 9, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

2011 Nissan Frontier specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 2011 Frontier belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

Nissan Frontier D40 (2005–2021): full specs

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of Nissan’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

What moves the rating

Maker

Tows the most: 6,500 lb

SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 6-speed manual 4x2; two more configurations are rated the same.

Build
4x2 instead of 4x4
+200 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 11 pairs in the table
Build
King Cab instead of Crew Cab
+200 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 7 pairs in the table

Best rating by engine

4.0L VQ40DE V66,500 lb
2.5L QR25DE I43,500 lb

The line is the highest rating on this page. Each bar is that engine’s best configuration.

03 / By year

Frontier towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2011 Frontier’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide Frontier specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate Frontier tire sizesStock tire and wheel sizes by trim, and what bigger tires change.See tire sizes All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Which 2011 Frontier configuration tows the most?

The SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 6-speed manual 4x2, at 6,500 lb; two more configurations are rated the same.

Has the Nissan Frontier’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2026–2027, 7,150 lb; 2025, 7,150 lb; 2024, 6,640 lb; 2022–2023, 6,720 lb; 2020–2021, 6,720 lb; 2019, 6,720 lb; 2018, 6,710 lb; 2017, 6,710 lb; 2016, 6,500 lb; 2015, 6,500 lb; 2013–2014, 6,500 lb; 2012, 6,500 lb; 2011, 6,500 lb; 2010, 6,500 lb; 2009, 6,500 lb; 2008, 6,500 lb; 2007, 6,500 lb; 2006, 6,500 lb; 2005, 6,500 lb.

Does four-wheel drive change the 2011 Frontier’s towing capacity?

Yes: 4x2 instead of 4x4 is rated +200 lb on otherwise identical configurations (11 pairs in Nissan’s table).

Does the engine change the 2011 Frontier’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 4.0L VQ40DE V6, 6,500 lb; 2.5L QR25DE I4, 3,500 lb.

Which 2011 Frontier configuration tows the least?

The S King Cab 6 ft 2.5L QR25DE I4 5-speed manual 4x2, at 3,500 lb; three more configurations are rated the same.

These are Nissan’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.