Second generation (D40)

2018 Nissan Frontier towing capacity

Max towing, 20186,710 lb

Maker3,044 kg

The 2018 Nissan Frontier tows up to 6,710 lb (SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 5-speed automatic 4x2, per the 2018 Nissan Frontier Press Kit).

The lowest rating is 3,780 lb, for the S and SV King Cab 6 ft 2.5L QR25DE I4 5-speed automatic 4x2.

2018 Nissan Frontier Press Kit (pricing and specifications)

Configurations: 21
Payload: 890–1,460 lb
GCWR: 7,936–11,230 lb
Tongue: 378–671 lb

2018 PRO-4X Crew Cab 4x4 4.0L V6 6MT, drawn to scale from its published dimensions.

01 / Ratings

Every 2018 Frontier configuration

21 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 20 of 20 rows

2018 Nissan Frontier

Makerin pounds

2018 Nissan Frontier towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing lb	Max tongue lb	GCWR lb	Max payload lb	GVWR lb	Axle ratio	Tow check
2.5L QR25DE I4
SKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,790	379	7,936	900	4,700	4.083	Check load →
S · SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	3,780	378	7,936	890	4,700	not in our data	Check load →
SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed manual	3,790	379	7,936	910	4,700	4.363	Check load →
4.0L VQ40DE V6
SV MostKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,710	671	11,230	1,430	5,589	3.538	Check load →
SVKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,510	651	11,230	1,360	5,690	3.538	Check load →
PRO-4XKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,450	645	11,230	1,180	5,600	3.692	Check load →
Desert RunnerKing Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,690	669	11,230	1,420	5,600	2.937	Check load →
SCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 6-speed manual	6,640	664	11,230	1,450	5,690	3.537	Check load →
SCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,620	662	11,230	1,460	5,730	3.133	Check load →
SCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,370	637	11,230	1,340	5,816	3.357	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,640	664	11,230	1,450	5,730	3.133	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 6-speed manual	6,370	637	11,230	1,120	5,666	3.692	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,370	637	11,230	1,350	5,816	3.357	Check load →
SLCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,480	648	11,230	1,370	5,730	3.133	Check load →
SLCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,240	624	11,230	1,180	5,816	3.357	Check load →
PRO-4XCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 6-speed manual	6,290	629	11,230	1,040	5,600	3.692	Check load →
PRO-4XCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,290	629	11,230	1,020	5,600	3.357	Check load →
Desert RunnerCrew Cab · 5 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,610	661	11,230	1,340	5,600	3.133	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 6 ft · 4x2 · 5-speed automatic	6,500	650	11,230	1,360	5,730	3.133	Check load →
SVCrew Cab · 6 ft · 4x4 · 5-speed automatic	6,240	624	11,230	1,220	5,816	3.357	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourceMakerEvery figure above is Nissan’s, from this document.

2018 Nissan Frontier Press Kit (pricing and specifications) · Nissan North America

How Nissan rates towing: maximum, when properly equipped.

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.

2018 Nissan Frontier specs: payload, dimensions, ground clearance and weight beside the towing ratings.

The 2018 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: 6,710 lb

SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 5-speed automatic 4x2.

Build
4x2 instead of 4x4
+200 to +270 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 5 pairs in the table
Build
King Cab instead of Crew Cab
+70 to +160 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 4 pairs in the table
Build
5 ft instead of 6 ft
+130 to +140 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 2 pairs in the table
Build
5-speed manual instead of 5-speed automatic
+10 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 2 pairs in the table

Best rating by engine

4.0L VQ40DE V66,710 lb
2.5L QR25DE I43,790 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 2018 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 2018 Frontier configuration tows the most?

The SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 5-speed automatic 4x2, at 6,710 lb.

What is the max tongue weight of the 2018 Nissan Frontier?

378–671 lb by configuration; the most is 671 lb, for the SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 5-speed automatic 4x2. Tongue weight is the trailer’s downward push on the hitch; it counts against payload.

What is the GCWR of the 2018 Nissan Frontier?

7,936–11,230 lb by configuration; the most is 11,230 lb, for the SV King Cab 6 ft 4.0L VQ40DE V6 5-speed automatic 4x2. GCWR is the most the loaded vehicle and its loaded trailer may weigh together.

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 2018 Frontier’s towing capacity?

Yes: 4x2 instead of 4x4 is rated +200 to +270 lb on otherwise identical configurations (5 pairs in Nissan’s table).

Does the engine change the 2018 Frontier’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 4.0L VQ40DE V6, 6,710 lb; 2.5L QR25DE I4, 3,790 lb.

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.