2012 Nissan Frontier: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

7 builds left the factory as a 2012 Frontier, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 6 main configurations sell for $3,995–$19,494 today.

  • 6 main configurations
  • 10,363 vehicles built
  • 119 for sale right now
  • $3,995–$19,494 typical price range

Which Frontier is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Frontier

What actually differs

S 1N6AD0ER-C S 1N6BD0CT-C SV · 4WD SV
Engine 4L 2.5L 4L 4L
Typical price today $10,900 $11,967 $13,995 $12,936
For sale right now 56 19 25 8
Vehicles built 4,681 2,128 1,858 789
Same on every 2012 Frontier
  • Drivetrain Four-wheel drive
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Pickup

What people actually pay

159 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
S 1N6AD0ER-C
$10,900
S 1N6BD0CT-C
$11,967
SV · 4WD
$13,995
$3,875 $7,926 $11,977 $16,028 $20,079
Price trend

Median up $1,029 over the last 12 months.

2012 Frontier price history →
Will it hold value?

A Frontier typically keeps about 82% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $9,838 today.

Frontier depreciation by year →
Cost to run

17/22 mpg city/highway. Roughly $2,450/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2012 Frontier

Safety, in plain English

What 1N6AD0CW-C means

1N6 AD0CW · C
1N6
the World Manufacturer Identifier Nissan registered — assembled in the United States
AD0CW
together encode the Frontier line — Pickup, 4L, Four-wheel drive — as Nissan filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
C
in position 10 — model year 2012
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
Real VINs from this run 1N6AD0CW 7CC405460 1N6AD0CW 3CC415936
1 rare configuration — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Frontier?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.

2012 Nissan Frontier prices →