Makes · Nissan · Nissan Frontier
2013 Nissan Frontier towing capacity
Trim-level maximum towing capacity — 3,500 – 6,500 lbs across packages. Exact capacity depends on configuration. Payload is separate from towing capacity and is shown where GVWR and curb weight (or manufacturer payload) exist.
Tow Planner
Select your exact configuration and tell us what you're towing. We'll compare trailer weight, payload, tongue weight and the available vehicle limits. Year-level towing and payload answers below are available without selecting a configuration.
Which configuration do you have?
18 configurations
18 possible configurations match your selections.
What are you trying to do?
Choose a job to open interactive tools. Year-level towing and payload answers appear below even before you pick a configuration.
What can a 2013 Nissan Frontier tow?
Across 18 configurations with published ratings, 2013 Nissan Frontier towing capacity ranges from 3,500 lbs to 6,500 lbs. Exact capacity depends on configuration — not every 2013 Nissan Frontier can tow the maximum value.
- Minimum published towing capacity in this dataset: 3,500 lbs
- Maximum published towing capacity in this dataset: 6,500 lbs
- Configurations with a towing rating: 18 of 18
Highest-rated example: Desert Runner · 4x2 · King Cab — 6,500 lbs
Lowest-rated example: SV-I4 · 4x2 — 3,500 lbs
Highest towing configurations
Top configurations by published maximum trailer rating for the 2013 Nissan Frontier. Payload is shown only when present in the dataset.
| Trim | Cab | Drivetrain | Bed | Axle ratio | Max towing | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Runner | King Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 2.94 | 6,500 lbs | 1,385 lbs |
| SV | King Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.54 | 6,500 lbs | 1,524 lbs |
| Desert Runner | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,264 lbs |
| PRO-4X | King Cab | 4x4 | 6 ft | 3.69 | 6,300 lbs | 1,235 lbs |
| S | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.54 | 6,300 lbs | 1,457 lbs |
| SL | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,350 lbs |
| SL | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,252 lbs |
| SV | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 4.75 ft | 3.54 | 6,300 lbs | 1,422 lbs |
| SV | Crew Cab | 4x2 | 6 ft | 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 1,388 lbs |
| SV | King Cab | 4x4 | 6 ft | 3.54 | 6,300 lbs | 1,355 lbs |
Towing capacity by drivetrain
2013 Nissan Frontier 4x2 towing capacity
Range: 3,500 – 6,500 lbs (median 6,300 lbs) across 10 configurations in this dataset.
2013 Nissan Frontier 4x4 towing capacity
Range: 6,100 – 6,300 lbs (median 6,100 lbs) across 8 configurations in this dataset.
Towing capacity by cab style
2013 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab towing capacity
Observed range: 6,100 – 6,300 lbs (12 configurations).
2013 Nissan Frontier King Cab towing capacity
Observed range: 3,500 – 6,500 lbs (6 configurations).
Towing capacity by axle ratio
| Axle ratio | Towing range | Configurations |
|---|---|---|
| 2.94 | 6,500 lbs | 1 |
| 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 4 |
| 3.36 | 6,100 lbs | 3 |
| 3.54 | 6,300 – 6,500 lbs | 4 |
| 3.69 | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 4 |
| 4.08 | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
| 4.36 | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
2013 Nissan Frontier payload capacity
Payload is not the same as towing capacity. Where both GVWR and curb weight exist in the catalog, payload is GVWR minus curb weight (or the manufacturer payload field when present). Payload covers people, cargo in the truck, hitch equipment, and trailer tongue weight — not the full trailer weight.
- Observed payload range: 931 – 1,524 lbs
- Configurations with payload data: 18
Highest-payload configurations
- SV · 4x2 · King Cab — 1,524 lbs
- S · 4x2 · Crew Cab — 1,457 lbs
- SV · 4x2 · Crew Cab — 1,422 lbs
- SV · 4x2 · Crew Cab — 1,388 lbs
- Desert Runner · 4x2 · King Cab — 1,385 lbs
Quick configuration comparison
Observed towing ranges from the 2013 Nissan Frontier dataset. Values are min–max of published ratings in each group — not a claim that every unit in the group can tow the top figure.
Drivetrain
| Drivetrain | Towing range | Configs |
|---|---|---|
| 4x2 | 3,500 – 6,500 lbs | 10 |
| 4x4 | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 8 |
Cab styles
| Cab | Towing range | Configs |
|---|---|---|
| Crew Cab | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 12 |
| King Cab | 3,500 – 6,500 lbs | 6 |
Bed lengths
| Bed | Towing range | Configs |
|---|---|---|
| 4.75 ft | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 8 |
| 6 ft | 3,500 – 6,500 lbs | 10 |
Axle ratios
| Axle | Towing range | Median | Configs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.94 | 6,500 lbs | 6,500 lbs | 1 |
| 3.13 | 6,300 lbs | 6,300 lbs | 4 |
| 3.36 | 6,100 lbs | 6,100 lbs | 3 |
| 3.54 | 6,300 – 6,500 lbs | 6,300 lbs | 4 |
| 3.69 | 6,100 – 6,300 lbs | 6,100 lbs | 4 |
| 4.08 | 3,500 lbs | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
| 4.36 | 3,500 lbs | 3,500 lbs | 1 |
Why does towing capacity vary for this vehicle?
Towing ratings vary across configurations. These are configuration differences present in our dataset:
- Drivetrain: 4x2, 4x4
- Axle ratios: 2.94, 3.13, 3.36, 3.54, 3.69, 4.08, 4.36
- Cab styles: Crew Cab, King Cab
- Bed lengths: 4.75 ft, 6 ft
- Published towing range: 3,500 – 6,500 lbs
Compare this vehicle
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Towing capacity by trim
| Trim | Max towing | Curb weight | Payload* | HP | Torque | Axle | Wheelbase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert Runner 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,500 lbs | 4,215 lbs | 1,385 lbs | 261 | 281 | 2.94 | 125.9 |
| SV 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,500 lbs | 4,175 lbs | 1,524 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| Desert Runner 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,336 lbs | 1,264 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 125.9 |
| PRO-4X 4x4 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,333 lbs | 1,235 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| S 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,219 lbs | 1,457 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,409 lbs | 1,350 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x2 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,507 lbs | 1,252 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 139.9 |
| SV 4x2 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,281 lbs | 1,422 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| SV 4x2 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,343 lbs | 1,388 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.13 | 139.9 |
| SV 4x4 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,300 lbs | 4,327 lbs | 1,355 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.54 | 125.9 |
| PRO-4X 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,475 lbs | 1,098 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| S 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,381 lbs | 1,251 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,594 lbs | 1,251 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.36 | 125.9 |
| SL 4x4 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,725 lbs | 1,120 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.36 | 139.9 |
| SV 4x4 Crew Cab 4.75 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,443 lbs | 1,255 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.69 | 125.9 |
| SV 4x4 Crew Cab 6 ft. box 139.9 in. WB | 6,100 lbs | 4,557 lbs | 1,260 lbs | 261 | 281 | 3.36 | 139.9 |
| S 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 3,500 lbs | 3,708 lbs | 971 lbs | 152 | 171 | 4.08 | 125.9 |
| SV-I4 4x2 King Cab 6 ft. box 125.9 in. WB | 3,500 lbs | 3,753 lbs | 931 lbs | 152 | 171 | 4.36 | 125.9 |
* Payload = manufacturer payload when present, otherwise GVWR − curb weight. Towing capacity is a separate rating and is not the same as payload.
What affects the rating
Higher figures usually need the tow package, the right axle ratio, and enough cooling. Passengers, fuel, gear, and tongue weight all eat into what you can safely pull — stay under both the trailer rating and the vehicle’s payload.