This post is for those looking to replace or upgrade their exterior lights on their first gen Frontiers. I will post links and prices in the thread and I hope those who read this will find it useful and informative. I’ve always had a hard time finding information and tips on certain things for my 2000 Frontier so now that I have done a lot of the stuff myself I hope I can help those who have questions or need advice
Headlights:
Amazon.com
As with most older vehicles, the headlights oxidize and get a film over them in the weather and outdoor conditions. Originally I tried salvaging mine by using a headlight cleaning kit and it worked to some degree but they still looked like old headlights on a 20+ year old truck (funny right?). I bought a new set and installed them in a matter of minutes after removing the grille and old lights. They looked loads better and were considerably brighter. Make sure after doing this you aim them and adjust them according to your state's laws unless you want a ticket.
Signal/Park Lights:
Amazon.com
These signal lights are $47.90 on Amazon and are extremely easy to install. They have a small tab on the back that snaps into place and one screw that mounts the top of the light to the lip of the fender body. The wiring is straightforward and hooks up directly, be careful not to bend the tabs or break the plastic wiring clips because they can be brittle. These lights are good for when you do need headlights but want your truck to look nice. I always have mine on when driving because they make it look like modern parking lights.
Fog Lights:
Amazon.com
Nissan's with the SE trim were equipped with fog lights. The stock lights are pretty dim or at least mine were when I bought my truck back in 2020. I purchased a new set off of trusty ole Amazon, the brand is called Eagle Eyes, $58.37. They shipped me two driver-side lights with mounting brackets which was not a huge problem. I just removed the new lights from the new brackets and mounted them to the old brackets. The harness is a simple plug-in with no mods needed. Let me just start off by saying these fog lights are at LEAST 2X as bright as the originals if not more. They are brighter than my HELLA off-road lights and are brighter than the headlights when the high beams are off. If you are debating on either adding fog lights to your Frontier or replacing your current ones I highly recommend these one of my favorite upgrades I did lighting-wise and also one of the cheapest.
Off-road Lights:
Amazon.com
Off-road lights are a matter of personal preference and how big your pocketbook is. For me, I already had just about all the lighting I wanted/needed so I saw no benefit in buying expensive top-of-the-line lights. These HELLA fog lights are not bad for what you pay for them but they do have some negatives. 1. They do not seal, water and condensation will get in them even if you take them apart and seal them with waterproof caulk. 2. They are disappointingly dim but they are a fog light so this is to be expected. 3. The wiring it comes with is complex and messy. 4. The provided lamp covers are white and must be removed to use the light.
Now these are the negatives but I will explain how I fixed each one. I tried sealing the lights but to no avail. Every time after a heavy rainfall 1 inch of water could be seen standing in the light through the glass lens. To fix this simply drill one to two small holes in the plastic housing on the underside of the light. These are not visible and allow water to exit and air to enter keeping the lens free of condensation.
These lights are dim but for $82 what can you expect? Once they are coupled with your truck's headlights and fog lights they make a good combo filling in the small areas where your other light beams miss.
Keep the wiring simple, run a wire directly from the battery to the lights and one wire into the cab to the power switch. On that note, the provided power switch is crap and broke within the first month. Amazon.com I recommend this switch pack, they are sturdy and fit into the spare control blanks in your Frontier's dash.
The lamp covers that come with the lights are nice but not practical. I ordered a different set with the lights separately that look better and do not have to be removed when the lights are being used. Amazon.com
These lights are nice if you want to have a classy, original look on your truck. If I had it to do over again I would probably get a different brand that is brighter and waterproof but for now, these will work for me the next few years.
Taillights:
ACANII - For 1998-2004 Nissan Frontier Smoked Lens Tail Lights Rear Brake Lamps Replacement Pair Set Driver & Passenger
https://a.co/d/8wD2KfK
These taillights are also off of Amazon as well. They are $68.99 I chose the smoked lenses for a more modern look. They are easy to mount and the factory bulbs and sockets screw directly into the housing. Make sure to double-check where the reverse, blinker, and brake light plug in because it is in a different order from the factory lights. The reverse light is in the middle rather than the bottom.
I recommend upgrading to these LED reverse lights ( Amazon.com ) because the original ones are very dim even if you get new bulbs. These lights are $17.99 on Amazon and plug in directly to the sockets. These are considerably brighter, it is a tight fight into the taillight housing, I think they touch but if so it’s very little. I would highly recommend this upgrade.
Rear Cab Light/Cargo Light:
Amazon.com
After replacing every light on my truck (including license plate lights $9.56 Amazon.com) I wanted to also replace the old cab light because it was cracked and faded. I ordered it for $24.99 (the link is above) and found out that my dyslexic brain had messed up again and bought one for a 2001 Frontier. Now this will work but requires some minor work. The 2001 Frontier had a large hole in the back of the cab that a plastic housing fit into where a wiring harness plugged up directly. The 2000 and '90s models did not. You must break/grind off the plastic housing and then bend the wiring prongs over a full 90 degrees. I then wired up the two wires running out of the back of the cab to the prongs being careful to not touch them together (you will burn out a fuse unless you disconnect the battery). The screw holes line up directly to the original mounting holes so this poses no issue. However, the '01 light is quite a bit longer than the original. This is not an issue and looks fine visibly in my opinion it looks better. I was afraid my camper shell would not fit after this because it has a very specific cut-out for the cab light but if you slide it back just a 1/4 or 1/2 or so it clears it just fine and will not touch or rub the light.
Interior Dome Light and Reading Light:
The halogen bulbs in the cab are bright compared to most vehicles of similar year models. I of course can’t leave well enough alone and switched them all the LED and I am so glad I did. The dome light bulb used to rattle a lot going down the road the new LED bulb fits in tighter and is twice and bright. Same goes for the two lights above the dash. It’s not a soft yellow light like I’m used to but a bright white light but not a harsh white. For $8.00 I’m satisfied, took maybe 10 minutes to put them all in and already loving it. I’ll post a before and after picture.
This is quite a bit of info but I hope it is organized well and the provided links work. With these new lighting additions, my lights at night are so much brighter and improve driving visibility without affecting other drivers. The fog lights have a broad spreading beam that also illuminates the sides of the road and the headlights' beams reach out considerably further than the originals. The HELLA lights have a thin wide beam mainly for spotting deer and other things off the road to avoid collisions. My light setup is brighter than my dad's 2015 Ford F-150 and my Mom's Nissan NV 2500.
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Headlights:
Amazon.com
As with most older vehicles, the headlights oxidize and get a film over them in the weather and outdoor conditions. Originally I tried salvaging mine by using a headlight cleaning kit and it worked to some degree but they still looked like old headlights on a 20+ year old truck (funny right?). I bought a new set and installed them in a matter of minutes after removing the grille and old lights. They looked loads better and were considerably brighter. Make sure after doing this you aim them and adjust them according to your state's laws unless you want a ticket.
Signal/Park Lights:
Amazon.com
These signal lights are $47.90 on Amazon and are extremely easy to install. They have a small tab on the back that snaps into place and one screw that mounts the top of the light to the lip of the fender body. The wiring is straightforward and hooks up directly, be careful not to bend the tabs or break the plastic wiring clips because they can be brittle. These lights are good for when you do need headlights but want your truck to look nice. I always have mine on when driving because they make it look like modern parking lights.
Fog Lights:
Amazon.com
Nissan's with the SE trim were equipped with fog lights. The stock lights are pretty dim or at least mine were when I bought my truck back in 2020. I purchased a new set off of trusty ole Amazon, the brand is called Eagle Eyes, $58.37. They shipped me two driver-side lights with mounting brackets which was not a huge problem. I just removed the new lights from the new brackets and mounted them to the old brackets. The harness is a simple plug-in with no mods needed. Let me just start off by saying these fog lights are at LEAST 2X as bright as the originals if not more. They are brighter than my HELLA off-road lights and are brighter than the headlights when the high beams are off. If you are debating on either adding fog lights to your Frontier or replacing your current ones I highly recommend these one of my favorite upgrades I did lighting-wise and also one of the cheapest.
Off-road Lights:
Amazon.com
Off-road lights are a matter of personal preference and how big your pocketbook is. For me, I already had just about all the lighting I wanted/needed so I saw no benefit in buying expensive top-of-the-line lights. These HELLA fog lights are not bad for what you pay for them but they do have some negatives. 1. They do not seal, water and condensation will get in them even if you take them apart and seal them with waterproof caulk. 2. They are disappointingly dim but they are a fog light so this is to be expected. 3. The wiring it comes with is complex and messy. 4. The provided lamp covers are white and must be removed to use the light.
Now these are the negatives but I will explain how I fixed each one. I tried sealing the lights but to no avail. Every time after a heavy rainfall 1 inch of water could be seen standing in the light through the glass lens. To fix this simply drill one to two small holes in the plastic housing on the underside of the light. These are not visible and allow water to exit and air to enter keeping the lens free of condensation.
These lights are dim but for $82 what can you expect? Once they are coupled with your truck's headlights and fog lights they make a good combo filling in the small areas where your other light beams miss.
Keep the wiring simple, run a wire directly from the battery to the lights and one wire into the cab to the power switch. On that note, the provided power switch is crap and broke within the first month. Amazon.com I recommend this switch pack, they are sturdy and fit into the spare control blanks in your Frontier's dash.
The lamp covers that come with the lights are nice but not practical. I ordered a different set with the lights separately that look better and do not have to be removed when the lights are being used. Amazon.com
These lights are nice if you want to have a classy, original look on your truck. If I had it to do over again I would probably get a different brand that is brighter and waterproof but for now, these will work for me the next few years.
Taillights:
ACANII - For 1998-2004 Nissan Frontier Smoked Lens Tail Lights Rear Brake Lamps Replacement Pair Set Driver & Passenger
https://a.co/d/8wD2KfK
These taillights are also off of Amazon as well. They are $68.99 I chose the smoked lenses for a more modern look. They are easy to mount and the factory bulbs and sockets screw directly into the housing. Make sure to double-check where the reverse, blinker, and brake light plug in because it is in a different order from the factory lights. The reverse light is in the middle rather than the bottom.
I recommend upgrading to these LED reverse lights ( Amazon.com ) because the original ones are very dim even if you get new bulbs. These lights are $17.99 on Amazon and plug in directly to the sockets. These are considerably brighter, it is a tight fight into the taillight housing, I think they touch but if so it’s very little. I would highly recommend this upgrade.
Rear Cab Light/Cargo Light:
Amazon.com
After replacing every light on my truck (including license plate lights $9.56 Amazon.com) I wanted to also replace the old cab light because it was cracked and faded. I ordered it for $24.99 (the link is above) and found out that my dyslexic brain had messed up again and bought one for a 2001 Frontier. Now this will work but requires some minor work. The 2001 Frontier had a large hole in the back of the cab that a plastic housing fit into where a wiring harness plugged up directly. The 2000 and '90s models did not. You must break/grind off the plastic housing and then bend the wiring prongs over a full 90 degrees. I then wired up the two wires running out of the back of the cab to the prongs being careful to not touch them together (you will burn out a fuse unless you disconnect the battery). The screw holes line up directly to the original mounting holes so this poses no issue. However, the '01 light is quite a bit longer than the original. This is not an issue and looks fine visibly in my opinion it looks better. I was afraid my camper shell would not fit after this because it has a very specific cut-out for the cab light but if you slide it back just a 1/4 or 1/2 or so it clears it just fine and will not touch or rub the light.
Interior Dome Light and Reading Light:
The halogen bulbs in the cab are bright compared to most vehicles of similar year models. I of course can’t leave well enough alone and switched them all the LED and I am so glad I did. The dome light bulb used to rattle a lot going down the road the new LED bulb fits in tighter and is twice and bright. Same goes for the two lights above the dash. It’s not a soft yellow light like I’m used to but a bright white light but not a harsh white. For $8.00 I’m satisfied, took maybe 10 minutes to put them all in and already loving it. I’ll post a before and after picture.
This is quite a bit of info but I hope it is organized well and the provided links work. With these new lighting additions, my lights at night are so much brighter and improve driving visibility without affecting other drivers. The fog lights have a broad spreading beam that also illuminates the sides of the road and the headlights' beams reach out considerably further than the originals. The HELLA lights have a thin wide beam mainly for spotting deer and other things off the road to avoid collisions. My light setup is brighter than my dad's 2015 Ford F-150 and my Mom's Nissan NV 2500.
