Selling a broken-down Nissan Titan

Below is the Titan's federal record: 3,463 complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 to 2024 model years, 35 recall campaigns, and the bulletins and safety investigation behind the biggest patterns.

Two generations, one Mississippi plant

Nissan built every Titan at Canton, Mississippi, from September 2003 to November 2024. Its 5.6-liter V8s were built at Decherd, Tennessee.

• 2004-2015, first generation (A60). Nissan's first full-size truck. The VK56DE V8 made 305 hp, then 317 hp after 2007, through a five-speed automatic. It came as a King Cab or crew cab, never a regular cab, and shared its F-Alpha platform with the Armada and Infiniti QX56. A refresh arrived for 2008.
• 2016-2019, second generation (A61). The Titan XD brought a 390 hp gasoline V8 or a Cummins 5.0-liter turbo diesel V8, rated 310 hp and 555 lb-ft, with a heavy-duty Aisin six-speed automatic. The diesel engines were assembled in Indiana.
• 2020-2024, refresh. The diesel was dropped, and a nine-speed Jatco automatic replaced the seven-speed. By 2024 the V8 was rated 400 hp on premium fuel. Nissan confirmed in August 2023 that 2024 would be the last year.

Nearly three of every four complaints, 2,506 of 3,463, are on 2004-2007 trucks.

What goes wrong on a Titan

Rear axle and differential leaks, 2004-2005

Power train is the component listed most on the 2004 (443 of 1,046 complaints) and the 2005 (448 of 891). NHTSA's online records count the 2004 a little differently, and of the 464 power train complaints there, 372 mention the differential or an axle and 259 mention a leak or a seal. On the 2005 it's 362 of 469. One owner wrote of an "EMERGENCY BRAKE AND REAR BRAKES GOT COVERED IN GEAR OIL" after a differential seal let go. Another described an axle shaft sliding out of the differential, fluid everywhere, and four-wheel drive gone.

We found no Nissan campaign or bulletin for these early trucks, so those are owner reports only. A 2024 Nissan bulletin does address rear final drive leaks on 2016-2024 Titans. The leak point is the flange where the axle assembly mounts to the axle tube: one O-ring on the Titan, an O-ring plus a tube seal on the XD.

Warped front rotors, 2004

Brakes rank next on the 2004. In the online records, 108 of 280 brake complaints mention rotors, with owners describing shudder when stopping and rotors replaced more than once.

Titan XD diesel crankshafts, 2016-2019

Engine tops the complaint list on every year from 2016 to 2019: 114 of 198 on the 2016, 84 of 187 on the 2017, 41 of 90 on the 2018 and 13 of 49 on the 2019. NHTSA files the Titan and Titan XD together here. On the 2016 Titan XD alone, 51 complaints use the word crankshaft.

NHTSA opened preliminary evaluation PE23020 into 38,763 diesel Titan XDs. Its finding: the crankshaft main bearings can fail and fracture the crankshaft, and the truck loses power and can't be restarted. Half the failures came by 60,000 miles, far fewer after 80,000, and the rate dropped with each newer model year. Many trucks knocked, vibrated, lit the check engine light or ran poorly before they quit. NHTSA closed the case on June 27, 2025 with no manufacturer action.

Recalls that matter on a working truck

• 2004-2006: an engine control relay, housed in the power distribution module, whose failure can stall the truck (10V517).
• 2005-2009: a fuel gauge that may still show fuel, typically a quarter of a tank, after the Titan has run dry (10V074).
• 2008-2010: a brake pedal pivot pin, not formed to spec, that may work loose and leave play in the pedal (10V072).
• 2013-2015: a driver-side inflator that can burst as the air bag deploys, sending metal pieces at the people inside (20V188).
• 2016 XD diesel, built August 7, 2015 to September 1, 2016: a fuel tank breather tube left unconnected, which can make the gauge read wrong (16V847).
• 2017-2019 gasoline trucks: an alternator harness damaged during engine installation, which can short, stall the engine and start a fire (19V495).
• 2020-2023: a parking pawl that may not catch when shifted to Park, leaving the Titan free to roll (22V457, then widened under 22V671).

Complaints and recalls, year by year

Titan and Titan XD complaints are counted together here, tallied October 10, 2026 from NHTSA's downloadable data. The quiet 2009-2015 trucks share two rows, and a campaign touching several of those years counts once. Across all of them, owners reported 110 crashes, 52 fires and 10 deaths.

Is the Titan worth repairing?

Check two things before you pay for anything. Look for open recalls on the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup, and ask a Nissan dealer whether any coverage still applies.

An XD with a fractured crankshaft has no recall or extension behind it, so the repair is on you. Get a written quote and weigh it against what a running Titan of the same year brings. If the repair eats most of that, selling makes sense; our blown engine guide lays out the decision with AAA's ranges. A leaking axle on a 2004-2005 is a smaller job, but on a truck with a list of other faults it can tip things the same way. Thinking of pulling parts and selling them yourself? Read part it out or sell it whole before you start.

Selling it whole

Request an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008. It helps to have:

• The VIN, mileage, cab style, and whether it's gas or the XD diesel.
• What happened: crankshaft, axle, transmission, a wreck.
• Whether it rolls and steers, and where it's parked. Mention a tight spot, like a narrow driveway or a low garage.
• Whose name is on the title. If it's lost, start with selling a junk car without a title.

Leave the truck complete, tailgate and wheels included. Parts already pulled change the offer, so list them. Afterward, deal with the plates and insurance the way your state requires; after you sell has every state's rule.