Nissan has built a strong reputation as a manufacturer of reliable and generally well-built vehicles. This makes it all the more surprising that the Nissan Titan is one of their worst-selling vehicles in North America.
So what went wrong? Does the Nissan Titan suffer from critical factory defects that render it unusable after only a few years, or is the reason something else? We’ll discuss this and all the aspects of the Nissan Titan in this review, so keep reading to find out a lot of useful information!
The Nissan Titan is built with high mileage in mind. The gas model can cross over 250,000 miles without suffering major breakdowns, while the diesel can go even further.
Most used truck buyers fixate on the mileage limit of a vehicle, thinking it’s the best indicator of the truck’s quality. I’ll be the first to say that while mileage figures can help, you also need to combine them with the maintenance costs required to reach those limits.
All proper pickup trucks are built with high mileage in mind, and this goes for both gasoline and diesel-powered models. The secret is the engine’s design – while compact cars have one turbo or even twin-turbo setup with small-displacement engines to crank out the power, trucks are intentionally underpowered.
The low compression and rugged truck engines deliver more than enough power to do their job without being pushed. That’s why trucks and SUVs generally outlive passenger cars and take almost all the spots on the high-mileage lists.
To get back to the Titan, I cannot tell you an exact mileage limit or even an accurate range as there’s not enough of a volume of data to create an accurate prediction. What I can tell you is that the gasoline engine can easily push 200,000 miles, and if the diesel is built right 350,000 miles should not be a challenge for it.
To properly approach the topic of reliability, we have to look at user reports and what Nissan does to show us how good of a truck Titan really is.
The J.D. Power website gathers data from verified and unbiased owners of the Nissan Titan. They base the overall rating on four categories: Quality & Reliability, Driving Experience, Dealership Experience, Resale. I’m not going to explain the resale value and dealership experience just yet, so we’ll focus on the first two categories and the overall experience.
You might have noticed a lot of gaps between the years, like 2020, 2018, 2016, and other model years are missing. This is normal for a reliable statistics website because they’d rather not make the statistic than base it on too small of a sample.
From my experience with J.D. Power ratings, the Nissan Titan has scored well overall and has great consistency. It’s normal for newer vehicles to have higher ratings as the mileage is still too low for anything significant to break down, while older models naturally get lower ratings as owners have to repair the vehicle from their own pocket.
The Repair Pal creates a rating based on the cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance. The data is gathered from repair invoices combined with predictive data algorithms to create an accurate reliability metric.
The Nissan Titan gets a 3.5/5 reliability rating, which is above average for the full-size truck segment. The annual cost and frequency of repairs are lower than the average, but the severity of the problems is slightly higher.
The Edmunds ratings are limited in quantity, but they’re still good enough to form an idea of how reliable the Titan is.
The overall rating is 4.1/5 stars, with stellar reviews from owners of multiple models, high mileage drivers, and those that have used it as a work vehicle.
The manufacturer’s warranty can give us a great idea of how a product is built and what the marketing strategy is. There’s a lot going on in the background, like weighing the starting price against warranty, or using it as a metric of reliability – whichever is the case, the higher mileage and longer duration is always better.
The brand new Nissan Titan comes with a 5-year or 100,000 miles bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. You’ll always find the limited part in there – Nissan’s policy only covers the engine, fully-boxed, full-length ladder frame, and multi-leaf rear suspension.
Nissan is trying to gain an edge over the competition by offering a much better warranty deal. The new Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra all come with a 3 year or 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
For someone who drives more than 15,000 miles a year and can take full advantage of the warranty, Nissan Titan can be a great fit.
The reliability stats tell us how likely a vehicle is to have unexpected failures, while maintenance costs cover the mandatory service and repairs. This includes changing the oil, filters, tires, recharging AC, aligning tires, changing brake pads and brake fluid, etc.
Based on the extremely rigorous maintenance schedule that CarEdge uses for its statistics, the Nissan Titan will cost $8,645 to maintain during the first 10 years of service, which is better than the segment’s average by $1,420.
If we remove the cost of maintenance during the warranty period, the figure drops down to roughly $6,000 but can be even cheaper depending on how often you rotate tires and perform the oil changes.
YourMechanic estimates that the annual average maintenance cost over a span of 12 years comes down to $652, which is in line with CarEdge data. RepairPal has a similar statistic, stating that the annual repair cost of the Nissan titan averages at $555.
Edmunds typically gives the highest maintenance figures that I don’t think are accurate – the first five years of maintenance will cost $6,000, which is extremely high considering what services could potentially be done during that period.
Value depreciation is one of the most important factors whether you’re buying a new model, or considering a used one. By knowing how well a vehicle holds its value, you’ll know how much you’re losing over time and find the best moment to sell it. Likewise, it can be used to track massive drops in value which provide a great opportunity to buy used.
| Model Year | Original Price | Current Price | Current Value | Value Lost |
| 2021 | $40,755 | $40,755 | 100% | 0% |
| 2020 | $40,394 | $34,062 | 84.3% | 15.7% |
| 2019 | $39,672 | $31,943 | 80.5% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | $39,027 | $31,553 | 80.8% | 19.2% |
| 2017 | $38,258 | $28,976 | 75.7% | 24.3% |
| 2016 | $35,166 | $21,281 | 60.5% | 39.5% |
| 2015 | $37,336 | $20,654 | 55.3% | 44.7% |
| 2014 | $37,790 | $20,040 | 53% | 47% |
| 2013 | $37,515 | $18,002 | 48% | 52% |
| 2012 | $36,182 | $17,021 | 47% | 53% |
The Nissan Titan has a very healthy depreciation curve – the only exception is the drastic drop in value where the first and second generations meet. I’ve intentionally compared the original prices with current ones, as I feel many Titan owners don’t get this metric and become very concerned with the value depreciation.
The inflation and increased production costs have driven the asking price up significantly, but even a 2014 model costs 50% of the price of a brand new model, which is excellent value retention.
The best Nissan Titan model years to buy are the 2020 model year, 2019 model year, and the last model year of the first generation (2015-2016). In contrast, those are the worst years to sell a Titan, with the most value regained with the sale of a 2018 model, or those older than 2016.
Insurance is arguably the largest expense you’ll make, even if you drive the same vehicle for over 200,000 miles. The average annual insurance cost for the Nissan Titan is $1,600, which is marginally less than the average for the full-size pickup truck segment.
| Model Year | Annual Rate | 6-month Rate | Monthly Rate |
| 2022 | $1,598 | $799 | $133 |
| 2021 | $1,566 | $783 | $131 |
| 2020 | $1,538 | $769 | $128 |
| 2019 | $1,518 | $759 | $127 |
| 2018 | $1,446 | $723 | $121 |
| 2017 | $1,410 | $705 | $118 |
| 2016 | $1,328 | $664 | $111 |
| 2015 | $1,290 | $645 | $108 |
| 2014 | $1,206 | $603 | $101 |
| 2013 | $1,212 | $606 | $101 |
The cost of repairs for the Nissan Titan depends on the shop you take the truck to, but you can use these figures to get the general idea of how expensive some repairs are.
| Service | Cost |
| Blower Motor Replacement | $340 – $350 |
| Headlight Bulb Replacement | $110 – $135 |
| Headlight Bulb Replacement | $110 – $135 |
| Electrical System Diagnosis | $90 – $110 |
| Ignition Coil Replacement | $155 – $200 |
| Fuel Pressure Test | $45 – $55 |
| Knock Sensor Replacement | $670 – $760 |
| Horn Relay Replacement | $50 – $60 |
| Backup Warning System Sensor Replacement |
$450 – $500 |
| Suspension Shock or Strut Assembly Replacement |
$490 – $530 |
| Door Mirror Replacement | $1,800 – $1,900 |
Comparing the Nissan Titan with other full-sized trucks is an important factor in determining whether or not it’s a good purchase. The comparison will be done over a series of categories to cover as much valuable information as possible.
The Nissan Titan is the longest kept truck by the first owner, with an average duration of 8.9 years, followed by the Toyota Tundra and the Ram 1500.
When it comes to the power under the hood, Nissan Titan is the most powerful at 392.1 horsepower, 20 horsepower more than Toyota Tundra. The Nissan Titan XD is less powerful and falls in the middle of the list.
The Nissan Titan XD version is the most capable pickup truck when it comes to towing at 11,541 pounds, while the standard Titan has a towing capacity of 9275 pounds.
The following data is based on the percentage of trucks driven past 200,000 miles. This is a good metric for figuring out the reliability and maintenance costs, as high-mileage vehicles are usually abandoned for these reasons.
The Nissan Titan is not the most economical, which is to be expected from a V8-powered truck. However, it doesn’t fall too far behind other options, despite ranking low.
The Nissan Titan doesn’t excel in terms of safety, earning a 4.0 out of 5-star rating. The Honda Ridgeline is the only truck that received a full 5-star rating.
You can’t expect much from a pickup truck in terms of being eco-friendly. The Nissan Titan XD is the best-rated truck, while the regular model is one of the lowest rated.
The Nissan Titan is a full-size pickup engineered and manufactured in Canton, Mississippi, USA. The concept was revealed in 2001 at the Detroit Auto Show, and the production started in September of 2003. Despite being manufactured for nearly 20 years, the Titan saw minimal revisions and has only two model generations.
The first generation was released as the 2004 model and has remained largely unchained over the span of 11 years.
The basic layout features front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, or all-wheel drive. The 5.6L V8 gas engine and 5-speed automatic transmission were the only powertrain option available. It generates 305 horsepower and 385 foot-pounds of torque in the 2004 – 2007 models, and 317 horsepower and 385 foot-pounds of torque in the 2008+ models.
The truck came in two wheelbase configurations: short wheelbase and long wheelbase. The following table shows the basic dimensions, which have changed over the years.
| Configuration | SWB | LWB |
| Wheelbase | 139.8 inches | 159.4 inches |
| Length (2004 – 2007) | 224.2 inches | 244.3 inches |
| Width (2004 – 2007) | 78.8 inches | 78.8 inches |
| Height (2004 – 2007) | 75.0 – 76.7 inches | 75.0 – 76.7 inches |
| Length (2008 – 2015) | 244.6 inches | 244.3 inches |
| Width (2008 – 2015) | 79.5 inches | 79.5 inches |
| Height (2008 – 2015) | 74.6 – 76.6 inches | 74.6 – 76.6 inches |
The Titan grew in width and length in the short wheelbase configuration, but the height and the curb weight of 5.038 pounds remained mostly unchanged. Nissan has sold a total of 385,319 1st generation Titans from 2005 to 2015.
What we know as the 2nd generation Nissan Titan was supposed to be a rebadged Dodge Ram until the plans for the joint production fell through in 2008. This is likely the reason why the first generation was produced for as long as it was – Nissan had to start the development of a successor from scratch.
The same 5.6-liter V8 from the previous generation was revised to output 390 horsepower and 394 foot-pounds of torque. Instead of a 5-speed transmission, the engine was paired with a 7-speed automatic transmission.
From 2016 to 2019 a 5.0L Cummins turbodiesel V8 was also made available in the Titan XD form. The diesel engine was named the ISV and delivers 310 horsepower and 555 foot-pounds of torque.
The Titan is available in two forms – regular and XD. The XD is built on a heavy-duty frame that increases the capabilities of the truck, and as mentioned had the option of the Cummins diesel engine.
Before the 2020 refresh, Titan was available as a two-door regular cab, four-door king cab, and four-door crew cab in both standard and XD forms.
The Nissan Titan didn’t receive a complete facelift and instead was refreshed in 2020. The main update was the switch to a 9-speed automatic transmission and another boost in engine power that now delivered 400 horsepower and 413 foot-pounds of torque.
New LED lights, a large touchscreen, and more safety systems were built into the refreshed version as standard equipment.
However, the refresh brought several cutbacks, like the discontinuation of the king cab Titan XD and regular cab in both standard and XD forms. The 5.0L ISV turbodiesel was also cut, leaving only the 5.6L V8 gasoline engine.
Nissan expected the Titan to sell 100,000 units a year and carve 5% of the market, but the 2016 model year was bought by only 21,880 drivers. From 2016 to 2021, the total sales figures come up to 210,712 units, a third of the projected goal.
The low sales have affected the production of the Titan, but the quality remained high throughout production.
The Nissan Titan has been praised by its owners, but when you compare its sales to something like the F-150 or any of the Toyota’s trucks, they’re trivially small.
While the Titan has a few things going its way, like the best-in-class power and one of the best towing capacities, it falls short in the financial sense.
The Titan has always been slightly more expensive than the competition and Nissan has been stingy with extra features, and anything from the 12-volt power plug and rear air conditioning vents to remote start and surround-view monitor is considered extra equipment.
To conclude, the Titan is not a bad truck, far from it. However, in the current market, it simply does not a significant improvement over other options that are much more popular and well established in the consumer’s minds.
If recalls are a metric to go by, the Nissan Titan is one of the most reliable trucks on the market. In a span of 18 years, it has only been recalled 19 times. There are cases of trucks that have had more than that in just one year – Dodge Ram 1500 has had 22 recalls regarding the 2019 model alone.
Nissan Titan Recalls:
If you want to get the most reliable Nissan Titan, buy it new as it comes with a 100,000 mile or 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranty.
In terms of used vehicles, all Titans are built fairly consistently, but I would give the advantage to the second generation starting with the 2017 model year.
The only years that should avoid are the early ones, especially the 2004 and 2005 models. Ideally, you want to get the post-update 1st generation or a second-generation model starting with 2017.
The overheating and general lack of ventilation can cause the rear axle seals to leak, which is the most common Nissan Titan problem. Other issues include:
I’m a fan of the 5.0L Cummins diesel V8 engine, but Nissan’s 5.6L gas V8 delivers the best-in-class performance which is a strong selling point. The Titan XD four-wheel drive is the most capable model, and you can get it in king cab or crew cab configuration.
The answer to this question requires its own article, rather than a few lines in the FAQ section. My personal opinion is that the Toyota Tundra is a better model, but you’ll have to wait for the full comparison before I can give you a final answer.
There’s nothing wrong with older Nissan Titans, especially those that are made after 2008. The first generation was manufactured for 11 years, and while it didn’t sell all that well, there were no serious complaints or flaws around it.
The 5.6 V8 has been powering the Nissan Titan since 2004, although it was updated a few times to reach its full potential of 400 horsepower. Typically, engines that are built for this long are very good, otherwise, the manufacturer would look for ways to redesign or even change them. As it stands, the 5.6 V8 has proven that it’s a very good engine.
I have seen next to no reports of transmission issues with the Nissan Titan across the production span. Nissan has been very careful with their choices of automatic transmissions and has only gone through 3 models since 2004, moving up from a 5-speed to 7-speed and lastly the newest 9-speed transmission.
When you consider that the 2014 Nissan Titan costs half as much as a brand new one, you can safely assume that Nissan Titan holds its value well.
It’s a reliable truck that has a high asking price, but that evens out in the used market, where reliability is the most important factor. As it can last a long time and is relatively inexpensive to repair, the Titan is a desirable used truck and retains a lot of its value through the years.
Yes, the brand new 2022 Titan is here, equipped with the 5.6L V8 gasoline-powered engine that delivers 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. The bed sizes are 6.6 and 5.6 feet, with a payload capacity of 1,690 pounds.
The gasoline V8 engine is built by Nissan in America, while the V8 diesel is produced by Cummins Engineering, one of the largest engine manufacturers in the world.
Rather than manufacture the Titan in Japan, Nissan has opened a production facility in Canton, Mississippi, where all Titans were produced since 2003.
The 2017 Nissan Titan is capable of towing up to 9,390 pounds and carries a payload of 1,610 pounds.
Nissan’s 5.6-liter V8 engines bare internal codes VK56DE and VK56VD. They’re built in the United States, in Decherd, Tennessee. This engine can be found in Nissan Patrol, Nissan Titan, Infinity QX56, Nissan NV2500, 3500 HD, and other large vehicles such as full-size vans.
The repairs of the Nissan Titan’s transmission depend on the severity of the failure, but not nothing non-trivial will cost less than $1,000. The cost of a new transmission isn’t all that bad either at $3,500.
The Ford F-150 has been the most popular truck in America for years, selling close to a million units each year. It’s also one of the best-selling vehicles in the world and has one of the longest-lasting production runs.
The Nissan Titan pales in comparison and has poor sales figures, even by modest standards. In the last few years, Nissan has only sold 20 to 30 thousand Titans in the United States.
The latest Titan is an expensive truck, but its warrant makes it a good deal. Having a 100,000-mile or 5-year warranty is great if you want to use your truck for both work and family.
If you take full advantage of the warranty period, it’s going to offer more value long-term than most other trucks, as the standard for warranty period is 3 years or 36,000 miles.
The Nissan Titan is built in the United States, but it’s not under Ford’s management. Nissan is building it independently in its factory in Mississippi. At one point, there was a plan to make the 2nd generation Titan a rebadged Dodge Ram 1500, but that plan fell through when the 2008 economic crisis hit.
Nissan has made some bad marketing moves with the Titan, but its lack of success in America doesn’t make it a bad truck – far from it. The Titan is very reliable and it’s loved by a vast majority of people that buy it.
Used models hold their value well and don’t have major reliability issues, while the new models come with the best warranty policy in the segment. If you want a solid full-size truck that’s not present around every corner, the Nissan Titan is an excellent choice.
