Most common 2016 Nissan Titan XD problems
Share of the 198 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Nissan Titan XD complaints by model year
2016 Nissan Titan XD recalls (3)
Equipment › Other › Labels
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Nissan Titan, 2016 and 2018 Nissan Titan XD vehicles. Accessories installed on these vehicles reduced the load carrying capacity, however, a Load Carrying Capacity modification label was not installed, possibly allowing the vehicle to be overloaded.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners and provide a new modification label, with installation instructions, free of charge. The recall began on June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-867-7669.
Seat belts › Rear/other
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Nissan Titan Crew Cab and Titan XD Crew Cab vehicles. In the event of a crash, the rear seatbelt assembly may not adequately protect the occupant's head, allowing it to contact the D-ring bolt trim cap.
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will install energy absorbing material to the C-Pillar Finishers and replace the Seatbelt Bolt and Bolt Cap, free of charge. The recall began September 19, 2017.
Fuel system, diesel › Storage › Tank assembly
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016 Titan Diesel XD vehicles manufactured August 7, 2015, to September 1, 2016. The affected vehicles may not have had the temporary fuel tank breather tube cap removed during the vehicle's assembly and the fuel tank breather tube may not have been connected…
Remedy: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tank breather tube, replacing the fuel tank, fuel sending unit, and/or fuel tank breather tube, as necessary, free of charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2016 Nissan Titan XD:
Loss of motive power due to broken crankshaft with no ability to restart.
On November 15, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE23020 to investigate allegations of loss of motive power in model year (MY) 2016 through 2019 Nissan Titan XD trucks equipped with 5.0L Cummins diesel engines. The complaints allege the condition was due to a failure of the engine crankshaft.
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2016 Nissan Titan XD owners say
Engine & cooling all 134 →
Good Afternoon, My brother was driving my Nissan Titan XD 5.0 Cummins Diesel from Naples, FL to Ft . Lauderdale FL , and the truck was running fine at around 70-80 mph with no issues .As soon as he proceeded to the exit in Lauderdale around 60mph, all of a sudden truck flashed all kinds of warning lights came on randomly and motor shut down . Smoke coming from starter and solenoid below the fuse box. He is an engineer for North Collier Fire and put out the flames immediately . I took the motor in to shop and they found the motor was seized up and burned harness near starter. I went to a few mechanic shops including Nissan and no one could give me a solid answer on what had happed with the truck , besides that it just seized up . No one would take blame. I was trying to do some research on these trucks and found numerous owners had the same problems as me. …
Was driving at about 40 mph with cruise control on, when my passenger and I noticed extreme vibrations and noises with. Began slowing to turn into a gas station just ahead when the clunking became so violent the front of the vehicle was bouncing. As I turned into the gas station, there was a loud bang, smoke billowed from the hood, and the engine stalled leaving me with no power steering. I turned as hard as I could to avoid gas pumps and people fueling their cars, and ended up running up a curb with no power to steer away. No warning lights came on until I came to a stop. Smoke and oil continued running from the front of my truck for several minutes. I feel fortunate to have walked away from such a violent breakdown. I am told the truck needs a new engine and transmission resulting from a broken crankshaft, and have been refused any warranty or good will assistance. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 42 →
1. The Crankshaft failed. The vehicle is available for inspection. Nissan has confirmed Crankshaft and engine to be unrepairable. 2. Event happened on a weekend late afternoon on a busy highway bridge. The titan was driving in the far left lane at 65-70 mph. Had to maneuver 2 lanes over down the bridge with no power to the engine. Safety for myself and many others on the highway bridge were put into danger as they had to maneuver out of my way while also driving around 65-70mph. Tow truck company also put in danger due to the busy nature of the highway when picking up vehicle. 3. Yes the problem cannot be reproduced because the vehicle is un-drivable. It has been confirmed by a dealer. 4. Yes the vehicle has been inspected at the local Nissan dealership. They stated the Crank shaft failed which led to the engine becoming unrepairable. 5. There were zero warning signs. …
The truck down shifted twice and then shut completely off while I was driving down the interstate. I was towed to Nissan in Springfield Missouri (closest to me) and they could not figure out the issue and charged me $500. I then towed the truck to Nissan of Jefferson city, Missouri, where I bought it. They inspected the motor and told me it was a complete loss. Metal in the oil pan from internal parts. They quoted me $39k for it to be replaced and I currently owe $30k on the truck. I only had this truck for 10 months when this failure occurred and left me and my family stranded. No check engine lights, odd noises or anything. Nissan has been reluctant to help and from what I've been reading this is a very normal occurrence for these trucks. I'm not sure what I'm going to do to get through this but I don't want it to happen to anyone else, so hopefully NHTSA can sort out this issue. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 31 →
In July 2024 after having my Bosch CP4 Injector pump and fuel system replaced by my dealership due to the injector pump failure, I went around a corner and when I went to accelerate the truck wouldn't. After several moments and the truck just coasting down the road without any power it started to respond to the accelerator pedal. It did the same thing in November of 2024 while I was towing my travel trailer only this time, I had to stop in the middle of the road turn the truck off and back on before it would accelerate under its own power. Last Thursday January 9, 2025 the truck did it several times while I was driving it each time I had to roll off the road without any power, turn the truck off wait a few moments and turn the truck back on before I could drive it under its own power. …
Issues with turbo actuator. The check engine light stays on and I've taken it to Nissan multiple times to diagnose but they want to change me diagnostic fee every time and still can't tell me what the issue is. The truck loses power while driving without any warning and goes into limp mode where it will not go past 5-10 mile per hour. According to boards and Nissan this is a very common problem with Nissan Titans with Cummins that Nissan has failed to fix with recall. This is a huge safety issue and could cause loss of life as it has stopped on me on the interstate multiple times. Please fix this issue asap as it's been reported over the course of last few years and someone will lose their life over this huge issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2016 Nissan Titan XD a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Titan XD to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 198 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Nissan Titan XD?
The engine & cooling — 134 complaints, 68% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (42) and fuel & propulsion system (31).
How many recalls does the 2016 Nissan Titan XD have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2016 Nissan Titan XD, the most recent from April 16, 2018 (labels). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do 2016 Nissan Titan XD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 18,000 miles; 78% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.