Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Nissan Titan owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2004 Nissan Titan. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly stall with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact performed a diagnostic test and determined that the engine control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V517000 (Engine). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 255,000.
My Titan is a 4 door not 2, also I am not sure if these recalls I saw are related to the problems I am having but my light indicator (as in the pictures I provided) has come on twice I immediately turn it off and I wait for the engine to cool it gets really hot but it doesn't indicate any over heating on the dash indicators (it might just be me but it seems hot enough to be overheating) and once cooled i check the fluids and refill the oil as needed (coolant level been fine) but this has happened to me now 2 times in a 3 day period so I believe there is a leak. …
I purchased this truck on 04/05/18 from Harbor motors Lihue Kauai, and not even a week into having this truck it started acting up, overheating, the truck wouldn't turn over, suspensions, the four-wheel-drive wouldn't disengage, when you turn the key to start the vehicle it would make a clicking noise before starting, the AC would work when it wanted to, and the transmission and engine started knocking. The next week I went running errands and when I pulled out of my yard the truck started jerking then pressed the gas and it revved really high before slamming into drive. Since then I haven't driven the truck. And today it looks like someone just smashed into the front driver light to the side and smashed it while being parked at the place I purchased the truck from. I've continuously asked for help with little to no help at all. …
My husband could have been killed. We had no knowledge of any recalls. Two days ago my husband was getting in the truck and all of a sudden smoke started coming from the dash board and a fire was starting. He immediately ran in the truck stop store and was able to get a fire extinguisher. Another customer unhooked the battery as my husband distinguished the fire. The truck will not start and when trying to test it out by re-attaching the battery the smoke began again. We are now without a vehicle and had to get the truck towed home.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Nissan Titan. While driving 55 MPH, the driver could not stop the vehicle after applying the brakes. The vehicle went over an embankment. As a result, the driver sustained fatal injuries. The contact was unsure if the airbags deployed. The vehicle is presently being held by the hwy patrol. The vehicle had been taken for brake repairs 7 times and was released to the contact saying that the brakes were fine. Prior to the crash the brakes had failed in October and the contact had the vehicle serviced and filed a complaint. The service manager told the contact that he believed that there was still something wrong with the vehicle and was fired from his position. During prior failures, the ABS warning light became illuminated. The contact has reported the failures to Nissan with no resolution. The current and failure mileages were 83,000. …
This is a finance vehicle saw the 2004 Nissan Titan really like it for the work that I do and my husband agreed to partially financed it. The first driving off the car lot the service engine light came on when we got home I called back the dealer to let him what had happened, he said to bring it back the following Thursday to see what was going on, during the same week the two front windows fell down into the slot couldn't come back up so we had drive in the dead of winter with the windows done. Finally we drop the pickup off at the dealer, it was there for 2 full weeks before we got it back, thinking everything was fixed .a few days after the engine light came back on we called them again they in replied telling us they can't do anything about the problem because the vehicle is a used vehicle.oh my god. …
Tl contact owns a 2004 Nissan Titan. While driving 5 MPH, the contact attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle would not stop. The contact almost struck two pedestrians. She had to apply the emergency brake in order to stop the vehicle. The dealer stated that the ABS caused the failure. The powertrain was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 79,000. The consumer stated on 3/26/07 was in a car accident, the vehicle failed to stop at signal and she hit the rear of a pick up and pushed the vehicle in front to hit another vehicle. The consumer stated the other person sustained back injury. The dealer stated ticking noise coming from engine, rear door weather strip is hanging, exhaust leak sound when accelerating, and oil pressure gauge is pegging high. Updated 11/08/07
I had the dealer inspect the vehicle. They said both exhaust manifolds had cracked. They said there was a previous notice from Nissan and they should be replaced. I was not notified and the dealer did not contact me. Now they said too much time had elapsed to take advantage of this free replacement. This is clearly a design defect since Nissan had them replaced on some vehicles. This is a safety hazard because cracked manifolds can cause a carbon monoxide leak or set a fire while driving fast. The cost to repair is near $1000 for the parts plus labor to install. There must be other people who had this safety problem so the government should force Nissan to fix all the vehicles. Mine has only 86000 easy miles on it.
The vehicle ( a 2004 Nissan Titan) has 30 thousand plus miles,carefully maintained (no salt) and was pulling a 7500 pound boat on pa I-79 when it lost all power,including all lights (including rear and hazard) .this resulted in a fire which totally disabled the entire vehicle. The tail pipe had fallen off and burned dozens of electrical wires. This manufacturing defect has been reported numerous times on the net and to dealers. It should strongly be noted that had the same incident occurred on ny I-90 where there is no safe place to pull off or at night anywhere, many lives would have been lost. This defect must receive immediate attention. Nissan has refused to acknowledge the defect or pay for repairs.
Since purchasing my truck in August of 2004 I have experienced several brake related issues. I've taken the truck to the same dealer for service on each failure/issue. The break issues experienced have been brake lights turning on, brakes shuddering, the truck not braking properly, brakes not working until the pedal was almost completely pressed. Recently the truck failed to stop resulting in a rear end collision. The dealer has replaced/resurfaced rotors, brake pads and replaced sensors during the past year and a half. However, I continue to experience issue after issue regarding the brakes. I have had other defects as well, but the brake issues have been the primary issue.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling
Nissan is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 armada, titan, Infiniti qx56 and model year 2005-2006 frontier, pathfinder and xterra vehicles. The intelligent power distribution module (ipdm) assembly contains an engine control module (ECM) relay that has a diode for electrical current noise reduction.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the ECM relay inside the ipdm assembly. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on December 6, 2010. Owners May contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.
Engine complaints in other Titan years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2004 Nissan Titan?
NHTSA has 132 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2004 Nissan Titan, 13% of the model year's 1,046 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Nissan Titan engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-517 (engine and engine cooling, Oct 28, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2004 Nissan Titan engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 4 fires and 2 injuries and 1 death to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.