2020 Nissan Titan Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2020 Nissan Titan, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical723.3%
- Powertrain (other)723.3%
- Fuel system413.3%
- Engine413.3%
- Driver assistance310.0%
- Suspension13.3%
- Brakes13.3%
- Exterior lighting13.3%
- Other / unspecified13.3%
- Airbags13.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The issues I'm experiencing with this vehicle is delayed pedal response and a whole slew of transmission problems. There are no codes or check engine lights on. When coming to a stop and the vehicle downshifts you can visibly see the RPMs go up with each down shift and sometimes the downshift is so harsh going to 1st gear that it feels like another vehicle has bumped me from behind causing the truck to jerk forward and make a clunking sound. There is also a problem when upshifting where the RPMs will jump up before shifting into the next gear. I had a situation where I was turning left on a green light with traffic coming and had plenty of time to make it but when I rolled out into the intersection and hit the gas nothing happened for over 2 seconds. The RPMs didn't move and when I pressed the gas harder the vehicle went into a low gear and the RPMs shot up to about 5000 RPMs and accelerated rapidly to just miss an incoming vehicle. Vehicle has inconsistent shifting where it shifts ok one day and other days it acts erratically. I have been to two different dealerships and both say the truck drives as designed. I have had all the software updates done on this truck that were supposed to correct these issues but they have not helped. I opened up a case with Nissan support and they admitted these transmission problems were being addressed by their engineering team and a new software update would be available some point in the future, this was a year ago.
The contact's husband owned a 2020 Nissan Titan. The contact stated while her husband was driving 65-75 MPH, he noticed a smoke odor. The contact's husband veered to the side of the road and immediately exited the vehicle. The contact's husband saw flames between the cabin and the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle became engulfed in fire. The contact's husband attempted to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers and sustained significant burns on both hands. Additionally, the contact's husband sustained bruises on the left leg. The fire department assisted the contact's husband in extinguishing the fire. The contact's husband received medical assistance and was advised to follow up with a primary care Doctor and a burn specialist. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was totaled. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall that was completed on the vehicle in February, 2023. The local dealer and a second dealer, ABC Nissan (1300 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85014), were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
After replacing the truck frame and one day after returning the truck to me the transmission slipped out of gear while driving 75mph on the freeway. While attempting to brake the transmission seemed to lock up. When I slowed the truck down enough I hit the brakes and shifted the transmission into park. By doing this I was able to stop before hitting other vehicles and a guard rail. Nissan replaced the transmission. After several test drives they replaced the second transmission because of shifting problems. The current transmission just recently would not shift into second gear. I’ll be taking it back Monday. In short my transmission has been replaced twice in a months time and is going back to the dealership for additional repairs.
The issues I'm experiencing with this vehicle is delayed pedal response and a whole slew of transmission problems. There are no codes or check engine lights on. When coming to a stop and the vehicle downshifts you can visibly see the RPMs go up with each down shift and sometimes the downshift is so harsh going to 1st gear that it feels like another vehicle has bumped me from behind causing the truck to jerk forward and make a clunking sound. There is also a problem when upshifting where the RPMs will jump up before shifting into the next gear. I had a situation where I was turning left on a green light with traffic coming and had plenty of time to make it but when I rolled out into the intersection and hit the gas nothing happened for over 2 seconds. The RPMs didn't move and when I pressed the gas harder the vehicle went into a low gear and the RPMs shot up to about 5000 RPMs and accelerated rapidly to just miss an incoming vehicle. Vehicle has inconsistent shifting where it shifts ok one day and other days it acts erratically. I have been to two different dealerships and both say the truck drives as designed. I have had all the software updates done on this truck that were supposed to correct these issues but they have not helped. I opened up a case with Nissan support and they admitted these transmission problems were being addressed by their engineering team and a new software update would be available some point in the future, this was a year ago.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
from day one, it has had a hesitation on acceleration from both still and moving normal highway speeds. rarely is acceleration steady, smooth and immediate. dealer has had for regular oil change and this problem has been reported every time . answer was that factory recall was performed and should be better. but NO. over a year now, several visits and nothing resolved. a couple times when i needed that immediate acceleration but with severe hesitation and a semi truck hitting his brakes and blowing horn i would call it a safety problem. im not sure what work was preformed, assuming most time transmission but after research on computer there have been nissans with engine components causing this. please help. where do i go from here?
Please also reference NTB21-028, NTB21-073. The failed system appears to be the engine/transmission power control. My safety and passenger safety was at risk. A dealer did inspect in May of 2021 and was not able to duplicate and did not perform any corrective action. The problem is twofold. First the vehicle can fail to accelerate during a rolling stop (i.e. entrance into a traffic circle) and because there is no power can roll slowly into oncoming traffic. Second, the vehicle can shift erratically and is slow to shift into the next gear (high RPM before shifting) and can sometimes flair during shifting. I am now aware that Nissan is and has been aware of this issue however this issue is not currently identified as a recall. Bottom line, I think the hesitation/delayed acceleration is a safety issue and wanted to be sure the NHTSA is informed. Thank you
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle intermittently stalled; the contact waited several minutes for the vehicle to return to normal operation. The Check Engine warning light was illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel temperature valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the radiator needed to be flushed and refilled. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
from day one, it has had a hesitation on acceleration from both still and moving normal highway speeds. rarely is acceleration steady, smooth and immediate. dealer has had for regular oil change and this problem has been reported every time . answer was that factory recall was performed and should be better. but NO. over a year now, several visits and nothing resolved. a couple times when i needed that immediate acceleration but with severe hesitation and a semi truck hitting his brakes and blowing horn i would call it a safety problem. im not sure what work was preformed, assuming most time transmission but after research on computer there have been nissans with engine components causing this. please help. where do i go from here?
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Rear Automatic Braking (RAB) software fails to detect a connected trailer harness. The truck experiences un-commanded, sudden emergency braking during multi-point turns when going from forward to reverse when manueverimg a trailer, creating an immediate hazard of neck injury, trailer jackknifing on public roadways or loss of control. this is on a truck that has a brake controller for trailers, the truck knows a trailer is hooked up but repeatedly turns the RAB back on after it driver disables it, furthermore the truck does not have a driver configuration option in settings to permanently disable these features but rather has a temporary button on the center console which resets every time the truck goes from forward to reverse.
Truck was exiting highway driver tried to disengage cruise control, would not disengage. Driver put truck in neutral to slow down truck but didnt slow down enough to avoid accident. Driver and passenger are in hospital with several injuries. The air bags did not deploy during accident. Insurance is inspecting vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
Unknown, vehicle was purchased from Insurance Auto Auctions with minor front collision damage that occurred in the State of Georgia. Suspension damage was not revealed until vehicle was delivered by a transporter to my home. Upon inspection of the vehicle it was determined that the McPherson shock absorber was defective and broke in 2 pieces causing the release of the spring tension. The Nissan manufacturing defect occurred in the factory welds of the upper strut tower support in that the welds of the shock tower never fused with the vehicle chassis which caused the rupture of the entire upper right front suspension.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM APPLIED ITSELF ON THE HIGHWAY, TRUCK WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD, PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. MULTIPLE WARNING SIGNALS IN THE TRUCK.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2020 Nissan Titan. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH on a dark roadway, the automatic high-beam headlights failed to activate as needed. The contact was able to manually activate the high-beam headlights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 24,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
IN JANUARY 2021, I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN DUE TO TIRE SEPARATION AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE TO A TIRE DEALER. I HAD THE GENERAL GRABBER APT ON MY TITAN. I WENT TO A TIRE DEALER AND FOUND I HAD 3 OUT OF 4 TIRES THAT WERE DEFECTIVE. ONE COULD BE PRORATED BUT THE OTHERS WERE NOT. I ENDED UP PURCHASING A BRAND NEW SET OF TIRES AND DUE TO THE ISSUE ON THESE TIRES WITH LESS THAT 3000 MILES ON THEM, I PURCHASED A DIFFERENT BRAND ALTOGETHER. I WENT TO THE DEALER IN APRIL FOR AN ISSUE AND FOUND THAT NISSAN HAS STARTED TO REPLACE THESE TIRES BASED UPON A RECALL. I AM NOW OUT THE MONEY THAT I PAID AFTER I HAD COMPLAINED THAT THIS TIRE HAD ALREADY HAD A SAFETY ISSUE YET NOW THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TIRE IS REPLACING THEM. I HAVE NO PROBLEM SENDING THE RECEIPT OF THE TIRES PURCHASED BUT WILL WAIT UNTIL ASKED.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Truck was exiting highway driver tried to disengage cruise control, would not disengage. Driver put truck in neutral to slow down truck but didnt slow down enough to avoid accident. Driver and passenger are in hospital with several injuries. The air bags did not deploy during accident. Insurance is inspecting vehicle.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .