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Nissan Titan XDModel year report

2016 Nissan Titan XD Problems

Complaints
199filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
17,500miles, 79 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Nissan Titan XD (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 Titan XD most often describe powertrain complaints: delayed or missing throttle response, hard or abrupt shifting, and reduced-power or limp-mode events, usually on the Cummins diesel version and frequently at low mileage. A second cluster of complaints concerns diesel exhaust fumes entering the cab and, at higher mileages, turbocharger and engine failures. Many reports come from the first few thousand miles, and several owners say the dealer could not reproduce or resolve the concern.

  1. Engine

    Delayed throttle / no acceleration from a stop

    • 50 complaints (25%)
    • median 10,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (26 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2017–2025

    Owners describe pressing the accelerator, sometimes to the floor, and getting several seconds of no response before the truck moves or the turbo builds power. It is most often noted when pulling away from a stop, turning across traffic, or re-accelerating after slowing, with some describing an RPM flare or lurch when the power finally arrives. Complaints say dealers either called the behaviour normal for the torque management or told owners there was no fix. Reported from as little as 10 to a few thousand miles, and again in the 30,000-60,000 mile range, mostly on the diesel.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Drive the truck from a dead stop and from a rolling 10-25 mph, and note any lag before it moves. Ask whether any emissions or engine calibration campaigns (PD128/PD129, PM sensor) have been completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “No acceleration from stop or a slow roll thru stop I get a 4 to 6 second delay when pulling into traffic this happens quite alot I have 10k miles on the truck dealer says Nissan has never heard of this issue but I read about it on the net and I see complaint here this is very dangerous does someone have to get killed before nhts will get involved ???”

    NHTSA complaint #10985911, filed 2017-05, 10,000 miles

    “While driving from pensacola fl to my home on I-110, a car pulled out in front of me causing me to tap on the brakes, to slow down., when I tried to reaccelerate there was no response for around 5 seconds, almost causing me to be rear ended.”

    NHTSA complaint #11048000, filed 2017-11, 8,300 miles
  2. Engine

    Reduced power / limp mode, check engine light

    • 66 complaints (33%)
    • median 41,000 mi at 4.7 yrs old (23 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2016–2026

    Complaints describe a sudden loss of power with the check engine light and a reduced-engine-power or exhaust-filter message, leaving the truck limited to a crawl or shutting down entirely. Some owners report recurring events after drives of an hour or more or while towing, and that clearing the message only postpones the next occurrence. Dealers are described as replacing turbochargers, emissions sensors or connectors, and in some cases the engine. Spread from under 10,000 to over 100,000 miles, with many reports in the 20,000-60,000 mile range.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for the service history and whether emissions recall campaigns (PD128/PD129, particulate matter sensor) and any turbo work were done. Scan for stored codes and take a longer highway test drive, ideally with a load.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “1 year apart, 30,000 miles apart. I had to get the pdf replaced, catalyic replaced, scr sensors...the check engine keeps coming back on...I would drive about 30 miles ,check engine lights comes on and I would start losing power..to where it would shut down itself”

    NHTSA complaint #11320893, filed 2020-04, 41,000 miles

    “While traveling down highway the check engine light illuminated and I lost all power. I had to get to the side of the highway fast before I got rear ended. This vehicle is extremely dangerous. I purchased used with 10,000 miles on it and this is the second time the engine has lost complete power with no advance notice. First repair by Nissan dealership was blown valve and turbo problems. 8,000 miles later the turbo is throwing error code p2662. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11376257, filed 2020-11, 24,400 miles
  3. Engine

    Diesel exhaust fumes in the cab

    • 14 complaints (7%)
    • median 800 mi at 1.4 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2017–2020

    Owners report a strong diesel exhaust smell inside the cab, often during regeneration and sometimes while idling or driving slowly, with or without the climate system on. Several say the odour made occupants feel unwell and that rolling down the windows did not clear it. Complaints describe dealers acknowledging fumes entering during regeneration but being unable to fix it, or telling owners they had no known repair. Mostly noted in the first few thousand miles, often during regeneration or at idle.

    What to check: During a test drive, let the truck idle and, if possible, wait through a regeneration cycle, then check for exhaust smell in the cab. Ask whether any exhaust or EGR work has been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Since I bought this vehicles my wife's and hi are incommoded by exhaust gas in the cabin, real bad . The dealer was unable to fix it and we are worried, this is an extreme and urgent situation this vehicle is only 4 month old ? This is become a permanent situation”

    NHTSA complaint #10995362, filed 2017-06, 4,000 miles

    “Diesel smell coming into the cab when regen is taking place its so strong and the fumes are so bad I have to get out of the truck its my opinion its carbon monoxide poisoning it is giving me respiratory trouble for my self this must become a recall before someone passes out from the fuel smell the dealer is still waiting for a engineer sins there is no fix and the dealer has never had to do a repair like this they said we don't know what to do and never had a new truck like this so I am stuck driving it and don't know when I will get a call …”

    NHTSA complaint #10956839, filed 2017-02, 500 miles
  4. Engine

    Turbocharger or engine failure with loss of power

    Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

    Some complaints describe the engine losing power at highway speed with warning lights, and dealers diagnosing a failed turbocharger, a broken crankshaft, or internal engine damage requiring replacement. Owners report the truck coasting to a stop or being limited to walking pace, sometimes with no warning light at all. One owner notes the engine was replaced but the low-fuel-pressure message returned. Reported from roughly 35,000 to well over 150,000 miles, several at 70,000-90,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Listen for unusual turbo whistle or rattle, check for oil and coolant leaks, and ask for evidence of turbo or engine replacement in the service records. Confirm the truck's actual mileage against title and service paperwork.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Titan. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was not available.”

    NHTSA complaint #11615361, filed 2024-09, 90,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Titan. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull into a nearby parking lot. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbocharger had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact, that the dealer was not certified to repair the vehicle. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11648775, filed 2025-03, 34,859 miles
  5. Transmission and drivetrain

    Rough or abrupt shifting

    • 21 complaints (11%)
    • median 16,500 mi at 2.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2016–2026

    Complaints describe hard upshifts through the first few gears, jerky downshifts when coming to a stop, and one case where a downshift felt like heavy braking. Some owners say the transmission behaves differently truck to truck or day to day. According to complaints, dealers often described the behaviour as normal or could not duplicate it. Commonly reported in the first several thousand to roughly 40,000 miles.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Test drive from cold and note shift quality on light and hard acceleration and on braking to a stop. Ask whether the dealer has inspected for axle or differential leaks described in service bulletins.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “As I start to accelerate from being stationary, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd shifts bump hard. And as I'm coming to a stop after feeling that I can feel it down shift rough as like it's downshiftig to soon. Something needs to be checked on it. It's recurring and hasn't stopped since I bought the truck two days ago.”

    NHTSA complaint #11073443, filed 2018-02, 28,800 miles

    “When trying to accelerate we put the pedal to the floor and truck will not move at all for sometimes up to 5 mins and that's with us trying to get the truck to go. We have almost been hit several times and we have small children that rides in the truck. We smell fumes in the cab in which I have asthma and again small children which is dangerous to smell. Shifts hard and not always the same, either takes longer to shift or shifts quick. Very jerky when in traffic. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11018781, filed 2017-08, 49 miles

Buying note. These trucks are best assessed with a thorough test drive covering stop-and-go, highway and towing conditions, plus a code scan and full service history. Ask specifically about completed emissions campaigns, prior turbo or engine work, and any firmware updates, since many owner complaints centre on drivability and diesel emissions behaviour rather than wear items.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 199 consumer complaints for the 2016 Nissan Titan XD. 79 of the complaints include a mileage, and 77% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 17,500 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 304 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Air bags (3), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (2), Exterior lighting (2), Seats (2), Electronic stability control (1), Forward collision avoidance (1), Lane departure (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “This is going to be third time my titan has broken down on me...this time the seven.light is flashing and I called the service dept.and was advise to drive it on the highway and it should seven.itself...I drove it for 100 miles and still flashing...”

NHTSA complaint #11389651, filed 2021-01, 89,553 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “I left my home on a 1300-mile round trip from ar to ky. About 100 miles into my trip while pulling an enclosed 16' trailer at 70mph on a flat 4 lane highway the warning reduced engine power and the check engine light came on. The reduce engine power warning went out, but the check engine light stayed on. During the next 550 miles the reduced power warning came on and went out about every 100 miles. I was able to continue to ky that day. The light went out the next morning. …”

NHTSA complaint #11338482, filed 2020-07, 57,300 miles

Fuel system: “Immediate recall needed on all Nissan titans with limp mode for def expiration. Deadly consequences possible and not avoidable. I have recently discovered that the titan is a deadly vehicle in several ways. Most recently I discovered the fact that def fluid ages to the point of causing the vehicle to go into a limp mode of 5mph with no disabling the limp mode. Unsuspecting diesel owners have no way of knowing if the def they purchased has expired or the def in their tanks has gone bad. …”

NHTSA complaint #11382824, filed 2020-12, 23,000 miles

Electrical system: “I'm having fed back through the speakers periodically. 2or3 times a month. With or without radio on. The driver (me ) move my left foot around this causes fed back/ static sound come over to radio. I've turned it in to Nissan and they claim nothing is wrong. They've claimed to remove the seat to check for wires. Bolts were not touched?? Also claimed no wires under floor board.”

NHTSA complaint #11234647, filed 2019-07, 35,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

77% of the 79 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 5,000 and 42,000 miles.

39%0–1018%10–2520%25–508%50–759%75–1003%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (79 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 17,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

20162018202020222024412026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2016 Nissan Titan XD → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 304 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 304 bulletins →

Other model years of the Nissan Titan XD

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
201619917,5003——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising

All Nissan Titan XD model years

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Nissan Titan XD?

Owners of the 2016 Titan XD most often describe powertrain complaints: delayed or missing throttle response, hard or abrupt shifting, and reduced-power or limp-mode events, usually on the Cummins diesel version and frequently at low mileage. The issues reported most often: Delayed throttle / no acceleration from a stop; Reduced power / limp mode, check engine light; Diesel exhaust fumes in the cab.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Nissan Titan XD have?

NHTSA recorded 199 consumer complaints for the 2016 Nissan Titan XD as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2016 Nissan Titan XD is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 130 complaints (65% of the total), followed by transmission and drivetrain with 42.

Has the 2016 Nissan Titan XD been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Nissan Titan XD reported?

Among the 79 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 17,500 miles and the middle half falls between 5,000 and 42,000 miles; 77% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.