2016 Nissan Titan XD engine problems
134 of the 198 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Nissan Titan XD name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 89 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 134 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2023: 30 · 2024: 38 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 4
Half of the 35 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 7,000 and 83,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
198 complaints in all about the 2016 Nissan Titan XD, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Nissan Titan XD engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2016 Nissan Titan. While driving at various speeds, the fumes from the diesel engine penetrated inside the vehicle and made the occupants of the vehicle dizzy and sick. There were no warning indicators illuminated.
Fuel tank gauge keeps bobbing back and forth, the digital range estimate is giving false readings leading to me running out of gas twice, and I get low fuel warnings even with the tank half full. At times the avg MPG would indicate between 15 and 23 MPG and the drop to 9.5 within 30 mins
Purchased new 2016 Nissan Titan Xd had severe downshift problem where vehicle would shift so abruptly it would feel like you slammed on brake pedal. Today while turning left from stop light a gas truck in first lane failed to stop at traffic light. I hit the accelerator to pull away and no throttle response at all.
Bad transmission, slipping and erratic shift, at dealership 30 days still no answer about fixing it. Power steering too hard and makes noise when turning turbo is making noise. This is diesel engine with diesel exhaust fluid, not working properly, doesn't burn any DEF, it is requirement on all diesel engines to have this exhaust cleaner
Little to no throttle response 3-5 second delay. Speed from 15-35 transmission issue as well. Call Nissan they stated they have known about this but have no fix. I fell this is a huge safety issue! No acceleration when need?
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigation
- PE23020 Loss of motive power due to broken crankshaft with no ability to restart.opened Nov 15, 2023 · closed Jun 27, 2025
- 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. The purpose of the investigation was to understand the scop…
89 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- NTB24-061 EmissionsJan 31, 2025
- CAMPAIGN BULLETIN Cummins NOx Emissions Voluntary Emission Recall Campaign PD128 PD129 ***** Campaign Summary ***** Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Recall Campaign on certain 2016-2019 Titan Diesel vehicles identified in Service Comm and DBS National Service History. Vehicles affected by this campaign require upgraded emissions control software and hardware for model years 2016-2017 or
- NTB24-063 EmissionsJan 31, 2025
- CAMPAIGN BULLETIN VECI Label Voluntary Emission Recall Campaign ***** Campaign Summary ***** Nissan is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Recall Campaign on specific model year 2016-2019 Titan Diesel vehicles identified in Service Comm and DBS National Service History. Vehicles affected by this campaign may have been shipped to market with an Exemption label and should have been shipped with a Vehic
- NTB24-061 EmissionsJan 30, 2025
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN 2016-2017 TITAN XD DIESEL; PM SENSOR INTRODUCTION Nissan is conducting this voluntary emissions recall campaign on certain specific model year 2016-2017 Titan XD vehicles equipped with a diesel engine, to install a Particulate Matter (PM) Sensor and reprogram the Engine Control Module (ECM). This service will be performed at no charge to the customer for parts o
The 3 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0456 P226C P0087 P020A P021A P0524 P060C P00AF
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Nissan Titan XD names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Nissan Titan XD?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 134 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (68% of everything owners filed about it), and 89 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Nissan Titan XD?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 3 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Nissan Titan XD?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 34,859 miles; half of them between 7,000 and 83,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.