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2018 Nissan Titan: engine and transmission complaints

VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
73%
63 of 86 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

73% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Nissan Titan are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.

Worse than 94% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 4 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 70%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
63
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
90
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
3 crashes · 1 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE45 · 50%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM16 · 18%
POWER TRAIN16 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM15 · 17%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER8 · 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6 · 7%

The years either side

2010
35%
13 of 45
2011
38%
8 of 26
2012
too few complaints
2013
too few complaints
2014
too few complaints
2015
too few complaints
2016
87%
166 of 197
2017
75%
120 of 172
2018
73%
63 of 90
2019
56%
25 of 46
2020
too few complaints
2021
50%
27 of 55
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Other full-size pickups with no elevated signal in 2018

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM07/05/2026
Cylinder 4-5 which caused catastrophic engine failure. CP4 fuel pump. Crank shaft broken, Metal flakes in oil. Differential service. Was on the road from [XXX] to [XXX] and broke down in [XXX]. Just bought the truck from Lakeland Automall on May 8th and broke down on May 31st. Was in a bad spot to pull over and f…
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE06/17/2026
My crankshaft broke on the highway. I was travelling at around 70mph. No warnings were given. I lost all power and had to limp it off to the side of the road. The engine was replaced under warranty. This is an ongoing issue for 2016-2019 Nissan Titans. Folks are left with worthless vehicles because they are outside …
ENGINE02/26/2026
The contact owns a 2018 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and accelerating, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that there was an abnormal pop before the vehicle lost motive power and was pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was d…

Three of 63 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (4)

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 …
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Nissan Altima, Armada, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2017-2019 gasoline, light duty, Titan vehicles. The alternator harness may have been damaged during the engine …

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2018 Nissan Titan

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.