Problems with 2004 Nissan Titan POWER TRAIN

Leaking axles seals after multiple replacements and incidents on road. not covered under warranty or recall even though there are thousands of reports for this issue and axle overheating. vehicle axle broke near bearing going 65 mph on highway with no warning two weeks ago 9/10/2019 there is still no safety recall.

Whilst driving in bad weather i had my 4 wheel drive engaged. i was driving 5 miles an hour on a straight gravel road, when i started hearing a grinding noise. before i could get stopped safely to see what the issue was there was a large thud and my entire truck shook. it was then pouring gear lubricant out of my front differential. after taking the truck apart to find the damage i discovered the axle shaft (nissan part no.: 38220-8s11a) had been stripped of its splines on the end. the part looks as if it was machines perfectly cylindrical. the metal shavings from the shaft slightly marred up the seals so i replaced the seals and shaft, spider gears seemed okay to reuse.

The drivers side rear axle broke while traveling 70 mph up 75 in ky with my whole family in the truck on the way home from vacation it looks like the axle seals started leaking and then it locked up for a split second and lost all ability to pull itself all the axles and seals have already been replaced multiple times and it's about time for nissan to start taking the hit instead of the vehicle owners

Front right axle pops out of the differential, bad c-clip. numerous complaints noted here and at various titan forums.

Went in for a routine oil change and was informed of a rear axle seal leak. i did some research online and have seen that is a very common issue with nissan titans and more specifically the 2004 nissan titans. *bf *tr

From differential failure and c clip failure ejecting front drive axle. leaking rear axle seals as well

2004 nissan titan passengers side axel shaft is sliding out of differential and my 4wd will not work. differential fluid is leaking everywhere. have read many complaints about the same problem by other titan owners. this is unsafe especially if the shaft works its way all the way out. do the right thing nissan!! issue a recall!!

While changing the rear differential fluid, the magnet/drain plug had a broken piece of metal attached to it. i can only assume it's part of the gears inside. i have no idea when the piece broke but i have read that other titan owners have had similar issues. those gears are a big part of the truck and should not break easy. my truck is 4x4 so i'd assume the gears would be reliable. i bought my truck used with aprox 275k miles so not sure when part broke.

Driving and 4 wheel drive kicked out. took to the shop and they said pass axle c clip came off.

Front left axle slid out from differential. the retaining c-clip on the axle was intact but did not retain the axle. this has the potential to cause a catastrophic failure of the front differential. this was found when the vehicle was stationary. the vehicle leaked fluid on the garage floor, upon investigating the leak the failure was identified. otherwise the vehicle was operating normally with no indication of the failure.

Was coming from daughters game and i made a left turn outta parking lot all of a sudden a hear a noise and then grinding. i inspected brakes and underneath vehicle i noticed fluid all over front diff . i got underneath grabbed my drivers side axle and shook it . it came apart and was coming out of diff. a month earlier i noticed rear diff had oil all over it and oil was leaking out of rear pinion seal and both rear axle seals , due to axle breather failure. i have never went off-roading or beat this truck . i am also experiencing gas shooting back out of my fuel tank filler tube . i have had my vehicle to local dealer 2 or 3 times regarding this issue and it seems as if it's a guessing game . i have spent over 300 bucks there and my problem still exists . then they guess again and says its something else. i know for sure this vehicle has had a rear end or rear diff already put in with very very low miles , with 1 st owner . i am being told that my last issue with front axle was c clip holding axle in failed and may have ruined my front diff , i traveled no more than 2 miles before i heard noise and i'm looking at a 1900 part not including labor .

I have 2004 titan 100,000 miles, both back seals leaking, had to replace entire back of the truck. this should be covered by nissan under a recall but isn't.

Rear axle seal leaks are a recurring problem on this vehicle. i have had mine replaced 4 times at various points over the past 12 years and they are leaking again. it has been 12 months since the last repair, at which time i also replaced the rear axle shafts in an attempt to resolve the issue once and for all. fluid leaking from the rear axles directly onto the wheel hub, tires, brake pads and discs and all surrounding areas, saturating them completely, is a significant safety concern, in my opinion, and i believe is grounds for a safety recall. i believe both braking ability compromise and fire hazard are potential results of this issue. as leaks develop, they become both static and dynamic, which is to say that fluid leaks while driving and while parked. large puddles of diff fluid form under rear wheels after being parked for any significant amount of time. nearly all of my driving is done on-road so i don't see this issue being related to off-road driving damage possibility. regardless, this safety issue needs to be addressed and rectified by nissan.

I'm filing a complaint for the missed recall on the nissan titan! the design of the rear axle of this vehicle causes a rear axle seal leak. many consumers reported this problem and complained and nissan or this government has not issued or demanded a recall be made mandatory for this rear axle seal issue?! seems a little odd to me as this could cause major repairs and serious injury or death of this fails while out on a public roadway! i unfortunately am a nissan titan consumer and have experienced the same issues as everyone online complaining about them leaking and going out. i contacted nissan and will be pursuing reimbursement for this repair!

Rear differential failure

While driving my 2004 titan, i noticed a banging and clanging sound. i thought it was a limb stuck in my tire. upon further inspection, i noticed oil on the inside rear rotor, passenger side. i was already miles from home on a hunting trip. i only have 79,000 miles on the truck. after hunting, i limped my truck about 30 miles home, travelling about 35 mph, while it is banging and clanging, sounding as though the wheel is about to fall off. i made several stops on the way home to make sure the wheel was still secure. i feel blessed to make it home as the wheel started to bind when i hit the driveway. after talking to several mechanics, they have seen this issue alot. the repair will cost somewhere between $3,000 to $4,000. apparently the axle seal blew without warning and now this has chewed up the gears inside and destroyed the housing. the mechanics simply suggested to buy the entire rear axle and replace. they also stated the original design was piss-poor. of course, this happens after placing $2,000 replacing the exhaust manifolds that were under warranty for 80,000 miles and 10 years old. mine were 11 years old and the truck had 79,000 miles on it. the local garage said there was nothing they could do to help. it was more than 10 years old. i would hope there is something you could do to make the manufacturer liable for this expensive repair. thanks for your time.

Trying to accelerate from a stop at crossroads to go right onto a roadway with high speed vehicles approaching. my rear end made a loud bang and back end seemed to lock up or skip and couldn't get going - nearly rear ended by vehicles on roadway while trying to enter as couldn't get going. took to nissan dealer and apparently rear end spider gears gone. 71k on vehicle, changed rear diff. fluid to nissan recommended type at 35k, no towing, no hard driving, and less than 1 hour total lifetime use of 4x4.

I had just pulled out of the driveway at work into traffic.i heard a loud pop and my rear end started having large bangs and i lost almost all power. i was almost hit by multiple cars. i managed to get off the road and call to have it towed. thankfully i had 400 miles left on my warranty covered the entire new rear axle that was required.. the dealer said they wouldn't have even though this is a known safety issue!!! my front differential is also slowly going out but isn't bad enough for the warranty to cover it. *tr

The front driver side axle is popping out of the front differential housing. this should not be happening especially after it has already been fixed once. there is an obvious defect in the nissan titan front final drive assembly starting from 2004 as there are many similar complaints on the internet on many of the nissan titan forums. i will be bringing the vehicle in for servers to the dealer and hopefully they will assist in cost of this major malfunction. again, this should not be happening to this vehicle as it does not get much heavy use. no towing and hardly ever uses the 4 wheel drive. *tr

The front axel separated at 75,000 miles. dealer stated it would cost $1,600 to repair. i went online to check pricing and if others are having the same problem and they are. http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-problems-dealer-service/68142-front-axle-failer-thread-14.html

Front differential failed. many reports online suggest a common failure. cost over $2100 to fix. parts have been redesigned so manufacturer is aware of the problem and will only guarantee a full differential replacement. *tr

This will be the 3rd rear differential on this truck. the first blew on warranty at approx 10k miles. now with 56k miles the 2nd dana rear axle has blown. i don't off road and tow only a motorcycle trailer. this is obscene, time consuming and very costly ($3,630.00) to fix and days waiting away from home. this isn't right. *tr

When trying to backup the truck the column gear shifter moved into reverse but the vehicle was still moving forward. fortunately i didn't run over anyone but it could have easily happened in a busy parking lot. the gear shifter was moving up and down into every position but it was continuously engaged in drive. i drove home and parked. the shifter is still moving up and down; the gear indicator shows that the transmission is in "d" - drive but the vehicle is rolling as if it was in neutral and can't be started. there is a nissan recall no. ru403 but nissan says my truck is not affected. *tr

Rear axel seals leak causing rear differential oil on wheels, rotors and brake pads. could lead to a complete brake failure on rear two wheels due to oil. *tr

My rear end on my titan began grinding when turning. after researching this, i found hundreds of people with the same problem. this is a defect on the first models of the titan and nissan will not report a recall on them. if these rear ends lock up when the vehicle is being driven on the highway or while towing a trailer, people's lives could be lost. the consumer should not be responsible for a design flaw that has affected such a vast population of titan owners. furthermore, nissan only offers a full rear end replacement at the low price of $2,500. something has to be done about these problems! a recall must be issued before more lives are put into jeopardy. *tr

Driving down a main road when i felt an odd vibration coming from under my feet. pulled over immediately to see that my axle shaft has pulled out of the differential. after getting the vehicle home i researched online to find hundreds of the same problem. the front differential on these trucks is and will always be a safety issue until they decide to recall the problem. nissan definitely knows this differential is not strong enough for the engine. needs to be recalled before more people get injured! *tr

Rear axle seals were leaking, had replaced, began leaking again almost immediately. *tr

I was driving up an icy incline on a side road with the 4 wheel drive engaged and the front differential failed. the vehicle lost traction and almost hit other cars and pedestrians. this is the second failure to occur on the front differential on this vehicle. *tr

I recently purchased this truck. i have driven it approximately 1300 miles since i purchased it. the drivers side front axle clip has broken twice in 300 miles. i understand this to be a problem with 100's of owners but there have been no recalls. i am afraid to drive this vehicle. *tr

Driving the truck on snow covered road, four wheel drive system failed to work. only rear tires were driving, causing unsafe condition on a road that required four wheel drive. investigation found the front differential failed, which is a common problem with nissan four wheel drive vehicles of this vintage. nissan has refused to fix the problem, citing 'out of warranty'.

While using 4wd my front axle popped out of the front differential. luckily i was offroad and going slow. after researching the issue i see it is a common complaint and can lead to catastrophic front differential failure ( if retaining clip is ejected and gets between gears) causing the front end to temporarily lock up. again luckily i was going slow. but this is to common an issue and something that can cause a lapse in control of the vehicle, this needs to be addressed. *tr

Transmission fluid diluted with anti -freeze from faulty radiator /tranny cooler nissan needs to address this problem it is a stall issue , a safety issue , its an expensive repair ,and not uncommon. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan titan. the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the rear differential failed. the contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and the vehicle rolled away in reverse and into the street. the vehicle was then shifted into 4x4 mode in order for the contact to be able to drive the vehicle. the vehicle was later taken to an authorized dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear differential had failed. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure was 83,200.

Had rear fixed at dealer and it broke again. now the truck has sat since the date of failure, meanwhile im paying on it still. called nissan corp. they said (they were aware of the problems but they were not going to fix it). not a very respectable corp.. *tr

This is the second time in over several months that my driver side drive axle for my 4x4 has pulled its self out. it was fixed once on my dime and is now going to be fixed on my dime again it is a dangerous failure that could cause my suspension to lock up an rip my wheel off then leading to a serious accident. it needs to be addressed and the nhtsa has done nothing to pursue this. another problem that nissan will not cover is the rear axle seals that blow out due to a faulty design which may also lead to a serious accident, they will not address any of these issues under a recall an there are thousands of people that are suffering from these issues from 04-010 for the axle seals and model years 04-08 for the axle shaft pulling out from the 4x4 causing serious damage to internal and external parts. this needs to be addressed an the nhtsa is doing nothing about it. *tr

When driving my rear end making loud knocking noises.. it is not gernaded yet but it only a matter of time. havent been driving it be cause of further ware of saftey issues.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan titan. the contacted that while driving 50 mph, he noticed that the exhaust manifold was cracked and exhaust fumes were leaking. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis where it was advised that the exhaust headers needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 43,000. *tr

Right rear axle seal leaks and if not repaired immediately, fluid leaks onto brake rotor. has the potential of losing all differential fluid from rear end causing a complete drivetrain failure. *tr

The rear differential has been whining since 63,000 miles and last weekend the whining became howling and then clunking. my mechanic says something inside the differential is broken.

Driving about 40 mph, i heard a loud pop coming from the rear end of the truck. now whenever i decelerate, a whining noise is heard from the differential. took the truck to the nissan dealer in irvine, ca and they want to replace the rear differential at a cost of $2500.00. *tr

I was using my four wheel drive when i noticed a loud clunk and found that my axle had popped out of the front differential. i am among over 1000s of titan owners with this same issue that nissan knows about and has caused multiple failures in our trucks. it also caused a failure in mine. the have known about this issue for years now and changed there part in 07 from the original number 38500-8s102 to the new product number 38500-8s11b truck is a nissan titan 2004 se king cab 4wd. *tr

I engaged my front differential (4x4) and proceeded to put drivetrain in reverse and while backing up the passenger side front axle popped out of the differential, i was not pulling anything so i was not under any load whatsoever. *tr

Transmission cooler hose leak caused transmission failure. there was a service bulletin on this, but i never saw it or was made aware of it until it happened and i googled it. the spring clamp fail. this should be a recall because something as simple as replacing the 2 spring clamps with screw clamps would save a ruined transmission. seams to be a big issue and could cause fatality if failure happens on interstate. *tr

Truck started making loud grinding sound when letting off accelerator and coasting. i was advised by my mechanic to replace the entire rear end with a brand new one from nissan because they had modified it. obviously they new it was a problem. $2500.00 repair. glad the drive shaft did not lock up on the interstate. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan titan. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, he heard a thumping sound followed by grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that there were metal flakes in the rear differential compartment causing the noise. the mechanic stated the rear differential would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 nissan titan. the contact stated that pieces of the shifter became detached and as a result, the vehicle shifted out of gear while driving various speeds. the contact contacted the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number 04v408000 (power train). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000. *tr

The rear differential went out and this seems to be a very common problem on this make of vehicle. there should be an investigation and recall on this vehicle. *tr

The rear axle oil seal leaks onto the rear brakes causing them to not work. *tr

While replacing lifetime warrantied suspension which was not honored by nissan or tenneco, i found the rear pinion seal to be leaking severely, and rear axle seal leaking in wheel assembly. possible source of "ticking" noise from differential, which until then i thought were exhaust heat shields. this condition could cause catastrophic drivetrain failure while vehicle is in motion. the fluid leaking from axle seal can reduce effectiveness of braking components. other owners have described inadequate engineering & possible use of substandard differential materials & components along with axle vent assemblies which could create internal pressure conditions that could cause seals to fail. *tr

Rear axle fell apart while driving. no warnings, or anything. this will be the second rear axle to be replaced at a cost of 3500 per incident. only light driving has been done on this vehicle. no towing, no heavy loads, no anything. *tr