S / SV / SL / PRO-4X / Platinum Reserve (2nd gen A60, 2016–2021)
Low Risk
The 2nd-gen Titan with the 5.6L Endurance V8 is a reliable full-size truck that competes well against F-150 and Silverado on durability. No chronic powertrain failures. Main buyer checks are the transmission fluid service history, suspension wear on PRO-4X off-road models, and verifying the optional towing package if heavy towing is planned. Lower resale than domestic competitors makes it a value buy for work-truck buyers.
Items to check
10
Open recalls
3
NHTSA complaints
180
Top concern
Electrical / Minor
Powertrain
5.6L Endurance V8 — solid truck engine
Low Risk
Nissan's 5.6L V8 is proven and reliable. No widespread failure modes. Change oil every 5,000 miles.
Cold-start idle: smooth and quiet. Check oil level and color. No exhaust smoke.
Est. cost: Routine maintenanceSource: Nissan 5.6L reliability data
7-speed automatic — fluid service
Low Risk
The 7AT is generally reliable. Service transmission fluid every 30k miles for towing applications.
Smooth shifts through all gears. Test tow/haul mode if available.
Est. cost: $150–$200 fluid serviceSource: Nissan drivetrain standard
Suspension & Towing
PRO-4X off-road use check
Monitor
PRO-4X models are purchased by off-road users. Inspect skid plates and underside for rock strikes.
Inspect all skid plates and underbody for impact damage. Check CV boots.
Est. cost: VariesSource: AutoVetting editorial
Towing history check
Monitor
Trucks used for heavy towing wear transmission and rear axle faster. Ask about towing frequency and request trailer hitch photos.
Check hitch receiver and trailer wiring connector for heavy-use wear. Request transmission service records.
Est. cost: $200–$500 service if towing history unknownSource: AutoVetting editorial
Documentation
Service records
Low Risk
Titan buyers tend to maintain their trucks. Records are typically available.
Request oil change and transmission fluid records.
Est. cost: n/aSource: AutoVetting editorial
NHTSA Recalls (verify completion via VIN)
19V-495
Alternator Harness Chafe (gasoline Titan only)
2017-2019 gasoline, light-duty Titan - not the Cummins Titan XD: the alternator harness can be damaged during engine installation and short, stalling the engine, with an added fire risk. Dealer re-routes and clips the harness or replaces it. The 4th VIN digit tells you whether this campaign can apply to the truck in front of you.
18V-240
Missing Load-Capacity Modification Label
2016-2018 Titan (plus 2016 and 2018 Titan XD) delivered with factory accessories that cut load capacity, but without the modification label FMVSS 110 requires. The remedy is a label and instructions - no hardware - but the point for a buyer is that the door-jamb payload figure can overstate what the truck may legally carry.
17V-268
Rear Seat-Belt D-Ring Trim Cap (Crew Cab only)
2016-2017 Titan and Titan XD Crew Cab only: in a crash a rear occupant head can strike the seat-belt D-ring bolt trim cap - an FMVSS 201 failure. Dealer adds energy-absorbing material to the C-pillar finishers and replaces the bolt and cap. King Cab and Single Cab trucks are outside the scope, so this one depends on body style, not just year.
What the VIN tells you
Do not use the 8th VIN digit to identify this truck's engine — Nissan encodes the Titan/Titan XD powertrain in the 4th digit. 4th digit ‘A’ = 5.6L VK56VD Endurance gas V8; 4th digit ‘B’ = 5.0L Cummins V8 turbodiesel. The Cummins was offered only in the heavy-duty Titan XD, never in the half-ton Titan, so the 4th digit also tells you which truck you are actually looking at — Titan and Titan XD share a nameplate and a showroom but ride on different frames with different payload, brakes and pricing. The inspection diverges completely: a Cummins XD needs DEF and DPF regeneration history, fuel-filter service records (two filters, not one) and a scan for stored emissions codes; a VK56VD gas truck needs none of that and should instead be checked for 7-speed automatic fluid service history and, on PRO-4X, off-road suspension and skid-plate wear. Decode the full VIN at autovetting.com/decode to confirm engine and body before applying this checklist, and run it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Independent pre-purchase inspection — we arrange it and walk you through the findings.
Send us the listing and we reply within 1 business day. Nothing due until we confirm a mechanic and a time. Piloting in Phoenix; other US metros by arrangement.
The Vetting Report: this VIN’s full recall status, known-failure cost ranges, negotiation talking points, and inspection priorities — delivered within 24 hours.