2005 Nissan Titan Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,104 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Nissan Titan, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 75/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 62,200 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2005 Nissan Titan sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2007–2011, 2018–2021.
Avoid
Where 2005 sits among all Titan years
What owners report
“The axle shaft on the front differential came out causing failure to the front differential”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Titan
“Cracked exhaust manifold found by dealer on an inspection but has been cracked for several years. When i researched the crack i found it to be an issue with no recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Titan
“I purchased this vehicle new. At 7000 miles i started experiencing severe brake shudder whenever i applied the brakes. The dealer replaced the front pads and rotors and turned the rear rotors. Brakes should last longer than 7000 miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Titan
“Fuel gage shows 1/4 tank left of fuel but car out of fuel while driving on the road”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Titan
“Multiple failures of right rear axle seal. Failures at mileages of 42186/86082/106492/131033. Same parts replaced 43252-7s200 rear axle seal, 43070-7s200 rear spacer, 40210-7s210 axle bearing. Axle fluid drains directly on to brake causing loss of function on right rear wheel. Also has caused…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Titan
“Truck shuts off randomly. I think it related to ECU relay that was a recall. Campaign number. Pc068”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Titan
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 981 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 68,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,308 and 93,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 ARMADA, TITAN, INFINITI QX56 AND MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 FRONTIER, PATHFINDER AND XTERRA VEHICLES. THE INTELLIGENT POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (IPDM) ASSEMBLY CONTAINS AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RELAY THAT HAS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ECM RELAY INSIDE THE IPDM ASSEMBLY. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 6, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN FRONT AND REAR LOWER LINKS, P/NOS. 54501ZQ00A, 54500ZQ00A, 551A1ZQ00A, 551A0ZQ00A , 54501EA00A, 54500EA00A, 551A1EA500, 551A0EA500, 54501ZR00A, AND 54500ZR00A, SOLD BETWEEN NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AND MAY 14, 2010 AS REPLACEMENT PARTS…
Fix: NISSAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE ANY AFFECTED LOWER LINK FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT 1-800-647-7261.
NISSAN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2009 TITAN, ARMADA, AND INFINITI QX56 VEHICLES. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FUEL GAUGE MAY INACCURATELY DISPLAY THAT THE VEHICLE STILL HAS SOME FUEL, TYPICALLY ABOUT ONE QUARTER TANK, WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS EMPTY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL SENDER UNIT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK WITH A NEW IMPROVED SENDER CARD. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 22, 2010. OWNERS MAY…
NISSAN IS RECALLING 180,664 MY 2005-2006 TITAN, ARMADA AND INFINITY QX56 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AFTER MARCH 17, 2005, THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH A VISTEON AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER FAN MOTOR. THE FAN MOTOR MAY NOT BE PROPERLY SEALED ALLOWING EXCESSIVE WATER…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A 'THERMAL PROTECTOR KIT' AND TEST THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER FAN MOTOR AND REPLACE IT IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 2, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT NISSAN AT…
CERTAIN HOPKINS AFTERMARKET TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL CONNECTION HARNESSES SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN MODELS OF NISSAN VEHICLES WHICH ARE LISTED ABOVE. THE INTERNAL PART NUMBERS WITHIN HOPKINS ARE: 1010476025, 1040376025, 1110476025, 1170376025, 1290376025,…
Fix: HOPKINS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ORIGINAL HARNESS WITH A REVISED HARNESS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 17, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT HOPKINS AT 800-835-0129.
ON CERTAIN KING CAB TRUCKS, THE WIRES IN THE HARNESS WERE ROUTED THROUGH THE REAR DOORS AND INTO THE BODY. THESE WIRES MAY BREAK DUE TO OVER BENDING OF THE HARNESS AS THE DOOR IS OPENED AND CLOSED. THE HARNESS CONTAINS WIRES FOR THE DRIVER SEAT BELT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS COVER WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE THAT PREVENTS OVER BENDING OF THE HARNESS AND THE HARNESS WILL BE REROUTED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 19, 2007.…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 08V284000.
Technical service bulletins
106 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and suspension — are on file for the 2005 Nissan Titan. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2005 Nissan Titan reliable?
The 2005 Nissan Titan drew 1,104 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 75/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2005 Nissan Titan problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Nissan Titan are transmission & drivetrain (491 complaints), engine (123), and brakes & stability (97).
At what mileage do 2005 Nissan Titan problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Nissan Titan problems around 68,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,308 and 93,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Nissan Titan have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Nissan Titan. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.