Differential Unit problems of the 2005 Nissan Titan - part 1

My front differential half shaft has broken inside my differential case and ruined the diff I understand this is an ongoing issue with Nissan Titan trucks. I like everything about the truck but I can't believe this is an ongoing isssue and no recall has been done.

While driving on the interstate the rear differential of my truck gave out and started smoking. I lost all power to control the momentum of the truck, almost causing it to flip because I was in the middle of changing lanes while driving 73 mph. I managed to coast to the side of the road and upon inspection of the passenger side rear axle I found all fluid had leaked out onto the rear wheel and it was smoking. I tried putting the truck in gear to see if I could move but there was no power being provided to the drive train. The only possible explanation is that the rear differential gave out. The truck only has 91006 miles on it and if this had occurred on one of the curves I and my family would all be in the hospital right now. The truck is currently parked at a repair shop awaiting repairs.

Front differential has axle popped out, after researching I have found that this is such a common problem that Nissan has redesigned the front differential to correct the issue. I have two options, first to take to a shop and have them replace the c clip only to fail again down the road or second to replace the front differential with the flawed design for over $2500. Would like to see Nissan issue a recall to correct the flawed design. This truck is used on road only and I only engage the four wheel drive when it snows and only use at low speeds for a short distance, this should not happen.

Rear differential failed. Rear seal and e locker failed.

This is the second differential put into truck since July 2014. The first one was within 30 days of purchase at 65,000 and the second one at 80,000 costing $3800. 00. The truck is back in for repair within 5 days since and back brakes are not working properly. Waiting to hear from mechanic.

I have a 2005 Nissan Titan which I purchased used at 23,000 miles. Two years ago (2013) I heard a loud noise coming from the front differential. I took it to a mechanic and I was told that the u-joints failed which cost $1400 dollars. Now, March 2015, I again heard a loud noise coming from the front differential. I found that the right axle had popped out. I took it to a mechanic and I was told that the front differential failed which cost $2300 dollars. I was told by my mechanic that both of these incidents could have caused me to crash and that I was lucky. I have had several other issues with this vehicle (fuel pump, brakes, exhaust system). I was also contacted by an attorney who informed me that he was conducting a law suite and wanted to know what issues I have had. The attorney informed me that my vehicle was deemed a "lemon" by the first owner.

Rear seal completely failed while driving causing differential oil to saturate the rear brakes.

Front axle popped out, causing fluids to drain. Differential failure.

This is a common issue which it documented on many online Nissan Titan / armada forums. The front axle has separated from the differential housing causing loss of gear fluid and lack of driveability.

Front differential has failed, sever cracking in the housing. Loud whine/grumble is heard when in both two wheel drive and four wheel drive. All lubricants have been serviced under manufacture recommendations. After reviewing online, I see this has been a common problem for Nissan Titans.

Defective rear axle/differential. I noticed that oil was leaking at both hubs of the rear axle. Dealer said that entire rear axle needs to be replaced. The differential has been maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. I believe this is a serious safety concern as the axle could lock up while driving.

I first felt and heard a loud clanking noise coming from the rear end while accelerating from a stop light. Approximately 30 seconds later I felt it again while entering the on ramp to a freeway going approximately 25 mph. I pulled over and inspected the rear end of my truck and found no visible damage or leaking of fluids. I got back in my truck and started to accelerate and immediately felt and heard the clanking noise again. I then drove straight to the Nissan dealership which fortunately was only two miles away. The Nissan service department did an inspection and determine the gears in differential were binding. The Nissan technicians were unable to determine why a differential with only 53,000 miles that was maintained as well as mine was would fail. The Nissan dealership has performed all the maintenance on my truck and are well aware of how well its maintained. They suggested its a defect and recommended I speak with Nissan USA directly in hopes of them covering the replacement of the defective differential on my truck. I spoke with a representative from Nissan USA and they informed me that because my truck is out of warranty, the defective differential its not going to be covered. The worst part is that there is no replacement parts for the differential. I have to replace the whole rear axle. This is a cost of (axle) $3500. 00 +( labor) $1000. 00. Lets not forget taxes also. Nissan is aware of the defective differentials and is counting on people to not make the effort to bring this issue to light. Please help make a change before someone gets seriously hurt by this defect.

When taking off from a stop light and accelerating from 0-30mph my rear end made a terrible banging noise and I lost power to the drivetrain. I spent $4500 to replace the rear end. The entire rear differential exploded. I have never misused this truck and only tow my boat about 30 miles 5-6 times a year. All fluids are properly maintained and were at appropriate levels when the shop repaired. In researching online it appears that the Nissan Titan has an issue with the rear differential in a 2005 having high failure rates.

Rear differential failure while driving 25 mph. Had to have complete replacement of rear end at cost of $3000. I have seen multiple complaints of same issue. Appears to be a manufacture defect. Nissan does not allow replacement of parts only replacement of whole rear end unit.

I took my truck to an oil change and they notice that the rear differential was leaking oil on the right side they told me that the seals are broken so I took it to the dealer to be fixed. When I got home look it up in the internet and it I find out that this happens quite often and I think that Nissan should do something to correct this problem because differential fluid can get into the breakes and this is a safety issue.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, there was a loud noise as the rear wheels seized. The contact noticed that the differential was fractured and had become separated. The vehicle was towed to a private repair shop however, the cause of failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure was not reported to the manufacturer. The failure and current mileage was 80,000.

Rear differential failure, leaking transmission cooler line, left rear shock failure. Dealer cost to perform repairs quoted at $ 4,100. 00. Chose not to repair, dealer accepted vehicle as part of trade-in for 2013 Nissan Titan. I would have driven this vehicle much longer if repair costs had not been so high.

Front drivers side axle popped out of differential and began leaking. Problem occurred when turning the wheel into a driveway. Have read several people having this issue and the problem well known with the manufacturer. Problem should be recalled and fixed.

Nissan Titan le 2005 4x4. The rear differential failed. The rear seal failed and caused damage to the ring & pinion gears. The rear end smells burned and leaked fluid all over the undercarriage. Upon doing research of the Nissan Titan truck, this is a common problem of the rear ends failing. It is a very expensive repair. Nissan is aware of the failures. They have been selective regarding repairs. They sometimes fix out of warranty failures though there are many trucks both under warranty and out of warranty with failing rear ends.

I am an a. S. E. Certified technician, and have discovered the rear axle seals on both sides of the vehicle are leaking , in which can cause fluid to be slung on to brake linings , also if too much leaks can lead to differential lock up .

I have a 2005 Nissan Titan. On thanksgiving evening my family and I were driving home on a major highway when all of a sudden I heard a clunk and lost acceleration. I was in the middle of the highway and had to cross 3 lanes to try and get over to the shoulder. We nearly got hit by many passing cars due to the immediate loss of power and slowing of my truck. After finally towing the truck to the shop I found out that, for the second time, the rear differential went out. The first time was at 75000 miles and the second at 125000 miles. Both times I am stuck footing the bill. Needless to say my only mode of transportation is still sitting broken until I am able to pay the 3500 dollars to get it fixed.

Originally heard a light noise on deceleration. Was unsure of origin or severity but suspected brake wear. Noise changed over the course of a month and on final trip into nearby shop for diagnostics it had grown much louder while decelerating. Shop suspected rear axle seal leak and differential failure. Had truck flatbed towed to nearby Nissan dealership and they found little evidence of leak and plenty of fluid. Yet the differential had failed entirely. They suspected a ring and pinion failure though they didn't crack open the case as parts/labor make repair prohibitively costly. After checking salvage prices they recommended a full replacement with a new Nissan axle. I was lucky because apparently this kind of differential failure can lock up the rear wheels while driving at speed causing a very dangerous situation. This truck is primarily driven around town. It's never driven off-road and never towed anything nor carried large loads - it's been babied. Seals and differentials should not prematurely fail in a lightly driven, well-maintained vehicle which was designed and promoted for heavy duty use.

Rear differential spider gears broke apart, leaving me with no power to drive train or ability to accelerate.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that he heard a grinding noise coming from the rear while driving 5 mph. The contact stopped and exited the vehicle. While allowing another person to drive the vehicle, the contact noticed that the grinding noise was coming from the rear differential. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the rear differential completely failed and the vehicle was not safe to be driven. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 52,920. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Titan. The contact stated that the rear of the vehicle seized suddenly and without warning. The contact took the vehicle to a mechanic and was advised that the rear differential failed. The contact stated that the rear seal was defective. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 98,000.

Rear differential completely failed at 102,000 miles. Vehicle not drivable. Do not use the vehicle off road with very little towing. This is my wife's vehicle. Nissan refused to acknowledge any defect. Cost to repair $3k.

The rear end of my vehicle is make alot of noise which seems to get louder as I accelerate. I found out that noise is coming fom the differential.

2005 Nissan Titan 4x4 differential started making a noise when turning left or right from stop. We were told it could be limited slip issue and have fluid changed and make sure synthetic lube is put back in. Mechanic showed me a part of a spider gear that was stuck to the magnetic drain plug. Said we needed a new limited slip and probably not planetary gears. We were shocked when we were told that Nissan prohibits the differential manufacturer from selling separate parts for the differential - you have to purchase the complete differential from Nissan and it cost $2800 just for the part. Checking this out on blogs, it appears that Nissan had this problem on years '04 - '06 model years and they changed to a more substantial differential in 2008 because they must have seen the groundswell of totaled out differentials. Most people just shell out the money and don't file complaints so unless Nissan is forced to come clean on the problem we are you know what. My wife drives this truck to work everyday. We have pulled a boat trailer 6 times on 30 mile trips. This is a bunch of you know what.

Had a bad sound coming out of front tire area. Noticed grey oil the following day on my garage floor. 70,123 miles on it. Took my '05 Titan to my service guy. Said the front differential is completed gone. Got it repaired yesterday, $2100. . . . Looked online and saw folks with the same issues, many folks! seems to me Nissan should own up to this being an issue with these model year trucks and correct the problem (ie recall) before its a major accident for someone. My mechanic noticed that the part number was supersceded by another number, most likely meaning that Nissan knows of the issue and that's their way of "correcting" the issue. Only issue Nissan, consumers pay for the issue. Makes me want to re-think about purchasing another Nissan product, I have two presently.

Was driving our 2005 Nissan Titan approximatley 15 mph when the rear differential failed. We were 30 seconds from getting on a major interstate. There was a loud "pop" sound and the truck jerked and seemed to slip out of gear and locked up. The truck was barely driveable. Our mechanic determined that it was the rear differential. When he called Nissan to order the parts to rebuild it, he was told by the Nissan parts distributor that because of "previous problems" with the differential, they only sell the entire differential part, not the individual components, the part alone was $2900. Our entire bill was $3800, and ofcourse we are out of warranty. We conducted research on this issue and found 80 complaints on this NHTSA website, countless consumer complaints on various websites, and even some court cases. Nissan clearly knows about this potentially life-threatening issue in the 2004 and 2005 models and has done nothing about it to protect consumers. We will be pursuing this with Nissan and will be taking legal action if neccesary. Not sure why nothing has been done about this especially given all the complaints out there. Nhtsa should look into this issue as this defect is very dangerous and could cause a fatal accident (if it hasn't already). Shame on you Nissan.

Vehicle rear differential failed with out cause. With any slight turn of the wheel the entire vehicle would jump and a loud knocking sound was herd at the rear end. Nissan dealership informed me that this seems to be an issue with the vent tubes corroded causing pressure to build up in the rear differential and the spyder gear(s) fail. Nissan will not issue a recall for this issue and does not supply rebuild parts for the vehicle- their only fix is for me to purchase a new rear axle. Searching on google has reviewed 168,000 hits for this problem. I find it difficult to believe that this is an isolated issue. My local transmission shop is unable to locate a used rear axle as demand for these parts is extremely high. Had this happend on the highway it probably would have caused a fatal accident as a sudden locking of the rear end at 60 mph plus would cause a loss of control.

I was in new york for the week. I was currently out spotting deer, I went to turn around, I put the truck in reverse and it sounded like my rear end blew up. I then continued to camp. The next day I went to drive it and it poppedlike crazy making a big noise in rear. I drove it to a garage and they checked my rear differential and said my spider gears in the rear end snapped. There was pieces of gears all through my rear differential. This is a dangerous thing that can happen and has been happening with Nissan Titans. I notified Nissan and was told to take it to a Nissan garage, the closest garage is 47 miles I will have to pay for towing and everything there is no recall on the rear axles but there should be because this is happening all over. Titan rear ends are to small for the truck. Also it is going to cost around 3000 because Nissan does not make the parts for rear axle, how pathetic is that!.

Crew cab short bed. 5. 6l. Se model. 4wd. 97,171 miles rear differential catastrophically failed in a matter of a couple of miles. Progressively louder low frequency growl. Clunk when shifting from reverse to drive and vice versa. Seeping differential gear oil and seal / bearing failure. Considerable metal suspended in differential fluid. All of this happened in a 24 hour period and a couple of miles at low to moderate city street speed. Driving history: minimal 4wd operation - primarily in snow and ice during winter. No mudding or off roading. No rock climbing. Have factory tow package and trans. Tows ultra light 24-foot travel trailer weighing approximately 6,000 lbs (rated to tow 9,500) four to five times a summer. Maybe 7,000 towing miles. Mainly freeway and city driving. Minimal cargo ever in bed. Normally empty.

Driving home from work when rear differential failed as I was crossing intersection.

The contact owns a 2005 Nissan Titan. The contact was traveling uphill at 25 mph when the rear passenger side tire seized. The contact was able to get the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the rear differential failed. The dealer also advised that the failure was a common failure on the particular year and model. The failure mileage was 90,000.