2004 Nissan Titan

I BOUGHT A NISSAN TITAN NEW IN MAY OF 2004. PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES WERE IMMEDIATE. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE BRAKES, ROTORS, ETC. A COUPLE OF TIMES DUE TO DEFECTS. THEY NOW SAY THAT THE BRAKES ARE OUT OF WARRANTY SO I AM DOING IT ON MY OWN AND OFTEN. THIS PAST WEEKEND I ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET THE TRUCK TO STOP. I WENT AND BOUGHT ANOTHER SET OF BRAKES AND ROTORS. WHILE CHANGING THEM, NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES CALIPERS WERE CRACKED AND RUSTED. HAD TRUCK TOWED TO NISSAN DEALER, WAITING ON A DECISION FROM THEM TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX THEM. TRUCK IS UNDER WARRANTY, AND EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I PURCHASED FROM NISSAN. THESE WERE SUPPOSE TO HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER BEFORE, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY DID. I AM PAYING A TRUCK PAYMENT EVERY MONTH FOR A TRUCK THAT BASICALLY SITS IN MY DRIVEWAY BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. WE NEVER KNOW IF THE BRAKES WILL WORK. NISSAN DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ADMITTED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM DESIGN. I FEAR THAT SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED IF NISSAN DOESN'T STEP UP AND PUT AN END TO THE BRAKE ISSUE. *TR

2004 NISSAN TITAN - REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH FRONT BRAKES. ROTORS, CALIPERS REPLACED OR RESURFACED 5 TIMES. ABS WHEEL SENSORS. CURRENTLY NO EMERGENCY BRAKE - NISSAN STATES NO ADJUSTMENTS TO FIX - ON OCCASSION FRONT BRAKES FAIL TO THE POINT THE TRUCK WILL NOT STOP. THIS HAPPENS WITH OUT WARNING. WHEN IT HAPPENS THE BRAKE PEDDLE GOES TO THE FLOOR AND YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE FRONT BRAKES VIBRATING. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE TRUCK, WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND IT WILL THEN WORK FINE. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS OCCURS. BRAKE ISSUES HAS BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE TRUCK SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED. *TR

IN JULY OF '08, MY WIFE CALLED TO TELL ME SHE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH OUR TRUCK. SHE WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT, AS SHE REPORTED A BRAKE FAILURE THAT AND WAS NEARLY IN AN ACCIDENT. SHE WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT TO A BUSY ROAD. AS SHE APPROACHED THE END OF THE PARKING LOT, SHE BRAKED TO WAIT FOR A CLEARING IN TRAFFIC. SHE SAID THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE TRUCK MADE A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE, AND THE TRUCK ROLLED OUT TO THE EDGE OF THE BUSY STREET UNTIL SHE PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STOPPED THE TRUCK. SHE LEFT IT THERE AND WAITED FOR ME, AFRAID TO MOVE IT. I INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND FOUND NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. I FIGURED THAT THERE WAS A FAULT WITH THE ABS SYSTEM, WHICH WENT AWAY AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF AND THE SYSTEM WAS REBOOTED/SELF TESTED. ON AUGUST 22, 2008, THE FAULT RETURNED. MY WIFE BACKED THE TRUCK OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY, AND THE TRUCK DISPLAYED THE SAME SYMPTOMS WHEN SHE TRIED TO STOP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY. SHE AVOIDED HITTING A PARKED VEHICLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. SHE LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING SO AS TO NOT RESET THE ABS COMPUTER, AND CALLED ME OUT TO CHECK THE TRUCK. I COULD FIND NO MECHANICAL FAULT, AND FOUND THE ABS FULLY ENGAGING WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES, RESULTING IN VERY LITTLE STOPPING POWER. PUMPING THE BRAKES CAUSE NEAR FULL APPLICATION OF BRAKING FORCE, EVEN AT LIGHT PEDAL PRESSURE. I DETERMINED THAT IT WAS AN ABS ISSUE. BOTH TIMES THE FAULT OCCURRED, THE "BRAKE" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TURNING OFF THE TRUCK AND RESTARTING RESOLVED THE PROBLEM, CONFIRMING MY SUSPICION OF A SOFTWARE FAULT. I SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND A NISSAN TSB THAT ADDRESSED THE ISSUE. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK TO DIRITO BROTHERS NISSAN IN CONCORD, CA TO HAVE THE TSB APPLIED, WHICH INVOLVED A ABS SOFTWARE UPDATE. I WAS SURPRISED AND UPSET TO LEARN THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AS THE SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS CONSIDERED AN "ADJUSTMENT." I WAS CHARGED $150 FOR THIS SERVICE. THE SERVICE WRITER STATED HE SAW A NUMBER OF TRUCKS WITH THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2004 NISSAN TITAN LEAKS PROFUSELY ONTO BY EMERGENCY BRAKES. MY EMERGENCY BRAKES DO NOT WORK AT ALL ON A HILL. THE NISSAN MECHANIC HAS POINTED THIS OUT TO ME WHILE THE TRUCK WAS UP ON THE RACK. HE STATED THAT THE LEFT REAR AXLE SEAL WAS AND STILL LEAKING. I WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE SEAL SPACER AND BEARING, FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF $171.00 FOR PARTS, AND ALMOST $200.00 FOR LABOR. THIS HAS HAPPEN REPEATEDLY ON ALL NISSAN TITAN TRUCKS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM. OWNERS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR EXPENSES ON SUCH A DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

I HAD TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE ON MY TRUCK. THE PEDAL GOES COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR INTERMITTENTLY DURING DRIVING. DEALER REPORTS THEY CANNOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS EVEN AFTER SHOWING THEM THAT THE PEDAL DOES GO TO THE FLOOR. I BELIEVE IT IS A FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER OR BRAKE BOOSTER, AND CAN CAUSE INJURY OR DEATH IF IT HAPPENS ON THE FREEWAY OR AT ANY SIGNIFICANT SPEED. I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A TECH BULLETIN AND A RECALL NOTICE SENT OUT ASAP, AND THE REPAIRS TO BE MADE UNDER WARRANTY BY NISSAN. *TR

BOUGHT THE NISSAN TITAN USED IN NOVEMBER OF 2007. I RECENTLY FOUND A WET SPOT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL (INSIDE) UNDER THE BRAKE ROTOR. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TITAN. IT'S A LEAKING AXLE SEAL. THIS LEAK WAS CAUSING BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK AROUND AND POSSIBLE ONTO THE BRAKE ROTOR, CALIPERS, AND PADS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM DUE TO POSSIBLE FIRE AND OR BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

NISSAN NORTH AMERICA HAS INCORRECTLY DEFINED THE CONDITION "BRAKE JUDDER" AS STEERING WHEEL SHAKE, BODY VIBRATION OR BRAKE PEDAL PULSATION WHILE BRAKING (EMPHASIS MINE), ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. MY PROBLEM MANIFESTED ITSELF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHILE NO BRAKING WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED, AND WAS EXTREME AFTER THE PURCHASE OF NEW PREMIUM TIRES (TOYO OPEN COUNTRY H/T). WHILE A FIX HAS BEEN OFFERED FOR "BRAKE JUDDER" AS NISSAN DEFINES IT, I WAS TOLD AT TWO DIFFERENT NISSAN DEALERS THAT IT WOULD NOT REMEDY MY PROBLEM. MY PROBLEM SURFACED BEFORE THE 36 MONTH/ UNLIMITED MILEAGE LIMITATION, BUT I DID NOT UTILIZE THE WARRANTY COVERAGE BECAUSE MY SITUATION DID NOT FIT THE DEFINITION. AN INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER MECHANIC (WHO USED TO WORK FOR NISSAN) INDICATED THAT DEFECTIVE ROTORS WERE INDEED THE PROBLEM, AND INTERNET FORUMS AND LEMON LAW WEBSITES SUPPORTED HIS CLAIM. SINCE I HAD EXCEEDED THE 36 MONTH LIMIT BY 90 DAYS, I ELECTED TO LET THE LOCAL INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER INSTALL THE NISSAN PARTS. HE WAS CORRECT! PROBLEM SOLVED (AT LEAST FOR NOW). I CALLED NISSANS CONSUMER AFFAIRS LINE TO COMPLAIN, AND TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I FELT THAT A SAFETY RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME SAFETY IMPLICATIONS INVOLVED--AND NOT THE COMPANY COST SAVING MEASURES OF A COUPLE OF TSBS AND A FEEBLY MODIFIED BASIC AUTO WARRANTY. NISSAN IS ACUTELY AWARE THAT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. SHE ASKED ME WHAT NISSAN NA COULD DO FOR ME? I REPLIED, "PAY FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR THAT IT COST ME TO FIX MY TRUCK, WHICH TOTAL $747.65." SHE ASKED IF I HAD THE RECEIPTS FOR THE REPAIRS AND I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. WHEN I DISCLOSED THAT AND INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER HAD INSTALLED THE NISSAN PARTS (DONE BY A FORMER NISSAN TECHNICIAN), REIMBURSEMENT FOR PARTS AND LABOR WERE RESOLUTELY DENIED BECAUSE A NISSAN DEALER DIDN'T DO THE JOB (THE SAME FOLKS WHO TOLD ME I NO LONGER HAD WARRANTY COVERAGE, AND THAT THE FIX" WOULD NOT REMEDY MY PARTICULAR PROBLEM). *TR UPDATED 03/17/08