2004 Nissan Titan

I HAVE NOW ONLY OWNED THIS TRUCK FOR ONE YEAR. I AM ONLY THE SECOND OWNER. I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE DRIVE TRAIN ISSUES NOW WITH THIS TRUCK AND IT IS ONLY CURRENTLY AT 75,000 MILES AS OF 11/20/2011. 04/22/11 TURNED A CORNER FROM A FOUR WAY STOP TO HEAR A LIGHT GRINDING NOISE THAT TURNED TO A HEAVY CLUNK AND TIRE HOP. TOOK IT TO A LOCAL TRUSTED AUTO REPAIR TECH TO FIND THAT MY E-LOCKER DETERIORATED AND LITERALLY GRENADED MY WHOLE CARRIER ASSEMBLY. THE ONLY FIX ACCORDING TO NISSAN IS TO REPLACE THE WHOLE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AS IN NEW CASE FULLY ASSEMBLED W/ ROTORS AND ALL. LOCAL SHOP DID RESEARCH AND SAID THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE THEY HAVE A LOT AND NISSAN DOES NOT SELL INDIVIDUAL PARTS TO REPLACE. LOCAL SHOP HAD TO BUILD WHOLE NEW CUSTOM REAR END FROM SEALS IN W/ A DETROIT TRUE TRAC MECHANICAL LOCKER. AT THE SAME TIME SHORTLY AFTER FOUND GEAR OIL IN DRIVEWAY FROM FRONT PUMPKIN TO FIND DRIVERS SIDE C-CLIP BROKE AND AXLE SHAFT IS NOT ENGAGING (IN OTHER WORDS NO DEPENDABLE 4WD) HAD THAT ALL FIXED IN 05/2011 AND SEEMED OKAY NEVER HAD USED THE 4WD. NOW 11/19/11 WENT TO GO FIND A CHRISTMAS TREE AND TURNED ON THE 4WD AGAIN JUST IN CASE. ONCE AGAIN A BROKEN C-CLIP OUT OF NOWHERE. I HAVE NOW HAD TWO BROKEN C-CLIPS WITHIN ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF EACH OTHER W/O 4WD BEING USED. BOUGHT THE TRUCK FOR $16K AND HAVE NOW PUT IN ALMOST ANOTHER $4K IN FRONT AND REAR END REPAIRS. NISSAN IS LOSING A LOT OF CUSTOMERS BY NOT OWNING UP TO THEIR MISTAKES AND DESIGN FLAWS. *TR

DISCOVERED THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR AXLE OIL SEAL LEAKING. VEHICLE MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH NISSAN MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES. DISCOVERED NISSAN TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB)NTB10-032 STATING ENTIRE AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY (AXLE, NEW RETAINER, AXLE BEARING, OIL SEAL, BEARING CAGE, AND ABS ROTOR) BE REPLACED ON 2004-2008 MODELS WHEN OIL LEAKS ARE DISCOVERED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE TSB DID NOT ELABORATE WHY THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY IS TO BE REPLACED. IT CAN ONLY BE ASSUMED THAT ALL PARTS OF THE ASSEMBLY ARE CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE AND REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. I PRESENTED THE TSB TO MY NISSAN SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID THEY ONLY NEED TO REPLACE THE OIL SEAL, AXLE BEARING, AND SPACER CONTRARY TO THE PRESCRIBED SERVICE PROCEDURE IN THE TSB. WITHIN 200 MILES OF REPLACEMENT, THE NEW OIL SEAL LEAKS INDICATING THE CAUSE OF THE SEAL FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. UNRESOLVED AXLE SEAL LEAKS WILL RESULT IN AXLE FAILURE AND BRAKE FAILURES WHEN PADS ARE SOAKED BY GEAR OIL LEAKS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65 MPH. I WAS GOING THAT SPEED WHEN, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY DRIVE SHAFT, BASICALLY EXPLODED AND FELL APART WHILST I WAS IN MOTION. I HAVE KEPT UP ONE ALL MANDATORY AND BASIC MAINTENANCE WORK AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT BEFORE. PARTS FLEW OUT FROM ALL AROUND MY TRUCK AND IT SLAMMED INTO A COMPLETE STOP AS IF I HAD MADE IMPACT INTO SOMETHING. PASSING VEHICLES HAD TO STAY CLEAR OF THE DEBRIS AN I HAD TO PUSH MY TRUCK INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. HIGHWAY PATROL ASKED IF I WAS ALRIGHT AND I STATED TO HAVE ALREADY HAD A TOW TRUCK ON ITS WAY. WHEN MY TRUCK WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP THEY SAID THE REAR END ACTUALLY GAVE WAY AND BROKE, INCLUDING THE DRIVE SHAFT WHICH SNAPPED INTO TWO PIECES, ONE OF WHICH WAS LAUNCHED INTO TRAFFIC. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED NOR PEOPLE HURT. THE MECHANICS SAID THEY'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 57 YEARS AND I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE COME OUT OF THAT THE WAY I DID, BECAUSE IN MOST CASES THE TRUCK WOULD HAVE FLIPPED AND ROLLED. THE DAMAGES WERE EXTENSIVE AND EXTREME FOR SOMETHING I HAD NO CONTROL OVER. THE SHOP INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WAY I WAS DRIVING IT OR ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE, AND THEY FOUND IT "WEIRD" THAT IT HAPPENED THE WAY IT DID. VERY DANGEROUS AND NEAR TRAUMATIZING. I WAS UNABLE TO SELECT THE CORRECT COMPONENTS ABOVE SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH MY DRIVE SHAFT, REAR DIFFERENTIAL, AND POWER LINE. *TR

WITHIN A 5 MILE RANGE THE VEHICLE STARTED TO WHINE, THEN CLANK, THEN LOCK-UP. EMERGENCY BRAKES FAILED AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL FAILED... VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVEABLE. THIS VEHICLE JUST HIT 100,000 MILES. REPAIR IS > 1/5TH OF VEHICLE VALUE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE IN 2004 NISSAN TITANS. VERY DANGEROUS - ESPECIALLY IF TOWING A TRAILER (WHICH IS WHAT THIS VEHICLE IS ADVERTISED TO DO) *TT