2021 Nissan Titan: Problems & Reliability

AVOID

2021 Nissan Titan: AVOID — 54 owner complaints (1.97 per 1,000 sold), 1.5× the Titan median year.

CarWhere's verdict score for the 2021 is 2.17, where 1.00 is a typical Titan year once complaints are weighted for severity and spread over time on the road; the avoid line is 1.60, so this year clears it by 0.57. Severity drives it: 67% of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury or involve a safety-critical system (engine, powertrain, steering, brakes or fuel).

Sources: NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), recall campaigns and manufacturer service bulletins, published U.S. sales, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Model years 2013–2024 compared · Updated 2026-11-07 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology

54

NHTSA complaints

1.97

Complaints per 1,000 sold

136

Service bulletins

5

Recall campaigns

2021 Nissan Titan recalls

5 recall campaigns on federal record for the 2021, reported between Mar 11, 2021 and Aug 5, 2024.

NHTSA campaignReportedComponent
24V580000Aug 5, 2024Air bags › Air bag/restraint control module
22V671000Sep 7, 2022Powertrain / transmission › Automatic transmission
22V457000Jun 24, 2022Powertrain / transmission › Automatic transmission
21V471000Jun 23, 2021Exterior lighting › Turn signal › Bulbs
21V169000Mar 11, 2021Tires

2021 Nissan Titan service bulletins

The manufacturer has filed 136 technical service bulletins with NHTSA for the 2021 — close to the 129 of the median Titan year from 2013 to 2024. Coded bulletins most often cover electrical system (81), powertrain / transmission (20), engine & cooling (13). Bulletins are repair instructions for dealer technicians, not recalls.

The 2021 vs. the year before and after

From the 2020 to the 2021, owner complaints jumped 2.3× (23 → 54) — a step backward. The 2022 that followed fell by more than half (54 → 0), so the 2022 has the lighter record so far.

Model yearVerdictComplaintsBulletinsRecallsAvg. buyer-paid
2020 TitanSOLID231615—
2021 (this page)AVOID541365—
2022 TitanTOO FEW REPORTS0804—

Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year). Full year-by-year table: Nissan Titan years to avoid.

Nearby Titan years with a better rating: 2020.

Pricing Intelligence

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FAQ

Is the 2021 Nissan Titan reliable?

2021 Nissan Titan: AVOID — 54 owner complaints (1.97 per 1,000 sold), 1.5× the Titan median year. CarWhere's verdict score for the 2021 is 2.17, where 1.00 is a typical Titan year once complaints are weighted for severity and spread over time on the road; the avoid line is 1.60, so this year clears it by 0.57.

What are the most common 2021 Nissan Titan problems?

The 2021 Nissan Titan has 54 NHTSA owner complaints and 136 manufacturer service bulletins on file; the component breakdown is on NHTSA's record for this model year.

How many recalls does the 2021 Nissan Titan have?

5 recall campaigns on federal record for the 2021 Nissan Titan, most recently 24V580000 (Aug 5, 2024, air bags); 22V671000 (Sep 7, 2022, powertrain / transmission); 22V457000 (Jun 24, 2022, powertrain / transmission). Recall completion is VIN-specific, so check the exact car.

How do I check a specific 2021 Nissan Titan before buying?

Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for the exact VIN — recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for this model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.

Sources & method

Complaint, recall and service-bulletin counts for the 2021 Nissan Titan come from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; the per-1,000 rate divides complaints by published U.S. 2021 calendar-year sales; the verdict is CarWhere’s severity-weighted, time-on-road-adjusted score compared with the model’s own median year. The live complaint feed was unavailable at render, so the complaint count is the verdict engine’s stored count. Complaints are owner allegations, not verified defects. Full methodology.

All Nissan Titan model years