2021 nissan titans were equipped with nissan's new 9 speed transmission. People are having major issues with this new transmission including me. I bought my brand new 2021 nissan titan in January of 2022. I have had issues with the transmission since day 1. Hard shifts from 1 to 4th gear. Always searching for gears. The safety issue is when you come to a stop the truck lurches forward on the last downshift causing the driver to almost hit the car in front of them. Also, when coasting to a stop every downshift is harsh and it slows the truck down because it's shifting to a lower gear to soon. Nissan performed an engine/transmission computer update but that didn't resolve anything and now they tell me there's nothing they can do about it.
2021 Nissan Titan: harsh or hard shifting
7 of the 58 complaints about the 2021 Nissan Titan describe harsh or hard shifting.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- recalls
- 2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 18 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Harsh or hard shifting by model year
What owners say
The transmission would jerk and clunky when coming to a stop and vibrate, shifting hard upon acceleration. Dealership refuses to acknowledge the problem.
Severe lag/hesitation on acceleration, hard shift lime being hit at around 10 mph and same issue when slowing down as it downshifts. Has happened intermittently for the last 2 months.
Transmission lags, and clunks. Will downshift unexpectedly upon deceleration causing the truck to lurch forward. Acceleration lags because vehicle does not shift correctly.This could put myself and others at risk. My truck only has 7,000 miles on it but the truck has done this since I got it brand new.
Vehicle began to rev the engine to approximately 6,000 or 7,000 RPM's. This occurred for several seconds before correcting itself. Immediately after correcting itself, the engine began to rev to the same RPM's as stated before for several seconds again. After a few seconds, there was a loud clunk sound and the entire truck learched forward aggressively. Truck was travelling approximately 20 mph in stop and go traffic. Vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and felt as if it could not get past the 1st gear/limp mode. For safety reasons, vehicle was moved to a nearby parking lot where it was parked until a tow truck was available.
Transmission issue: *Taking off from a complete stop at a traffic light or stop sign the truck is sluggish unless I give it about 1/4 throttle then it takes off slow it feels like its not in 1st gear. This is dangerous if trying to avoid incoming traffic while turning on a busy intersection. *There's occasions at a stop the truck surges forward by itself. *While driving and trying to pass a vehicle the transmission downshifted normal then it shifts up then down again. *When shifting from park to drive the transmission clunks. *When slowing down the downshift is harsh. I have taken to the dealership 2 times their response its the nature of the transmission.
The transmission lags, slips gears, shift’s harshly. When slowing down shifting from second to first gear around 15th, there is a very noticeable clunk in the transmission.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Fluid leak from the front differential case actuator motor plastic threads service information
- Diagnosing rear final drive assembly leaks service information
- Clicking noise from front or rear axle during take-off/acceleration
- Fluid leak from the front differential case actuator motor service information
- Drive shaft boot service information service information
- MIL on with gear ratio dtcs stored in the TCM service information
- A/t warning light is on without past or current DTC stored
- Transmission shift quality improvements
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Titan, 2020-2022 Frontier, and 2023 Z vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
- Risk
- A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will perform the applicable repairs below, free of charge: Model Year 2020-2022 Frontier vehicles: reprogram Transmission Control Module (TCM) Model Year 2020-2022 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM and Engine Control Module (ECM) Model Year 2023 Titan vehicles: reprogram TCM Model Year 2023 Z vehicles: reprogram TCM. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669.
Recall number 22V671000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission parking pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which can result in a vehicle rollaway.
- Risk
- A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to apply the parking brake every time they park their vehicle. Dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2022. Owners may contact Nissan's customer service at 1‑800‑867‑7669. Nissan's number for this recall is R22A2 R22A3.
Recall number 22V457000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2021 Nissan Titan harsh shifting
Is harsh or hard shifting a common problem on the 2021 Nissan Titan?
7 of 58 owner complaints about the 2021 Nissan Titan (12%) mention harsh or hard shifting. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Nissan Titan?
There are 2 recalls and 18 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Nissan Titan
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2021 Nissan Titan?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history