Nissan is recalling 203,223 trucks in the U.S. for a transmission issue that can lead to affected vehicles slipping out of park.
The recall concerns Nissan Titan pickups built from Dec. 13, 2019, to Aug. 25, 2022. Also affected are Nissan Frontiers built from June 10, 2020, to Aug. 25, 2022. Nissan will also pursue recalls of affected vehicles in Canada and Mexico.
The issue is related to the resistance between the transmission’s parking rod and wedge, which may allow the shifter to move under certain conditions. If this happens, the transmission can slip out of park, which could allow the vehicle to roll away.
The defect could be particularly dangerous if the vehicle is parked on a slope. Owners should engage the parking brake in addition to putting the trucks in park—almost every time.
Thus far, no crashes have been reported, however, Nissan has fielded four reports of minor injuries occurring as a result of the issue.
Nissan does not yet have a remedy for the issue but the fix could require pulling the transmission out to repair or replace the defective parking rod and wedge. These components are typically buried deep in the transmission, suggesting a fix may require a lot of labor to sort out. The alternative is replacing the entire transmission as a unit. Either way, it could be a very expensive recall for Nissan indeed.
Nissan will notify affected owners by Nov. 1 with details of the recall procedure. In the meantime, those concerned should make doubly sure that the parking brake is properly engaged, particularly when parking on an incline. It could just save your Nissan Titan or Frontier from rolling away.
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