Nissan recalls Frontier, Titan pickup trucks for rollaway risk

Newer Nissan pickup trucks equipped with a 9-speed automatic transmission are being recalled because the trucks can roll away despite being in the “Park” position, the NHTSA disclosed Tuesday. 

When owners shift the truck into Park, the parking pawl in the transmission may not engage. The driver could shut off and exit the vehicle without actually engaging Park, thereby increasing the risk of a runaway truck.

The recall encompasses 180,176 trucks, including the redesigned Nissan Frontier mid-size pickup. Nissan updated the powertrain of that truck for 2020, so the recall applies to the 2020-2022 Nissan Frontier and the 2020-2022 Nissan Titan full-size pickup that also uses the 9-speed automatic. 

A similar 9-speed is used in other Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, but they are not subjected to this recall. Nissan says the defect is limited to its pickup trucks because reduced ground clearance could cause contact between the pawl and the transmission case. Nissan advises all owners of the affected vehicles to use the manual parking brake once parked until the trucks are fixed. The brakes work fine for stopping the truck in driving situations, and the transmission works fine as well, except when in Park. 

A fix is still being determined. Owners can expect notification by mail as early as July 20. Nissan says the notification will include instructions on the remedy and the reimbursement process for owners who had the work done outside of the warranty. The Titan should be covered based on its 5-year/100,000-mile basic warranty, but the Frontier’s powertrain is limited to a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty. In both cases, Nissan should pay for any recall work performed at a Nissan service center once the remedy has been finalized. 

For more info, call Nissan’s customer service at 1-800-867-7669 or visit Nissan’s recall website