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NHTSA Preliminary Investigation into Crankshaft failures

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#21 ·
Vann5 said:
Right, it is a treatment from the factory, not a result of crazy high operating temps. Just reposting a pic from the Cummins assembly plant in Columbus where you can clearly see the blue counterweights on this engine moving down the line....
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Nissan blames the customer lack of maintenance for the blue colored cranks. I hope this gets dealt with
 
#24 ·
Cummins to pay record-setting $1.675 billion US environmental fine | Reuters

There is mention of the Cummins Titan in this article toward the end -- "Cummins previously said U.S. regulators were scrutinizing Nissan (7201.T) Titan trucks from the 2016 to 2019 model years and that it was developing a new software calibration and hardware fix and would recall the trucks. "

Is this in reference to the NHSTA investigation?
 
#25 ·
JW88 said:
Is this in reference to the NHSTA investigation?
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Short answer is no. The NHTSA investigation is purely based on safety concerns...e.g. the crankshafts may tend to break suddenly/unexpectedly which can lead to a loss of control and a resulting crash which can endanger lives. The NHTSA has regulatory authority to order a recall based on safety concerns, so we'll see what they determine and what action they take if any.

(Thanks for posting this Reuters link BTW!! Only article I saw that mentioned the Titan XD!)

The EPA, on the other hand, has regulatory authority to ding automakers when they violate clean air laws which go all the way back to the Clean Air Act of 1970 and subsequent Congressional legislative action and resulting EPA regulations. I was really disappointed to see that Cummins got caught with a flaw in the 6.7 engine calibration for the RAM trucks--was going to post some links on articles about the settlement agreement between DOJ and Cummins on Friday , Dec. 22nd.

Big damn mess, huge fine and lots of RAM engines to be recalled. The question is, is it only a software update, or is hardware involved. Even software is not innocuous. If it lowers HP, MPG etc, you can bet the lawyers will be coming after them for false statements about HP and torque. Yes, a big damn mess for Cummins and RAM.

What scares me about the article you linked is the words "hardware fix"...beyond the fact that our engines now appear to be part of the investigation overall. I'm just speculating here, but I don't think Cummins did something as blatant as VW did with their small diesel passenger car engines. That was outright "pre-meditated" fraud in terms of a completely different calibration when the ECM senses a test in progress. Still, even if it is just software correction for the RAM and or our engines, how far off were they--so to speak--in what kind of driving mode--and what effect will this have to power, longevity, and fuel economy. "Hardware fix"...uugh. We shall see...grab the popcorn, huh...

(This is why deletes have appeal of course. It is fair to say there is risk in either case these days with modern diesels. Risk of expensive emissions failures, premature engine wear etc. Or risk of deleting, which is illegal in all 50 states, though easier to fly under the radar in many--not judging those that delete here, just pointing out it does carry some risk.)
 
#27 ·
Guess Im Walking said:
yup have that truck,and yup it went down at 50,000 miles.Need to add it to the what I will assume will be a rapidly expanding list.
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Sorry to hear that for sure and for your troubles. Is you truck stock or tuned and did you get any kind of warning or just a sudden catastrophic break and that was it? What model year is it?....
 
#28 ·
Vann5 said:
Sorry to hear that for sure and for your troubles. Is you truck stock or tuned and did you get any kind of warning or just a sudden catastrophic break and that was it? What model year is it?....
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Nah no tuning involved,platinum reserve 4x4 2016. It had nothing but problems from the start,in and out of the dealer several times for multiple issues. Bummer tho this is the 5th Nissan truck that I’ve owned and all the others were great trucks,contacted nissan about all the problems cuz it was still under warranty when it started but they told me that it was not eligible for a buyback.So now I’m contemplating an engine swap.
 
#29 ·
Just posting the latest update I found on the NHTSA website regarding the "Preliminary Evaluation" (PE23020). The NHTSA sent a 10-page letter to Nissan on January 26th and I've posted the PDF here. It is a long read, but basically they are asking for a LOT of data from Nissan to try to get a handle on the crankshaft failure issue. I recall someone lamenting in the forum way back something to the effect of "we'll never really know the numbers on this because Nissan won't share data..." The NHTSA investigation will get ALL of that data and Nissan can't--and won't-- stonewall those guys. What they will determine and what we might see is an open question, but as the owner of a 2016--and it does seem like those have broken more often--I'll really be interested to follow this.
 

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#32 ·
wilsonfence05 said:
howdy ....also have the 2016 Nissan Titan XD platinum reserve and also lost power doing 70 down the turnpike pulled off the road and died no start back ...mechanic said a lot of metal shavings in oil pan and crankshaft was fractured
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Please report it to NHTSA, so they can see that it's still happening.
 
#33 ·
Well here I am the proud owner of a 2017 Titan XD SV 160,000 miles. I was driving down the interstate yesterday evening when the truck started lost power, made a horrible noise and began to vibrate violently. I got pulled to the shoulder and it died. Will not start back and seems to be locked up tight. Had it towed home and trying to figure out which direction I need to go with it. I’ve known about the issue for the past several months and have been following this forum slightly. I had hoped this wouldn’t happen with my truck, but it did and here I am.
 
#34 ·
Dang, sorry for your troubles!! It sounds like the crank may have just broken out of the blue. Did you hear any noises at all prior to the beginning of the horrible noises? Any slight knocking sounds at all or perhaps even slight ticking sounds in the prior days/weeks?

There seems to be a couple failure modes--just flat out BANG and broken crankshaft out of the blue and spun rods bearings that sound horrible, and can break the crank quickly but can also just make a helluva racket and lock up the motor.

If you were just cruising down the interstate with a proper oil level (like several unfortunate folks who have posted here) that sure as heck sounds like a sudden crank failure. But WHY?...uugh

I'd would certainly open a case with the NHTSA!!--your failure--cruising on the interstate--is the EXACT kind of thing that checks all the "safety recall" boxes. I'm not predicting that is what they will order Nissan to do, but sudden crank failure is a big thing...spun rod bearings ...not as much in the broader "safety" view though a financial gut-punch for the owner.

Link to NHTSA reporting portal here: Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
forgivenjhn316 said:
Question:
Has anyone on here who has had the come apart issue already replaced their motor? If so would ya point me in the right direction as to where you purchased from?? Thanks!
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At least one fellow has rebuilt his engine. It’s big money to buy a new long block.
 
#38 ·
Others can weigh in--and I haven't had a failure in mine--but the main source is salvage yards of course and many of those have listings on Ebay. Take a look there--there are a handful of used motors from wrecked trucks on there at any time, but they are not cheap--on the order of ~8-12K from what I have seen. There just weren't a lot of these made.

Nissan wants an insane amount for short block (~14K) and almost 20K for a long block so not a great option. If the block is not damaged, you may be able to buy a crank and rebuild....
 
#39 ·
Vann5 said:
Others can weigh in--and I haven't had a failure in mine--but the main source is salvage yards of course and many of those have listings on Ebay. Take a look there--there are a handful of used motors from wrecked trucks on there at any time, but they are not cheap--on the order of ~8-12K from what I have seen. There just weren't a lot of these made.

Nissan wants an insane amount for short block (~14K) and almost 20K for a long block so not a great option. If the block is not damaged, you may be able to buy a crank and rebuild....
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Yes I agree on salvage yards. However the problem would still be there. It would be a gamble. I like the idea of a reman motor if that would be an option. One that has already been rebuilt with the crank replaced.
 
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