2021 Nissan Frontier transmission parking pawl failure may cause vehicle rollaway
Certain 2020-2022 Nissan Frontier and Titan vehicles have a defective transmission parking pawl that may not engage when shifted to park, creating a rollaway risk. Dealers will replace the component at no cost.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: This is a structural vehicle defect involving the automatic transmission's parking pawl mechanism. However, the source does not report any actual rollaway incidents, injuries, or fatalities—only the risk of rollaway. Per the rubric, theoretical hazards without reported injuries classify as 'High' severity.
Plain-English summary
Nissan North America, Inc. is recalling certain 2020-2022 Nissan Frontier and Titan vehicles due to a defect in the automatic transmission's parking pawl mechanism. When the vehicle is shifted into park, the transmission parking pawl may fail to engage, preventing the transmission from holding the vehicle in place.
A vehicle that is not held in park by a functioning pawl can roll away, particularly on slopes or inclines. This rollaway risk increases the possibility of a crash and potential property damage or injury.
This recall affects approximately 180,176 vehicles across the Frontier and Titan model lines. Owners of affected vehicles should apply the parking brake each time they park. Nissan dealers will replace the transmission parking pawl pin at no cost. Owner notification letters were mailed in November 2022. Owners can contact Nissan's customer service at 1-800-867-7669 for more information.
The recalled product
- Product
- NISSAN FRONTIER, TITAN
- Brand
- NISSAN
- Manufacturer
- Nissan North America, Inc.
- Category
- Vehicle — Automatic Transmission
- Affected units
- 180,176
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (2)
- FRONTIER
- TITAN
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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