What Cummins Engine Is In The Nissan Titan?

Check out the following chart for a detailed look at 5.0L Cummins V-8 Diesel engine specifications or Cummins 5.0ISV specifications.

The Five Most Regular 5.0 Cummins Engine Issues

The Nissan Titan XD diesel truck introduced the 5.0 Cummins engine in 2015. The Titan XD, with 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque, was created to bridge the gap between heavy-duty quarter- and full-ton diesel pickups and half-ton gas trucks. The towing capability of the Titan XD with the 5.0 is 12,830 pounds.

The 5.0 Cummins was discontinued after the 2019 model year due to high installation costs, numerous engine problems, and a limited advantage over gas trucks for towing. In addition to the engine’s depressing mechanical issues, Titan sales in general were extremely poor, especially when compared to its Ford, GM, and Dodge rivals. Sales of XD were extremely low, providing insufficient advantages over gasser vehicles, which led to its termination.

The 5.0 Cummins is a 90-degree V8, in contrast to the 5.9L and 6.7L traditional inline-6 Cummins. The 5.0 ISV has certain features in common with the Dodge truck engines, such as aluminum alloy cylinder heads and a compacted graphite iron block, despite having a separate design.

Nissan Titan XD is an aggressive middleweight.

For aficionados of Nissan trucks, there is some good news: Nissan is getting ready to release an updated Titan XD despite the discontinuation of the diesel option. However, the manufacturer is not yet ready to provide specific information about what the changes might include. The vehicle now only has a 5.6-liter V8 gasoline engine with 390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque.

The soon-to-be-gone Nissan-specific Cummins 5.0-liter V8 turbodiesel engine generates 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. The gasoline engine can tow 1,010 pounds less than the diesel engine, according to the manufacturer, when configured as a crew cab.

We don’t know if Nissan considers the diesel engine to be a market success. Nissan declined to provide any estimates of the volume of Titan XD diesel pickups it has sold over the years since the company does not provide sales data for specific engines or build options. The best indication of how customers felt about the engine option is perhaps the fact that the Cummins is departing the market after such a brief time.

Nissan’s most recent sales report reveals that as of July of this year, the corporation has only sold 20,268 Titan cars overall. Comparatively, the brand sold 27,271 Titan units at this time last year, a decrease of 25.7% year to date.

In memoriam a Cummins

After four years of manufacture, the Nissan Titan XD Cummins is no longer available. Beginning in 2020, Nissan’s full-size truck won’t be able to be powered by the Cummins turbodiesel 5.0-liter V-8. It’s an attempt to stop the brand from bleeding. Nissan recorded a 44.6 percent decline in operating profit from 2017 to 2018, while sales of the Titan were down over 25 percent for the first six months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. These sales totaled just over 18,000 vehicles. Ford sold approximately 450,000 F-Series vehicles during the same time period.

From the sincere, no-frills D21 Hardbody of the 1980s and 1990s to the current Frontier, a truck that found 39,322 homes in the first half of 2019 while being mostly unchanged since its 2005 debut, Nissan’s trucks have always leaned in the opposite direction. However, the pickup market has shifted in favor of expensive, high-margin trims. The decision has left purchasers without anywhere to invest their money if they want a straightforward, affordable work vehicle. The XD Cummins made an effort to close the distance. Its failure to capitalize more on what made Nissan trucks popular in the past may have been its biggest error.

We are used to seeing models and trims come and go, but the loss of the XD Cummins feels different since it was a terrific truck that was plagued by a market that was developing quickly. It appears to be another development in the pickup’s transformation from a reliable workhorse to a typical commuter. What a shame.

Why the Nissan Titan XD’s turbodiesel will be missed

The Nissan Titan XD was the only vehicle that could use Nissan’s previous Cummins turbodiesel. With a six-speed automatic transmission, it has a monstrous 555 lb-ft of torque and 310 horsepower. Nissan bragged that this engine needed fewer downshifts for simpler towing and produced 45 percent more torque while cruising than a V8.

Are there Cummins engines on Nissan Titans?

The pickup’s regular-cab models will also be discontinued as Nissan attempts to simplify its vehicle inventory. In 2020, Nissan will reduce the number of Titan pickup trucks available, according to a story from The Drive.

Is the Titan’s Cummins any good?

Overall, there are many problems with the Titan XD’s 5.0 Cummins engine. The majority of the engine’s primary parts, including the heads, block, internals, etc., appear to be strong and hold together well, but the rest of the engine does not. The block and other significant engine parts were made by Cummins, which is probably why they don’t frequently have significant problems. All of the primary engine systems that are troublesome on these trucks’ engines were designed by Nissan.

The Titan XD’s emissions control systems are all troublesome, turbocharger failure is known to occur far too early, the fueling system has problems, the transmission is terrible, and so on. Apart from these significant engine issues, the XD was lacking from the outset. The engine only delivered 1,000 lbs. more towing capacity than its V8 gasser equivalent despite being nearly a $10,000 boost. Additionally, compared to its Dodge, GM, and Ford rivals, the ride quality, interior, and overall driving experience were noticeably worse.

Even while we think the 5.0 Cummins engine is a highly robust and durable engine in terms of itself, the 5.0 found within the Titan XD cannot be regarded as dependable. We believe that the block, heads, internals, and other components will all last for more than 300,000 kilometers. We do not, however, believe that a Titan XD with a 5.0 Cummins engine will achieve even a fraction of that mileage without requiring tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance and repairs along the way.

The fact that Nissan no longer supports these engines is another important justification to avoid them. All of the diesel truck mechanics at the dealerships have since been fired because they no longer provide this engine or any other diesel trucks.

The Nissan Titan XD’s diesel engine, what is it?

The 2016 Nissan Titan XD Diesel has two engines. It may hold either gasoline or diesel. It is a pickup vehicle with a crew cab that comfortably seats four people. It falls inside the weight range of tow pickups because it can carry up to 12,314 lbs of stuff.

For this model, Nissan updated its engine. A Cummins 5.0-liter V8 diesel engine powers the Titan XD. The Titan doesn’t let you down with this level of engine, which is 5.6 liters in size and ups the horsepower ante. It can produce 310 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, living up to its moniker. Despite this, the EPA estimates that it gets only 13 mpg in the city.

All models come standard with rear-wheel drive, but you can customize your package to include four-wheel drive. The truck moves more easily on the road because to the 5.6-liter V8 engine’s decreased diesel emissions and aluminum construction. However, choose between a gasoline or diesel engine will impact your ability to tow. Titans with diesel engines can haul heavier loads.

Is the Cummins-powered Nissan Titan a 3/4 ton?

Midsize, 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, and full-ton pickup trucks are frequently mentioned by vehicle buyers. Heavy-duty vehicles (like the F-250 or Ram 2500) are frequently referred to as 3/4 ton trucks. Additionally, the 3/4-ton heavy-duty segment’s low end is where the 2022 Nissan Titan XD lies.

A 3/4 ton truck is what? Even heavy-duty pickup trucks from the past could only carry 1,500 pounds, or 3/4 of a ton, of freight. The majority of modern heavy-duty pickup trucks can carry over 4,000 pounds at once (two tons). However, the category’s name has not changed.

The U.S. government classifies trucks based on their gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which includes both the vehicle’s combined weight and its maximum payload. All automobiles with a GVRW between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds fall under Class 2B. The Ford F-250, Ram 2500, and Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500 are all part of what is frequently referred to as the 3/4-ton class.

With technology from their heavy-duty full-ton trucks, Ram, Ford, and General Motors all construct their 3/4-ton trucks. Because of this, you may equip any of these 3/4-ton trucks with a 10,000-pound GVWR option.

The GVWR of these vehicles is far more than that of the Nissan Titan XD. However, its GVWR of 8,650 to 8,800 pounds categorizes it as a heavy-duty, 3/4-ton truck.

Nissan is getting rid of the Cummins, but why?

The demise of the single cab type is not entirely unexpected given that the majority of pickup truck buyers appear to perceive their vehicles as crossovers with beds in the back. An oil-burner from a company like Cummins was expected to be a coup for Nissan, giving it a chance to gain traction in a market that overwhelmingly favors vehicles made by American manufacturers. However, the decision to scrap the diesel powertrain is telling.

Nevertheless, the pickup market is so large that, provided the product in question satisfies some unmet demand, even little niches have the potential to be lucrative. As we’ve discussed in prior truck evaluations, the problem with the Titan XD diesel is that it didn’t really succeed at achieving that.

As we noted earlier this year, the XD diesel trades off much of the refined ride and opulent accoutrements we’ve grown accustomed to on modern trucks in exchange for “nearly, but not quite, the capability of an HD truck in a somewhat, but not too much, smaller compact.”

The Titan XD basically falls between full-size and heavy-duty vehicles. While the diesel V8 gives the truck a lot of power, it also adds significantly to the price and the curb weight of 7,323 pounds. With the exception of the Cummins name, the Titan XD diesel didn’t have much to offer the typical buyer given the tremendous capability of today’s full-size gasoline-powered trucks. Evidently, that wasn’t enough.

However, it is a measure to how competitive the pickup industry is that Nissan is reevaluating its Titan lineup in the face of a market that still, at least for the time being, can’t get enough trucks.

Gordon Kozak

For as long as he can remember, Graham Kozak has been enamored with automobiles (probably before that, too).