Truck rant. And don't know what to do.

[dodge man]

I can’t see the entire truck but what I can see, it looks pretty solid.

 

[N80]

It runs. AC still works. Bumper is bent. Hood is crumpled where a branch fell on it when it was still my daily driver. Driver’s seat is butt sprung. Dents and scratches on all 4 sides. Rear window leaks whenever the bathroom caulk or duck tape peels off. Smells like heck on the inside. Tailgate is bashed in on the inside from hauling big rocks…..that I forgot were back there.

Perfect farm truck.

It also survived being my teenage daughter’s daily driver when she was in high school. Probably it’s hardest years!

 

[dodge man]

So what your saying is it’s got character and just broken in?

 

[N80]

So what your saying is it’s got character and just broken in?

Yep.

 

[Oaktree]

People will pay for it. What I don't like is that they will take 1 popular feature; say, Cruise Control; and put it into a "package." When "building" a truck it might show as $235. Yet when you add it to your build it says "Must buy package 1234". That package is a bunch of garbage that you would never want yet costs a thousand dollars or more... plus the $235 for the option you would like.

I always hated that too. Seems like a lot of manufacturers are pushing special order these days...does the same "package" BS apply with special orders too?

 

[deserteagle71]

I always hated that too. Seems like a lot of manufacturers are pushing special order these days...does the same "package" BS apply with special orders too?

It sure does! It is no longer possible to spec out a vehicles exactly like you want it. Every option is part of a "package" which gives you a lot of stuff you don't need or want.

 

[danny8118]

Background: I have been a Nissan guy since 1984. Brand loyal all the way. And I've had great cars and trucks along the way. Then, in 2003 it was clear that I needed a full sized 4 door 4wd pick up. Nissan did not make one at that time so I bought a new Ford F150 Super Crew. I was never real happy with it. Steers like a yacht. Bounces and wobbles like a '75 Cadillac Fleetwood. Braking is always questionable. Rear window leaked from the get go. AC went out, to the tune of $1000, with only about 50k miles on it. Fit and trim in the interior is a joke. I still have it. It is my farm truck. Beat to heck but still running and I love it for that.

I replaced it about 4 years ago with a 2015 Nissan Titan 4 door Pro-4x model that I bought used with low miles. It has been an absolute turd. I love how it tows and it has great torque. Steers well. Brakes okay. But, transmission had to be replaced because it would roll away in 'Park' and would frequently not allow the truck to start because it 'thought' it wasn't in 'Park'. Entire head unit/nav had to be replaced because the volume and several other switches quit working. Its got a cacophony of squeaks and rattles. I mean bad. The interior trim is garbage. The five speed tranny always up shifts waaay to soon and downshifts waaaay to late. "Tow Mode" does not help with that. The heater switch failed which I fixed myself. The rear diff is leaking. The ride is terrible on anything but smooth interstate. The trim on the driver side window doesn't fit and there is constant wind noise in my left ear. Now the blend doors for the heat and AC have gone bad and my wife and I just rode home from dinner in an expensive truck freezing because of no heat. Because of the nav/head unit being in the way the entire dash has to be removed to replace the little electric motor and lever that moves the blend doors. This has been a known issue with these trucks since 2005 and still is on a 2015.....kind of like leaky rear windows in Fords. The cost of repair? $1000.

So this was the last straw. I have to get rid of this thing....and I usually keep cars until they die or get killed. Am I bashing Nissan? Yes, I think so. But, I've been a loyal customer since 1984....I've owned 10 of them and still have an Infiniti coupe that I love. My track car is an old 350Z. So maybe I have the right? Did I just get a lemon? Maybe. Doesn't matter. I've lost my faith in them.

I know that asking what brand of pickup to buy is probably worse than bringing up politics or religion but at this point I don't even have any idea where to look. Maybe I need to subscribe to Consumer Reports but in years past they did a lousy job of evaluating trucks because they always compared them to cars.

I will buy used. I need 4 doors, 4wd, minimum towing capacity of 8000 pounds. Toyota has always had the quality reputation but also the price tag to go along with it. I'm interested in brand neutral advice. And I know someone is going to tell me they have a Titan that has 600,000 miles on it, gets 40 miles to the gallon and still has that new car smell. I guess that's unavoidable.

I will certainly look at Ford and I did when I was looking to replace my F150. Two things turned me off from the Ford 1) I'm not interested....at all...in the V6 Eco-Boost. 2) It was almost impossible without a VIN to tell the exact towing and gearing specs and trim levels on Fords at that time and even then it was questionable. So I gave up.

Anyway, open to sage advice. And thanks for listening to the rant. I feel better already........but that might be the bourbon.

I bought a Ram 3500 2004 new. I use it to haul cattle etc. and to pull a 36 foot 5th wheel RV. Only have 150000 miles on it. Drives and rides great. I'll keep it till it breaks, then probably fix it.

 

[N80]

It sure does! It is no longer possible to spec out a vehicles exactly like you want it. Every option is part of a "package" which gives you a lot of stuff you don't need or want.

That's been going on for decades and I hate it. They often connect the stupidest things to like if you want the off-road package you have to get leather seats and lighted vanity mirrors.

 

[N80]

I bought a Ram 3500 2004 new. I use it to haul cattle etc. and to pull a 36 foot 5th wheel RV. Only have 150000 miles on it. Drives and rides great. I'll keep it till it breaks, then probably fix it.

That's what I'd do. In my situation though it had a major failure at around 50k miles. Whole new transmission!

 

[Jstpssng]

That's been going on for decades and I hate it. They often connect the stupidest things to like if you want the off-road package you have to get leather seats and lighted vanity mirrors.

That makes perfect sense to me... why would you want to climb back onto cheap vinyl after crawling around in the mud?
Although it seems like velour would be better... That's what I want in the back seat for my dog to climb into.