did you look at titans before???
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I did. I researched the Titan thoroughly and even took a test drive in one a while back. I really liked the truck and was considering it very strongly.
The deal-killer for me started when I picked up a copy of Consumer Reports. Mind you, I don't consider that book the gospel by any stretch. I think a lot is wrong with the way they do things (they ran a 07 Tundra photo with 06 specs and information in their last issue), but it just caused me to wonder why they were giving the Titan such bad marks. They had it rated "worst" even compared to Dodge, Chevy and Ford. Upon further examination and a whole lot of Internet research, I learned about the brake, rear end and other mechanical problems experienced by Titan owners. I went to Titantalk.com and was shocked at what I was reading.
For every Titan owner I heard from that was pleased, I heard from 10 who were not. Those are not good odds. I take no pleasure in it, either. Nissan has long had a reputation for building good vehicles, but the Titan has struggled. There are strong points to the Titan, but weak ones as well - like them using the 8.5 inch ring gear.
I have driven a Toyota truck a long time and so far I have no complaints. After reading about the Titan, it would be too much of a risk for me to walk away from Toyota and into a Titan.
The deal-killer for me started when I picked up a copy of Consumer Reports. Mind you, I don't consider that book the gospel by any stretch. I think a lot is wrong with the way they do things (they ran a 07 Tundra photo with 06 specs and information in their last issue), but it just caused me to wonder why they were giving the Titan such bad marks. They had it rated "worst" even compared to Dodge, Chevy and Ford. Upon further examination and a whole lot of Internet research, I learned about the brake, rear end and other mechanical problems experienced by Titan owners. I went to Titantalk.com and was shocked at what I was reading.
For every Titan owner I heard from that was pleased, I heard from 10 who were not. Those are not good odds. I take no pleasure in it, either. Nissan has long had a reputation for building good vehicles, but the Titan has struggled. There are strong points to the Titan, but weak ones as well - like them using the 8.5 inch ring gear.
I have driven a Toyota truck a long time and so far I have no complaints. After reading about the Titan, it would be too much of a risk for me to walk away from Toyota and into a Titan.
I must admit that I did not look at the Titan's simply because of the experience I had with an X-Terra. It's the old addage of; When you get sick from the food at a restuarant you'll never, ever, go back there...
I'll bet though the Titan in a nice truck, in fact last year I tried to talk a buddy outta the Frontier in favor of the Titan but... he's an idiot
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My top 3 were, Tundra, Ram, Titan. Basicly in that order. I test drove each (heck, I have a Ram now) Each had good things, each had bad. The biggest thing for me was, the Titan was only available in ext cab, and I wanted a reg. cab. so that bumped it to third. It was nice, just not near as many models and not near as much HP as the Tundra.
well said!, i totally agree with the theory of "to each their own"... in no way am i trying to start a bashing thread here, just curious because the 2 do compete with each other in a lot of ways, i do like the tundra, i think it's a nice truck. just not very comfortable with it is all and would rather have the titan, thanks for everyones feedback, i hope to hear a lot more people opinions on the titan as well as their toyotas.
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764 Posts
I really like the Titan. I test drove one back in 2005 and loved it. I ended up buying a Duramax Silverado due to mission profile but talked my brother in law into buying a Titan just based on my enthusiasm from the test drive. However, I still had two more diesel 3/4 ton pickups to buy and drive before coming back to a 1/2 ton (my favorite size). In fact the last Ford Powerstroke I bought had a rubber floor and crank windows because I knew I was going to give it to one of my foremen anyway. I was just biding time until the new '07 Tundra was available to drive and compare to the 1/2 ton Silverado (which I really liked except for the 5.3L engine which I also have experience with).
My preference order would be something on the order of Tundra, Silverado, Titan, F-150 then Ram. If I had a one or two year old Titan right now I'd stick with it for a few more years before switchting to a Tundra (or other). Last year I forcibly went out of my way to time things so that I would buy a new '07 1/2 ton pickup when all the competive makes were (out even though I knew down deep the Tundra would win).
My preference order would be something on the order of Tundra, Silverado, Titan, F-150 then Ram. If I had a one or two year old Titan right now I'd stick with it for a few more years before switchting to a Tundra (or other). Last year I forcibly went out of my way to time things so that I would buy a new '07 1/2 ton pickup when all the competive makes were (out even though I knew down deep the Tundra would win).
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347 Posts
I not only looked at the Titan, but owned two of them. The first one lasted 9 months and 9600 miles before it fell apart and was bought back. It was an 04, 4X4 LE,BT. The 05 replaced the 04. It was an LE,4X4,BT,OR. It went to the dealer 28 times in 27 months and the dealer replaced $12,000 worth of parts, with no end it sight.
At 22,000 miles I got rid of it and bought a Tundra.
The Titan is fine for the pavement, but the poor quality parts, puny rear end can't take the ranch roads I drive on most of the time. I burned up 4 ABS units simply because I could not turn off the ABLS.
Add this to blown axle seals(4), windows that fall to the bottom of the doors(5times), because of cheap parts, BCM module blown (3 times), which meant I was dead in water, and a host of minor problems, I could not afford to keep the Titan, as most of these problems are never permanently fixed and I would be paying out of pocket.
At 22,000 miles I got rid of it and bought a Tundra.
The Titan is fine for the pavement, but the poor quality parts, puny rear end can't take the ranch roads I drive on most of the time. I burned up 4 ABS units simply because I could not turn off the ABLS.
Add this to blown axle seals(4), windows that fall to the bottom of the doors(5times), because of cheap parts, BCM module blown (3 times), which meant I was dead in water, and a host of minor problems, I could not afford to keep the Titan, as most of these problems are never permanently fixed and I would be paying out of pocket.
I did in '04, even took one home. I loved the motor, but couldn't get past the styling, just not my taste. Ended up with a '04 SR5 acess cab hard loaded cheaper than the nissan barely loaded. After reading reliability reports didn't even consider them (or any other) in '07.
Well if your not comfortable with a Tundra, its your money you should buy what you like. Whether you buy Toyota, Nissan , Forn , Chevy, or Dodge your going to be spending alot of money, so buy what your most comfortable and suits your needs best. Then hope it holds up, if its not Toyota...just kidding.
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96 Posts
I am sorry I am just biased. lol. I looked at the Titan, the dealer asked me to drive it, I told him I'd rather push a Toyota than drive anything else. I have owned 25 and my 07 CM will be the 26th. I have no horror stories and I drive all my trucks like I stole them. Out of all my Toyota Trucks, I have never been without one due to shop time for more than a total of 1 week. Thats one week shop time for 25 Toyota trucks (not counting oil changes, brakes and regular maintenance). Toyota quality has me sold. I am glad to see them add some horsepower to the mix. I'll not bash any other non Toyota owners, you guys have probably had enough troubles already.
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117 Posts
I looked at a Titan a couple of years ago and couldn't stand it. Forget the horror stories, there just wasn't anything inside and out that I liked. Toyota is far up my list, and nobody comes close. Chevy and Dodge I'd be split for second. Ford and Nissan tie for last.
If somebody wanted to give me a Chevy or Dodge, I'd take it. But they can keep the Ford and Nissan.
If somebody wanted to give me a Chevy or Dodge, I'd take it. But they can keep the Ford and Nissan.
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341 Posts
I looked heavily at the Titan last summer before buying my '06. Before I began test driving, it was my leading choice. Scanned Titantalk for several months before I even went to drive them. Then I drove several extended cabs, took 2 home for the evening, etc.
I liked the interior layout and some of the neat features (damped tailgate, wide-opening rear doors, power, etc.). Exterior really didn't appeal to me, but then again, I don't sit and gaze at my truck so it wasn't a big deal.
I passed on them because of 1) the poor quality/reliabilty record, 2) the thirsty 5.6L (I drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic a lot), and 3) cheap interior materials and build quality. I plan to keep whatever I bought for a long time and want the truck to look nice for a while and not need many repairs.
At my closest Nissan dealership I went to test drive, all 6 (yes, 6) of their Titans on the lot wouldn't start because of dead batteries. Went to another dealership and drove 3 different ones. One had a rattle under the dash, another had a rear window seal that had fallen out, and the last one ran like crap when it was first started (must have been sitting for a while).
I liked the interior layout and some of the neat features (damped tailgate, wide-opening rear doors, power, etc.). Exterior really didn't appeal to me, but then again, I don't sit and gaze at my truck so it wasn't a big deal.
I passed on them because of 1) the poor quality/reliabilty record, 2) the thirsty 5.6L (I drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic a lot), and 3) cheap interior materials and build quality. I plan to keep whatever I bought for a long time and want the truck to look nice for a while and not need many repairs.
At my closest Nissan dealership I went to test drive, all 6 (yes, 6) of their Titans on the lot wouldn't start because of dead batteries. Went to another dealership and drove 3 different ones. One had a rattle under the dash, another had a rear window seal that had fallen out, and the last one ran like crap when it was first started (must have been sitting for a while).
I have an 04 King Cab Titan LE. I purchased it as a stand in until Toyota came out with a new tundra. I have always driven Toyota trucks but couldn’t get past the styling of the last Tundra model. I have had the Titan for over 2.5 years now. Here is my take: It is one of the more exciting trucks I have owned. It’s fast and powerful. I love the exterior and the interior. I would like to say that I usually do not purchase 1st years runs but I would be lying. My first year runs have been all Toyota to date including but not limited to the 07 Camry, the 03 (or was it 04) 4Runner, the T100 and a host of others. Before the Titan, I have never owned a Nissan and from the Titan experience, I will never own another. Here is a very basic list of what I went through:
Brakes replaced 3 times before the recall parts were available
AC leaking into the passenger side that stained the carpet, TWICE!!
Rim torn up each time the brakes had to be replaced (dealer issue, they had to replace them)
Frozen doors, yes, you read that right. On very cold mornings, the doors will NOT open. Mine went as far as the cable breaking in the door which made it impossible for me to get in the truck, repaired this week but did not address the freezing issue.
Transmission cooling line leak, thanks for the stained driveway. Part is on order.
King Cab door rubber squeaks, ALL THE TIME. Dealer repairs with some greasy substance.
Driver’s side windows switch is a little iffy, sometimes they work, sometimes not so much.
A list of recalls that I really do not care to type as it would take a while, mostly harness and seatbelt issues.
High end stereo system from Rockford Fosgate is mostly Panasonic or other low end parts, stereo was yanked in the first month and replaced with something decent.
I haven’t had an issue with the rear end yet, but I will. The 05s came out with an air cooled rear cover for a reason.
The battery lasted an entire 1.5 years, seems a little short to me.
Goodyear tires, UGGG, after 17,000 miles they were very close to bald. Nissan must have purchased the B rated Goodyear tires for this truck. Replaced with Michelins, much better tire.
Spray in bedliner turned WHITE after 3 months. Truck had to flat bedded to NJ for a re-spray. 5 months later, bedliner looks white again.
After 2.5 years, the rattles and squeaks are a bit out of control. No use taking it to the dealer for these issues as Nissan service departments suck badly. "Unable to reproduce" pretty much every time.
There is more but I will stop here. The engine and tranny have been perfect. I still think it’s a fun truck to drive but you couldn’t give me another one. I will say this much about my dealer, they are the worst in the business. I asked them to replace the serp. belt when it was in this week. When I left there, I asked them to make sure they over charge me, treat my truck like **** while it is there, and communicate with me a little as possible while you have my truck. I was kidding but they made sure they did that as they always do. Almost every time I leave the truck there, it comes back with a new scratch, scuff, or stain. They also tried to charge me $95 for a diagnostic charge for the belt. I told them it was squeaking and to replace it, when did they have to diagnose anything. I argued for an hour for them to remove it. I actually had to get my assistant on the speaker phone and have her purchase www.smithtownnissansucks.com while everyone was listening in for them to take the charge off. I was in no rush as they had the truck in the back so they could buff out the scratches on the door that were not there when I dropped it off. So I had to pay $9.95 for the domain name to save $95.
The paint on the Nissan Titan is pretty bad. Imperfections from the manufacturer and it is just very easy to scratch. Ohh there i go again, I said I would stop.
The only thing I want to mention is that the dealership, Smithtown Nissan has the worst service department I have ever seen. The saleswoman was very good and another salesman was always giving me his car as a loaner. He went above and beyond. There management is terrible. Do not ever go in there with someone under the age of 18 as there is a little room in the back where they all hang out and the language coming out of this room is so offensive that it made me cringe. I can’t tell you how many times I had to pull my Daughter out of there because people can’t watch their mouth. I am sorry for writing a book here and I am on the market for a Tundra. I am just waiting for the right deal to come along. As much as I love buying a new Tundra, I would have to say the best part will be NEVER having to return to a Nissan dealer for ANYTHING, EVER. God I cant wait for that day.
Brakes replaced 3 times before the recall parts were available
AC leaking into the passenger side that stained the carpet, TWICE!!
Rim torn up each time the brakes had to be replaced (dealer issue, they had to replace them)
Frozen doors, yes, you read that right. On very cold mornings, the doors will NOT open. Mine went as far as the cable breaking in the door which made it impossible for me to get in the truck, repaired this week but did not address the freezing issue.
Transmission cooling line leak, thanks for the stained driveway. Part is on order.
King Cab door rubber squeaks, ALL THE TIME. Dealer repairs with some greasy substance.
Driver’s side windows switch is a little iffy, sometimes they work, sometimes not so much.
A list of recalls that I really do not care to type as it would take a while, mostly harness and seatbelt issues.
High end stereo system from Rockford Fosgate is mostly Panasonic or other low end parts, stereo was yanked in the first month and replaced with something decent.
I haven’t had an issue with the rear end yet, but I will. The 05s came out with an air cooled rear cover for a reason.
The battery lasted an entire 1.5 years, seems a little short to me.
Goodyear tires, UGGG, after 17,000 miles they were very close to bald. Nissan must have purchased the B rated Goodyear tires for this truck. Replaced with Michelins, much better tire.
Spray in bedliner turned WHITE after 3 months. Truck had to flat bedded to NJ for a re-spray. 5 months later, bedliner looks white again.
After 2.5 years, the rattles and squeaks are a bit out of control. No use taking it to the dealer for these issues as Nissan service departments suck badly. "Unable to reproduce" pretty much every time.
There is more but I will stop here. The engine and tranny have been perfect. I still think it’s a fun truck to drive but you couldn’t give me another one. I will say this much about my dealer, they are the worst in the business. I asked them to replace the serp. belt when it was in this week. When I left there, I asked them to make sure they over charge me, treat my truck like **** while it is there, and communicate with me a little as possible while you have my truck. I was kidding but they made sure they did that as they always do. Almost every time I leave the truck there, it comes back with a new scratch, scuff, or stain. They also tried to charge me $95 for a diagnostic charge for the belt. I told them it was squeaking and to replace it, when did they have to diagnose anything. I argued for an hour for them to remove it. I actually had to get my assistant on the speaker phone and have her purchase www.smithtownnissansucks.com while everyone was listening in for them to take the charge off. I was in no rush as they had the truck in the back so they could buff out the scratches on the door that were not there when I dropped it off. So I had to pay $9.95 for the domain name to save $95.
The paint on the Nissan Titan is pretty bad. Imperfections from the manufacturer and it is just very easy to scratch. Ohh there i go again, I said I would stop.
The only thing I want to mention is that the dealership, Smithtown Nissan has the worst service department I have ever seen. The saleswoman was very good and another salesman was always giving me his car as a loaner. He went above and beyond. There management is terrible. Do not ever go in there with someone under the age of 18 as there is a little room in the back where they all hang out and the language coming out of this room is so offensive that it made me cringe. I can’t tell you how many times I had to pull my Daughter out of there because people can’t watch their mouth. I am sorry for writing a book here and I am on the market for a Tundra. I am just waiting for the right deal to come along. As much as I love buying a new Tundra, I would have to say the best part will be NEVER having to return to a Nissan dealer for ANYTHING, EVER. God I cant wait for that day.
I remember going into that dealership when I was a bit younger and remember feeling that my girlfriend(now wife) and I were treated poorly.
I was making a little less $$ then than now but I won't forget how it felt.
Whenever in the area I just drive by and flip them off knowing they won't get a dime from me...
I was making a little less $$ then than now but I won't forget how it felt.
Whenever in the area I just drive by and flip them off knowing they won't get a dime from me...
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2,711 Posts
I looked, Test Drove and studied my top 3 choices. Ford Looked the best but once I drove it I heard creaking and popping and when I floored it it could not get out of it's own way. It drove just like the Ford I owned and I wanted more. So the Ford was out.
Titan- I drove it and Liked the feel and motor. I did not like the looks at all but I was nto buying for looks. I got prices and then went over to Toyota.
Tundra-Test Drove it and it felt strong. The interior wasa little bland but I did not care for the Nissan Interior so Bland was OK. I got pricing and went home
From the net and from Brochures I wrote down all the specs like towing capacity and payload and such. ALL were right in range with one another so no stand out winner. I did not look at all the complaining and such about the Nissan or Ford or whatever becasue I know complainers tell the world and regular people do not take the time to write how ok their vehicle is.
Last I spoke with the Mechanics I know that work at Nissan and Toyota. Basically the techs from both Toyota and Nissan pushed me towards the Tundra. I know MANY Toyota Techs (Worked there) and 3 Nissan techs.
Chose the Tundra due to Price (cheapest between the 3)and their history of reliability. Looks of the Tundra were not my favorite but as I said I did not buy for looks. And the most important thing was I get employee cost on parts and Labor at the Dealership so maintenance would be even cheaper.
Titan- I drove it and Liked the feel and motor. I did not like the looks at all but I was nto buying for looks. I got prices and then went over to Toyota.
Tundra-Test Drove it and it felt strong. The interior wasa little bland but I did not care for the Nissan Interior so Bland was OK. I got pricing and went home
From the net and from Brochures I wrote down all the specs like towing capacity and payload and such. ALL were right in range with one another so no stand out winner. I did not look at all the complaining and such about the Nissan or Ford or whatever becasue I know complainers tell the world and regular people do not take the time to write how ok their vehicle is.
Last I spoke with the Mechanics I know that work at Nissan and Toyota. Basically the techs from both Toyota and Nissan pushed me towards the Tundra. I know MANY Toyota Techs (Worked there) and 3 Nissan techs.
Chose the Tundra due to Price (cheapest between the 3)and their history of reliability. Looks of the Tundra were not my favorite but as I said I did not buy for looks. And the most important thing was I get employee cost on parts and Labor at the Dealership so maintenance would be even cheaper.
"I did not look at all the complaining and such about the Nissan or Ford or whatever becasue I know complainers tell the world and regular people do not take the time to write how ok their vehicle is."
Interesting comment, I guess.
I personally wouldn’t make any large purchase without speaking to someone that knows. That’s the good and the BAD. When I buy a house, I speak to the neighbors in the neighborhood. When I buy a car or truck, I speak to a current or previous owners. If they complain, I tell them to shut the hell up unless they have something good to say (sarcasm).
I guess by your logic, half of the posts on ANY forum regarding ANY product should just be ignored. I don’t know what the percentage of our society is that are using the forums but i am sure it’s very small. So the people that do use the forums typically will post information that is helpful in one way or another. I take it all in. But I guess that just me.
Interesting comment, I guess.
I personally wouldn’t make any large purchase without speaking to someone that knows. That’s the good and the BAD. When I buy a house, I speak to the neighbors in the neighborhood. When I buy a car or truck, I speak to a current or previous owners. If they complain, I tell them to shut the hell up unless they have something good to say (sarcasm).
I guess by your logic, half of the posts on ANY forum regarding ANY product should just be ignored. I don’t know what the percentage of our society is that are using the forums but i am sure it’s very small. So the people that do use the forums typically will post information that is helpful in one way or another. I take it all in. But I guess that just me.
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435 Posts
I think it's mostly true that the truck owners who have negative experiences are the ones most likely to post it on the Internet. But I also think it's worth noting that I don't see the numbers of Tundra owners doing that compared to Titan owners. Also, I don't see the patterns with Toyota that I see with Titans (brakes, rear end, paint, etc.).
To be fair, anyone can have problems. Anything can go wrong. Any make of vehicle can produce an occasional lemon. But the way you win at this game is to beat the odds. Go with the one that has the track record. And if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck (if you read and hear about so many Titan problems, you probably will experience them, too, if you buy one).
To be even more fair, I don't think 'reliability' is a credible reason for buying an 07 Tundra. Sure, the Tundra (06 and before) has been a great truck but the new version is completely redesigned from the gound up. The numbers just aren't there yet for us to make any judgements as to reliability. We CAN say that we trust Toyota reliability and are BETTING the new Tundra is okay, but then Nissan did the same thing with the Titan.
Nissan had a reputation for building bulletproof vehicles. Their Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, etc. lines were outstanding and had great reliability records...so let's just hope Toyota does not befall that same fate.
To be fair, anyone can have problems. Anything can go wrong. Any make of vehicle can produce an occasional lemon. But the way you win at this game is to beat the odds. Go with the one that has the track record. And if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck (if you read and hear about so many Titan problems, you probably will experience them, too, if you buy one).
To be even more fair, I don't think 'reliability' is a credible reason for buying an 07 Tundra. Sure, the Tundra (06 and before) has been a great truck but the new version is completely redesigned from the gound up. The numbers just aren't there yet for us to make any judgements as to reliability. We CAN say that we trust Toyota reliability and are BETTING the new Tundra is okay, but then Nissan did the same thing with the Titan.
Nissan had a reputation for building bulletproof vehicles. Their Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, etc. lines were outstanding and had great reliability records...so let's just hope Toyota does not befall that same fate.
i really appreciate everyones outlook on things... i also take everyones views into consideration, i bought the titan and i really love the truck, but as a few said on here they had there problems, well i have mine as well, i must say my back sliding glass trim is falling out, and it has a crappy tapping noise for a second when i crank it up (cold), but i know another tundra owner who said the same about his truck, i guess all in all im pretty happy with it, would i buy another one? at this time i really dont know if i would or not, im kind of debating with myself if i want to trade it in on a new silverado,"i've just always had great luck with chevys", and just wanted to hear everyones opinions on the tundras competitor
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549 Posts
I just purchased my 07' Tundra yesterday...I also owned a 07' POS Titan....to make a long story short--buy the Tundra.
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