Rustbelt truck blues, Chevy Silverado vs Nissan Titan edition

Its really unbelievable what the rustbelt does to domestic trucks here in Cleveland. I really wanted to upgrade my end of the line 2002 Silverado with a newer one. Looking at 2nd gen ones and rust seems to be standard for 8-10k, or its already hidden with flares. I've already seen the rust progression with my 2002. I would have thought the rust protection would have improved with the next gen but doesn't appear so. I'm starting to consider looking at Nissan Titans for light tow duty, picking up antiques, light landscaping etc. I've already been advised to not buy a Nissan, says,  no one works on them, expensive to fix, its not a Chevy etc. I've researched them a bit and they seem to be reliable trucks. Does anyone on here have any experience, preferably in the rust belt? 

No experience with a Titan, but when I was shopping for a truck 3 years ago I noticed that the local Titans didn't seem to be as rusty as their Big Three counterparts. Look at used ones around you and see if the rear wheel wells and cab corners don't look better than other trucks. I ended up buying a new Canyon so we'll see how it lasts in SE Michigan salt.

westsidetalon said:

Its really unbelievable what the rustbelt does to domestic trucks here in Cleveland. I really wanted to upgrade my end of the line 2002 Silverado with a newer one. Looking at 2nd gen ones and rust seems to be standard for 8-10k, or its already hidden with flares. I've already seen the rust progression with my 2002. I would have thought the rust protection would have improved with the next gen but doesn't appear so. I'm starting to consider looking at Nissan Titans for light tow duty, picking up antiques, light landscaping etc. I've already been  advised to not buy a Nissan, says,  no one works on them, expensive to fix, its not a Chevy etc. I've researched them a bit and they seem to be reliable trucks. Does anyone on here have any experience, preferably in the rust belt? 

In about 2015-16  Ford switched from steel to aluminum. Supposedly the aluminum  is a military grade that's not supposed to corrode. 
Mine has been exposed to Minnesota Salt since I brought it home new. Nearing 80,000 miles and not a single mechanical problem or sign of rust. 
  For business reasons Nissan and Toyota are viewed as Foreign and owners say they sometimes cost them jobs.  Seems like  a lousy reason to select a contractor or tradesman. But some of the population objects.  You just have to decide if you want to sell your truck or sell your services. 

Get a $300 one-way ticket to somewhere south. I hate rust.

I researched this heavily a year or two back.  Titan vs others has worse gas mileage and worse resale.  For my purposes it does everything the others do 5-10k less expensively.  On a flip side of mileage the titan motor can really get woken up with some mods.  Weak link on them is apparently the radiator/trans cooler that can fail and munch a trans.  Cheap fixes are known.

When people will pay $70k or more for a ladder frame with a box on it, the incentive to make a long lasting truck body isn't real high.  Dodge and GM still assemble the boxes the same way they did 40 years ago, just with much thinner steel now. It's no wonder they rust with all the hidden pockets that never get any kind of rust protection or paint applied to them. Most car quarter panels are seam welded/bonded now but we still spot weld truck bedsides to the wheelhouse. Cheap, lazy assembly.

I only buy my used trucks south of the Mason-Dixon line. There is a local used car dealer that only sells trucks and he buys all of them from auctions in the south. He gets really high prices for his trucks because they are rot free here in salty PA. 

I lean towards Fords generally but would only buy a new-ish Ford that is aluminum because of the rust issue on the other brands. Of course, the aluminum does come with a higher repair cost should you need body repair, so there is no free ride.

A friend bought a titan a few years ago for this exact reason, the Titans were much less rusty than the US trucks and it was cheaper than the Toyota.  It has done truck stuff very well, including towing an enclosed race trailer.  Lots of power, it is a nice place to be, the only thing he doesn't like is that the fuel tank is fairly small for the towing consumption so he has to refuel pretty often.  
 

Early models had diff issues apparently, later ones had a finned cover which helps apparently.  Later ones also have bigger brakes.  Apparently the exhaust manifolds all crack.  

I've had 2 titans,'07 crew cab 4wd I bought in 2016,was a good truck with only a couple minor issues.

 Almost no rust,the welds on the frame had some light surface rust but otherwise still factory coating everywhere.

 Body was near perfect,the silly lockable door behind the drivers rear wheel was starting to get rusty.

 Chose it over the big 3(tundra prices make it hard to justify) because it wasn't rusty and because the resale sucks but works for the buyer.

 Sold it in 2020 and picked up a 2017 titan xd gasser,all of the above apply to it as well.

 Btw located in Ontario Canada

I just bought a Frontier a week before Christmas, the frame has a fair bit of surface rust but feels pretty solid underneath, and for how scaly (scaley?) the frame is, the body is impressively clean. A week or so after I bought it I crawled underneath it and started brushing the frame with used motor oil. I assume the Titan is built about the same. Before the Frontier I looked at a few 04-06 Silverados whose frames were looking really iffy, which is a shame because I love the look of those trucks and they're very comfy with the mid level cloth seats. So far I really like the Nissan, if anything I wish I had held out longer to find one in a more interesting color, they did a greyish blue and a molten copper color that both look really good, and I think both were available on the Titan as well.

I found with both my Frontier and my buddy's Titan, it wasn't the sheet metal or frames that rotted, it was everything else.  I had one on its third power steering pressure line in 100k.  They rust where they cross by the radiator and blow.  Motor mounts, radiator core supports, brake lines, fuel lines, trans cooler lines... it seems like you just kept replacing underhood things.

This is why I go south to buy used vehicles.

frenchyd said:

  For business reasons Nissan and Toyota are viewed as Foreign and owners say they sometimes cost them jobs.  Seems like  a lousy reason to select a contractor or tradesman. But some of the population objects.  You just have to decide if you want to sell your truck or sell your services. 

 I wonder how true this is.  My work uses Fords and the owner has the same opinion.  I would want to use Nissans, but would be swayed if they actually do turn away business. 

Not from a rusty state, but was a Nissan Master tech in my previous career.  I have a lot of confidence in Nissan trucks.  Rarely replaced transmissions, and never replaced an engine in one. 

I can't argue that the domestic manufacturers are more cutting edge with modern technology, HP and mileage numbers, etc.  Domestic makes are a lot more competitive in making the best truck in a given year.  Nissan will make a decent Frontier and just run it for 15 YEARS! In the first quarter of 2019, Motortrend reported that Nissan had sold twice as many Frontiers as Ford had Rangers (when it was brand new). It is my opinion that people buy Nissans and Toyotas not for their cutting edge performance, but for their confidence that they will make it to 200k without major repairs and then still be worth something. 

In reply to frenchyd :

And yet both nissan and toyota use more american made parts then the big 3

Anymore, nearly all auto manufacturers are global entities.  I think the folks who used to say things like "it's made in Japan" now would say "It's a japanese company."  They've just traded one distaste for another.  Not saying it's right or wrong, just that I think there is a segment of the market who would rather buy a Japanese-built car with a Chevy badge than buy a Japanese-badged car built in Ohio.

My Grandfather swore by his Geo Prizm as being absolute proof that Americans make the best cars.  Um... grandpa... there's something you should know.  We never told him.

MaxC said:

frenchyd said:

  For business reasons Nissan and Toyota are viewed as Foreign and owners say they sometimes cost them jobs.  Seems like  a lousy reason to select a contractor or tradesman. But some of the population objects.  You just have to decide if you want to sell your truck or sell your services. 

 I wonder how true this is.  My work uses Fords and the owner has the same opinion.  I would want to use Nissans, but would be swayed if they actually do turn away business. 

 

I think that would likely depend greatly on your area's demographic.  In rural areas I would wager that people would rather excuse you for not showing up for work because your Ram broke down than they would like to see you on time with a Prius.

Reverse that for Portland.

I'm in central PA which is pretty mixed, but I had people razz me when I had my "foreign" B4000 without realizing that it was just a Ford Ranger.  The VIN even started with "1F."

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Weren't those built in California at NUMMI, though?

Regarding Titans, I think they are fairly clean around here because nobody bought them around here, so any ones you see are from Points Elsewhere. 

I've had an '08 Titan 2wd CC for the last three years and 12k miles (I don't have to drive much).  It was noticeably cheaper than a comparable domestic or Tundra.

The stuff to like I really like.  The cab is cavernous, the power is great, and the mileage is better than I expected.  I get 17+ on the highway with the A/C off. A/C on and it drops to 14.

The short bed is really short.  There seem to be a lot of squeaks and rattles.  It tows well, not that I have to tow often.  Handles well for what it is.

I live in the rust belt (Central MO), but the truck lived in Arizona for the first 11 years of its life.  There is NO rust.  Yet.  The paint is baked, though, and a lot of the rubber trim is pretty wasted.

The only reliability issue I have had was when a trans cooler rubber line split (known issue) and i got to replace it in the grocery store parking lot.  Biggest issue there is that the trans uses Matic-J fluid, which is apparently made of unicorn tears because it's $6.00 a quart on sale.  It takes 12 quarts. 

GM truck guy who works for a Nissan dealership. 

Only the most beat Titans rust. 

Occasional short block failures, transfer case seals leak, fair bit of PS line failures, the Diesels are a NIGHTMARE. Pretty good 1/2 ton trucks if you ask me

Do the armadas also compare well to the Suburban/Tahoe? They're sure cheap enough. 

Another GM truck guy that works for Nissan checking in, agreed they don't rust much at all.

Avoid 2017+ if you're in a cold climate, the cylinder walls will score. Not occasional where I am, guaranteed.

2004-2015 are rock solid.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Weren't those built in California at NUMMI, though?

 

Regarding Titans, I think they are fairly clean around here because nobody bought them around here, so any ones you see are from Points Elsewhere. 

Assembled at NUMMI, but they shipped over Corolla parts and a 4A-GE.  As far as I know the only US parts in it were the badges.

MaxC said:

frenchyd said:

  For business reasons Nissan and Toyota are viewed as Foreign and owners say they sometimes cost them jobs.  Seems like  a lousy reason to select a contractor or tradesman. But some of the population objects.  You just have to decide if you want to sell your truck or sell your services. 

 I wonder how true this is.  My work uses Fords and the owner has the same opinion.  I would want to use Nissans, but would be swayed if they actually do turn away business. 

Not from a rusty state, but was a Nissan Master tech in my previous career.  I have a lot of confidence in Nissan trucks.  Rarely replaced transmissions, and never replaced an engine in one. 

I can't argue that the domestic manufacturers are more cutting edge with modern technology, HP and mileage numbers, etc.  Domestic makes are a lot more competitive in making the best truck in a given year.  Nissan will make a decent Frontier and just run it for 15 YEARS! In the first quarter of 2019, Motortrend reported that Nissan had sold twice as many Frontiers as Ford had Rangers (when it was brand new). It is my opinion that people buy Nissans and Toyotas not for their cutting edge performance, but for their confidence that they will make it to 200k without major repairs and then still be worth something. 

I live on the western edge of the metropolitan  area. Roughly 50% have that bias and the further west you go the more prevalent   the bias is.  
      I'm sure some of that bias comes from local big three dealerships serving the area  but it's going to have to be a decently  sized city before it has a Nissan dealership. 
   Let me state my bias. ( We all have them )  I worked for a Datsun ( shows my age) dealership and enjoyed my experience  with them because they raced sports cars)   They aren't perfect. No vehicle is although I think a lot of the problems people have with a given vehicle is more due to the owners ignorance than quality issues.  
        I know the big 3 have made great strides in the last 30 years in some cases passing  the competition.  For that reason alone I prefer Ford and Chevy. 
 

kevlarcorolla said:

In reply to frenchyd :

And yet both nissan and toyota use more american made parts then the big 3

Oh I'm well aware. My bias is due to all the Chevy and Ford dealerships  in small rural towns. Plus the fact that you can probably get a Chevy or Ford fixed locally almost anywhere while the Nissans, BMW's , Mazda's  etc have to wait for parts or get towed to the big city's dealership. 

frenchyd said:

  For business reasons Nissan and Toyota are viewed as Foreign and owners say they sometimes cost them jobs.  Seems like  a lousy reason to select a contractor or tradesman. But some of the population objects.  You just have to decide if you want to sell your truck or sell your services. 

A couple of years ago I was sitting at a light in my Miata. A Dodge Ram pulled up next to me, rolled down the window and yelled "Buy American" and peeled out. Huh? Usually Miatas get a pass as there are no American alternatives, anymore at least. In the "old" days VW bugs typically got a pass too. Now parts and pieces and assembly are from all over.