Buying a used Nissan Titan?

I need to get back into a truck,was hoping I'd be able to man up and buy new.Didn't get as much for my just sold house as I thought and the cost estimates on the new build are adding up FAST.

So,looking around at options I can't justify the asking price for the 3 to 7 or 8 yr trucks but I found a couple 2004 Titans that I can justify.Both are extended cab 4x4 tow pkgs etc,one with 100,000 miles and the other with approx. 115,000 miles.Both look very well kept,bodies in excellent condition(especially compared to the same era ford,dodge and chevs around here)

I hope to get time this week to make the 2 + hr road trip to check them out,I know about the coolant mixing with transmission fluid and the rear end issues so will be having a close look at those items.I figure I can solve the 1st with a proper trans cooler away from the coolant and the rear is easily fixed with a true trac if it failed.

Looking for 1st hand experience,words of wisdom/caution etc etc.

Thanks in advance.

Following.

Brother in law had an 05 Titan for 11 years and 200k miles. Reliable like gravity. 2wd, crew cab Florida truck.

at 100k+, those should have already had the trasmission/radiator/coolant issue by now, or they won't likely have it, but $200 for a new radiator is cheap insurance.

kevlarcorolla wrote: I need to get back into a truck,was hoping I'd be able to man up and buy new.Didn't get as much for my just sold house as I thought and the cost estimates on the new build are adding up FAST. So,looking around at options I can't justify the asking price for the 3 to 7 or 8 yr trucks but I found a couple 2004 Titans that I can justify.Both are extended cab 4x4 tow pkgs etc,one with 100,000 miles and the other with approx. 115,000 miles.Both look very well kept,bodies in excellent condition(especially compared to the same era ford,dodge and chevs around here) I hope to get time this week to make the 2 + hr road trip to check them out,I know about the coolant mixing with transmission fluid and the rear end issues so will be having a close look at those items.I figure I can solve the 1st with a proper trans cooler away from the coolant and the rear is easily fixed with a true trac if it failed. Looking for 1st hand experience,words of wisdom/caution etc etc. Thanks in advance.

Does a TruTrack really fix the rear? I thought the issue was that Nissan put an undersized Dana 44 in the rear of a full size where it should have been a Dana 60 (or equivalent) like everyone else does.

I bought a 2wd king cab in 2004. Has about 135k miles now, 2-3k miles per year towing an 8000lb enclosed trailer.

Only issues I've had are:

1. undersized front brakes - but there is an easy mod I just did to upfit with 06 armada rotors and 08+ calipers and pads. New brakes 30% larger - hoping not to get any more warped rotors. Nissan paid for 3 or 4 brake jobs before 80k miles due to warped rotors.

2. cracks in the exhaust manifolds - which are expensive b/c the cat is integrated. I replaced one side, the other needs it now too. Someone online welded up the crack on theirs - they are tubular steel, but I did not have time to try that. It never threw a code, just can hear the exhaust leak - worse when cold. Supposedly, new ones are an improved design.

So, it's been really solid for me overall. Brakes were a nuisance, and manifolds kinda pricey to replace. Otherwise, just basic maintenance.

I bought my '04 Crew Cab 2WD new. It has been very trouble free, and has been a terrific truck. I've got somewhere around 125k miles on it. I had issues with the brakes when new. Nissan changed the pads to a different compound and I've never had a problem since. The plastic radiator cracked at around 100k miles, externally. I did have a very slight tick from the manifolds develop, but I had them replaced at just under 80k under the emissions warranty. Other than that, the truck has been solid mechanically. My understanding is that most of the rear axle problems have been in trucks with the off road package with the locking diff. Something works loose in the locker and takes out the diff. I have been a bit let down by the quality of the paint and interior. The paint is very thin and faded fairly early. I'd avoid dark colored trucks, especially in sunny climates. The cloth interior is aweful. The driver's seat didn't last long, and was coming apart at 60k miles. All of the seats show significant wear now, even the rear. They used some weird plasticy thread that breaks everywhere. I don't know if they improved the cloth in later years, but leather was available. Find one with the utility bed if you can. I love it every time I use it, and the spray in bedliner is still in great shape. Overall, it was a great truck that really raised the bar when it came out.

In reply to thatsnowinnebago:

they had a run of bad heat treating in the mid 2000s that affected the xterras and frontiers as well, they just never would admit it. there were never offroaded 2wd xterras lunching diffs in stop & go traffic. again, if this was one that was going to have that happen, it would have happened at around 60-80kmi (right after the powertrain warranty lets go, as luck would have it). the later titans did come with a finned diff cover, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace with one of those if you're going to be doing a lot of towing, as a safety measure.

In reply to Strizzo:

Oh interesting. I've only heard general internet gnashing of teeth about the problem. They're cool looking trucks so it's good to know the axle issues aren't as widespread as I thought.

Sorry for getting back to the party kinda late,thanks for the replies.

Just came back from a 6+ hr round trip to look at the low mile cream puff........used car salesmen should be able to be beaten when giving false info.

Truck had clearly been in an accident and poorly repaired,I spent maybe 5 minutes before just walking away.

Nothing else up for sale without having mega miles or a mega price right now so the search will continue.

In reply to Boost_Crazy:

I didn't know that they offered the locker in the titans, but I know the earlier 2nd gen frontiers and xterras had a 2-spider locker (05-08 or so) that was later upgraded to a stronger 4-spider version. The radiator problems follow similar years as well.

Thatsnowinnebago, the Dana variant (m226) only came on the offroad/pro-4x (lockers) and manual trans models of frontier and xterra. Automatic non-off-road/pro-4x came with the c200. The thoughts on the heat treat issue stem from them being a fairly consistent year range and mileage when they let go. The problems were also found in both the c200 rear diff and the r180 front diff. The front diff problems were so well known that they got a reputation for being weak. Nowadays you're more likely to snap a cv than grenade an r180, but that's for another story time.

I have an 08 2WD XE model Titan. The only thing I don't like is the gas mileage. I haven't had to do anything besides basic maintenance.

Just put a deposit on an '07 crew cab loaded LE 4x4,go Saturday to pick it up.

I friend of mine has the closely related Pathfinder Armada from 2004, and it has lots of probems that internet wisdom attributes to it being the first year of an all new model. The same internet wisdom says that by 06/07 those problems were worked out. Some of them are are parts that it doesn't share with the Titan, like the self leveling IRS and rear hatch that no one has been able to open in 5 years due to a broken plastic latch mechanism. I don't know if the ABS/TCS/Stability Control freak outs are shared with the Titan, but they are definitely a thing, and there is a TSB on it (that most dealers don't know exsists).