Nissan Truck

lwf

Nissan better start pulling buyers from somewhere. In 1997 its US operations lost $787 million and although it made $665 million throughout the rest of the world, the US problems caused a net annual loss to the corporation of $122 million. Analysts are projecting that this year the total losses may reach $626 million. This seems pretty serious for a company that has been trying unsuccesfully to turn itself around for the last 6 years but now has a debt which has grown to $22 billion. It doesn't really look like its only because of the financial crisis that has hit Japan this year. Nissan's sales were down 18 percent for the first 9 months of 1998 compared to Toyota's and Honda's being up 7 and 8 percent respectively. If the company's president, Yoshikazu Hanawa, is optimistic that sales are going to pick up, it sure doesn't seem obvious since it's reported that he has Nissan's factories now operating below the critical threshold of 70 percent capacity.

curt3

Consumer Reports describes the Nissan Frontier as both "crude" and "primitive". As a Frontier owner I find these labels inaccurate. I feel that the Frontier is refined, smooth, and stylish. I doubt that anyone will find a similarly-equipped truck for anywhere near the same price. I have seen several posts boasting that the Tacoma is close in price but this is simply not true. An extended cab Tacoma is well over a thousand dollars more than the Nissan counterpart.

daveperc

LWF,
I have not been following Nissan events. I have found that the financial woes you speak of does not equate to problems with the frontier. Have you reviewed their balance sheet? Are they going to get bought out soon or are they still very big? Remember how many years Chrysler and Chevy were losing money.

Curt,
I found that the Tocoma was much more, they may be close at the base levels, but unless you want the base, this doesn't matter. Add things to make all equal with the things you want, ie. cloth bucket seats, AC, Alloys, ..., Tacoma costs more.

As far as Consumer reports, how is there attitude towards trucks? I read Car & Driver, and they get tons of compliants, rightfully so, that they expect everything to be a car. Even when it is a truck. They just don't get the idea of a truck yet. To quote "The Dodge Ram rides like a truck", written as a negative as compared to Ford and Chevy. It should, it is more truck than the others. Always has been.

Dave

lwf

No Dave, I haven't read their balance sheet, but others have and apparently it has resulted in negative articles about Nissan which are hard to miss, even if one isn't looking for them. "NISSAN IS BACK IN THE MUD", Business Week, 11/2/98 is an example, and where most of the facts I quoted came from. There was also a similar article in this Nissan topic a few months ago that showed up as a result of someone doing a cut-and-paste, as I'm sure you are aware, and it was the same theme. But the "Pickup" conference admistrator removed it because of an Edmund's policy. Near the end of that 11/2/98 article, it states that although Nissan is not in danger of immediate collapse it suggested that the situation is viewed as being so serious that Nissan may have to close more of it's manufacturing plants. If that's the case, I would suspect it won't be a plant that manufactures the better-selling models, and I doubt if the Frontier is one of the better-selling Nissans. If it is, I can't imaging why they would have to give 2 or 3 thousand-dollar refunds or discounts to motivate potential buyers. In fact that's what a lot of the bragging in this topic has been about, hasn't it? And as a finale, that article says "For now, the company suffers from an image problem so severe that Japanese newspapers have run poems from readers poking fun at the once-treasured carmaker". Doesn't sound like the same company which is being praised in this topic, does it?

I just thought a different point of view might be stimulating for those who browse though these posts.

cncman

hey everyone;
LWF, good to see you still lurking around here!
I am not sure how we got back on this topic, but I
may be able to add something here. Yes Nissan is having financial troubles, as all businesses do at some point in their life. Does this mean that Nissan is collapsing? certainly not. Sales for Nissans have actually been increasing in the last six months, partly because of the new quest that is selling extremely well and the increased popularity of the other models like the frontier.
I am seeing more and more frontiers on the road every day. I guess the concern LWF has for us has
something somehow to do with resale value. Noone should worry about this, the frontier holds its value as well as the hardbody trucks do. We have taken a couple of frontiers in on trade already
and we paid about $1500 less than what they originally paid, and I have already sold one of them quickly. Nissan is going to have a fantastic year in 99, the new Xterra SUV is coming out, the pathfinder will get redesigned, the 2000 maxima is coming out and work is in progress to bring back the legendary Z car. All of these cars and trucks have been getting a tremendous amount of attention from the press and the consumer market already.

The fact is that Nissan is still independant, is recovering, is not a likely sell out anytime soon
and is still selling more vehicles than honda, so
somebody is buying them! In the meantime enjoy the great deals and rebates, who can complain about getting such a great vehicle at great prices, it
was good enough for me,

BTW, approaching 6,000 miles on my XE X-cab, performes wonderfully. I decided against getting the bed lined up like I mentioned before, it seems as nothing is loose or shifting, I just didn't
notice it was slightly off before.

happy holidays everyone!

rsholland

Point of clarification:

I was the one who posted the article here that Edmund's retracted a couple of monthes ago.

I posted it, I then realized that I may have violated a news source copyright. I then asked Edmund's to retract the posting, which they did. So, it wasn't Edmund's policy that got it retracted, but rather by my asking, and to do the right thing (and to cover my tail!).

Bob

daveperc

LWF,

Just a response to some of your comments. Different point of view is excellent for threads in general. Lays out for the all readers, all things to be considered. I try to follow a few threads on some of my stocks, and all interpretations of situations and events are necessary to make good decisions.

However, the discussions this thread does need to focus on is the Frontier. Nissans situations are a part of this, so relative information is pertanant. But please use actual information not, conjecture, ie discontinuing models, sales figures, and such.

I don't think bragging goes on here. Frontier owners have stated what they have experienced. Actual ownership is the only way to provide real long term results. None owners can only state perception.

The rebates were good for me, but this is a discount that all manufacturers use. I don't find anything bad about that. If your sales estimates are correct, it is not unusual, as often new models start selling slowly. And honestly, I have not noticed the bragging about Nissan. Do you have examples? We talk about the truck. Positive and negatives of the truck are what this is about.

Dave

tjh999

I went out to look at 98 Nissan Frontiers today, attracted by the year end discounts. I recently moved to Phoenix and everyone I meet tells me to avoid getting a black vehicle (I 've got one to get rid of already). The dealers/manufacturers rebates were very good, but I balked at the $500 they tried to charge me for a 'paint premium', claiming that anyone color other than white or black(!) cost an extra $500 premium, although I pointed out that this wasn't mentioned anywhere on the window sticker. They also tried to add on $699 for the 'Arizona protection package' which was undercoating, fapric protection, and 'paint protection to proctect the finish for 5 years'. It sounded like the old 'rust and dust' to me. The salesman claimed the truck (a 98 2wd extended cab) came with a 50,000 mile warranty. Has anyone ever heard of this 'paint premium'? it sounds ridiculous to me, and I walked out of the dealership.

daveperc

Never heard of that paint. If it is not on the sticker, it is not from Nissan. In general, the additional protection stuff is best purchased from a place other than the dealer. They make a ton of profit on the after market stuff. Try Ziebart, or a paint shop, if the environmental conditions warrant. I don't know Arizona, but they could tell you what is best for protecting the car. Have you tried the car buying company that is advertised here? They will give you a dealer that will sell at 300 over invoice. It is good ammunition, and if you don't do any better, it is still good.

Good Luck.

brook4

I have a new '98 Frontier reg cab XE 5 speed. At aprox. 300 miles, I noticed the engine was making a tapping noise for a few seconds, when started after setting over nite. I now have 1200 miles on it and it occurrs after as little as four hours set up time. Seems like all the oil is draining from the engine, when it sets for a while (2.4 liter 4 cyl.). Also have vibration problem between 60-70mph. Tires have been balanced several times. Rear tires were swapped out from another new truck on dealers lot. Changing tire pressure from 26/26 to 30/30 helps some, but vibration is still there. Firestone says tires are not out of spec. Truck does not set level. On side is lower than the other. I had the fuel gauge problem also, however the dealer appears to have corrected this with a new sending unit. Has anyone else had these problems or any success correcting them? Thanks.

curt3

Until August of this year I owned a 1996 Nissan XE King Cab that was bought back by Nissan due to what seemed to be an unrepairable problem. The symptoms included rough idling, near impossible starts when hot, and, on occasion, complete failures to start. Usually a steep incline would exasperate the problem. My local Nissan dealer made 8 attempts over a period of 30+ shop days to get the problem ironed out until I got fed up and called the Nissan Hotline.
I received a "Service Campaign Notice" on Saturday where Nissan offered to replace the throttle valve switch, auxiliary air control valve, fuel temperature sensor, air temperature sensor, water separator kit, and the vent control valve in an effort to eliminate numerous problems with "check enginge" lights coming on. Unfortunately, I no longer own the 1996 truck and it seems that Nissan has finally realized that the symptoms I described were not in my head as the dealer apparently thought when I brougt it in for the eight visit.

wareagle2

i own a 1998 king cab 4x4 and love it but it just had a problem with starting. it seems that the valve cover gasket failed and leaked oil into the #1 plug so it would not start. anybody else with this problem???

mikeb6

#254

My '95 Nissan XE-V6 ran about 3500rpm at 65-70, I think it is normal. Supposedly the '94 was their best year, as far as problems go. I just traded my Nissan for a Full size Chevy Z71 because I needed a full size with the 350 V8, but I did LOVE my Nissan. It kicked in the snow and off-road!

4hamradio

LOOKING TO BUY A 99 FRONTIER AND WONDERED IF ANYONE HAS HAD ANY BAD LUCK WITH THE 99 LINE OF TRUCKS.

daveperc

Brook,
I know of some of your problems. The vibration was there on my 98 XE Kingcab. But the dealer had all the tires at 36. I lowered it to ~28 and is all better. Another reader back a little while had his dealer change out the firestones with another brand and he said it fixed it. (I have an old BMW, that was rumored to have a 55 mph shimmy. In reality, it is that they are more sensitive to wheel balance. I have learned that the balancing machine must be calibrated and well maintained to work well. Moral of the story, having the tires balanced does not always mean that they are now in balance if the machine is not maintained, so you need to ask or call BMW dealer).)

As far as how your truck sits, I thought that too. But when I checked it out, it sits correctly off of the pavement. But when it is an uneven pavement, with such straight lines, it looks like it is slanted. Try measuring, if it is off, the dealer should be able to adjust it.

The gas gauge thing has been talked about here. Many of us had it for the first 2-3 fillups, then it was fine. I have 7000 miles and it is fine. We figure it is a preservative that wears of after a little while.

Mine is running fine.
Dave

zbra

I'm thinking seriously of buying a Nissan SE King
Cab 2X4 when they come out in early 1999. Most of the competitive trucks seem to be growing in size, and the Frontier's length, a little shorter, appeals to me; also, I like the idea that you can compartmentalize the bed. The only thing I'm disappointed in is that if you want a V6 engine, you have to buy a 4x4. Other than that, I'm impressed with what I've read on the SE. Anybody have any thoughts along that line?

skg

zbra,

You might want to consider holding off if you can. I understand that Nissan will be coming out with the V-6 in the 4x2 along about late spring/early summer. Rumor also has it that we need to be looking for some hefty incentives (rebates) to go along with the 99 4x2 about then. They don't appear to be moving like the beancounters want them to.

Has anyone else picked up on any of this?

daveperc

I don't follow the sales stuff, but I did notice that the currently running ad on tv has rebates on the pathfinder and one of the sedans, and then 500 cash back on any Nissan until 1/4/99. Using this as a guage, they are not trying to clear frontiers any harder or they would offer more discounts than the normal prices. This can change quickly I am sure.

Had not heard the V6 was going to be available in the 4x2. That should make some buyers happy.

Dave

cncman

hey Dave and everyone, there is a $500 rebate on 99 frontiers, and $2,000 on remaining 98's add the coupon for $500 to that. There are really only a handfull of 98's out there at least in my area,
so it wouldn't make much sense to push those.
Take care.

ApexEnv34

Has any one seen the report on the new four-door crew cab Frontier due in may 1999? I was shopping for a full size truck. Now really want to wait and see how the crew cab Frontiers fare. I understand even the 2WDs will have the appearance of a 4X4.

rsholland

Nissan isn't the only one going to be offering a smaller crew cab. There will also be a Dakota Quad Cab (crew cab) next fall, an F-150 crew cab next winter, and an Explorer (that's right, an Explorer) crew cab next spring.

These are all on display now at the Detroit Auto Show. Either the Detroit Free Press or the Detroit News has pixs of all these vehicles.

Bob

ApexEnv34

I am aware of the others, but Nissan is the only brand offers compact crew cab pickups for now and I currently have a 1997 Nissan pickup. Just debating on if I should wait to see the new Frontier or go for a full size. My little pickup is running out of space, but I do trust Nissan pickups more. Hope Toyota is listening.

lizardlips

Requesting advice:
After checking around for awhile, I've decided to buy a 99 Frontier King Cab XE 4 x 2, with the Value Package, in the next week or two in the northern Virginia area. What would a good target price be to aim for? Also, after I buy the truck I'm considering getting a Rhino bedliner (sprayed-on polyurethane). Anyone have any pros or cons about them?
Info appreciated--thanks.
Joe

daveperc

You should be able to get $300 over invoice. That is what these online carbuying services do, line up a dealership in your area at that price and both make a quick profit.

Liners? I don't but there is a topic in Edmunds here that discusses this.

Dave

jimtom

Does anyone else have a problem with the wipers on
their Frontier. Whoever designed these WEAK blades should be fired ! they rarely cover all the glass. Usually there is a 4 to 8 In. skipped area .
what gives ?

I have a 1998 frontier, king cab, 4X4.

ApexEnv34

Same with my 97. They also make squealing noise. I drive my other truck when it rains

curt3

Stock blades always stink. I replaced mine with a good namebrand set.

ApexEnv34

Not always, but your suggestion well taken.

daveperc

I have had no problem with my 98 frontier. I did just last week end install winter blades. We have had a lot of slop here in Saratoga Springs lately. 4x2 has been fine with about 140 lbs of sand over the rear wheels.

Dave

cncman

hey everyone, just returned from a long trip to tennessee in my 4x2 xe king cab, did great! pretty
comfortable, but I still got cramps, I don't think there's any way around that though with out buying a cadillac. it was rainy and handled well on the wet pavement, even when i hit bumps, the rear end didn't sway, there was high winds too, but I didn't get tossed around too much and very little noise. The one thing I tried was before I read in MT that they put the frontier on their worst performer list because it had a top speed of 91mph
I checked this out myself, on a flat stretch of highway, I floored it I got to about 102-103mph
and it was still going before I chickened out, so I don't know where this info comes from, anyone else know? BTW if there are any arkansas state troopers here this is a hypothetical situation, I would never disobey the law!

garlicfog

I'm curious whether anyone else out there is planning to buy the new Nissan Frontier Crew Cab when it is offered in May officially as a 2000 model. It's called the Navara in Europe and Australia and it's basically a 4 dr Pathfinder with a full sized backseatand then a 5'pickup bed behind the backseat. I got a brochure on the Navara from Nissan Australia and Nissan Italy has a lot of great pictures of the truck. It will be both a 4X4 and a 2X4 based on a 4X4 platform.

curt3

I noticed that the 1999 4x2 Frontiers are now offering steel-spoked rims with the chrome package. I thought that they were an attractive departure from the alloys. I have had my 1998 King Cab Frontier since August of last year and have had no troubles. The 4 cylinder has been more than adequate and the body and paint have been resistent to dings and chips.

cncman

hey everyone, I know this is a little off topic, but not much is happening here anyway, awhile ago
a poster here ranted about the financial troubles nissan was having and said we shouldn't buy it because it would hurt resale value etc and still
periodically posts on every little hiccup in Nissan's balance sheet. I think this is selective posting because I don't see the same response regarding the toyota, soft sales have cut toyota's profit by 20% and production will also be cut to the lowest levels since 1982, but somehow our local economic major missed this. The point I am making now is as when this first came out, if it is good product at a good price and you like it, buy it! that's all that matters!
Later

lizardlips

Just purchased a '99 Frontier XE 4x2 King Cab yesterday evening and am very pleased so far. Having owned 2 Toyota trucks before (a '90 and a "94), my impression after having compared and test-driven the Frontier and the Tacoma is that the Frontier seems better made and with more attention to detail than some of the Tacomas I've seen recently. Maybe it's just my observation, but my '90 Toyota truck was put together better than my '94 and held up better too. My '94 however, seemed to be built more durably than the new Tacomas. Does anyone else get the impression that Toyota may be getting a bit sloppy? I still think they make a decent product (the Tacoma was originally my 1st choice before comparing it with the Frontier and would have been my 2nd choice had I not bought the Frontier), but for me right now the Nissan's a better truck at a better price. I hope that over the years I'll continue to be pleased with my purchase.
Joe in Va

kjtg

I think you will like it. I have 1990 kc se and still like to drive it.

curt3

Do you feel that there is any correlation between the "perceived" slip in foreign truck quality and the fact the majority of foreign-label compact trucks are now made in the U.S.?

Lohengrin

Where is everyone getting all this stuff about huge rebates and incentives from Nissan on the Frontier because the company needs to increase sales. I just looked at the rebate info on Edmunds and Nissan's rebates seemed rather mediocure to me. Compare $500 or 5.9% on the Frontier to $1000 or 0.9% for a Ford Ranger. And Nissan's dealer hold back is only 2% compared to Ford's (and just about everyone else's) 3%. So are there other rebates and stuff that aren't mentioned here? Is now really a good time to get a good deal on a Frontier? Does anybody know?

cncman

there are 2,000 rebates on remaining 98's if you can find one, and considering you would have to get the ford/mazda 3.0 v-6 150hp engine to get the
performance of the frontier, the frontier still costs less and gives you more than any others out there.

kjtg

I did have a honda made in Japan, the quality was great. I thought I would never have another that good. The made in America Nisson I now drive is better built and has had less trouble.

lizardlips

Lohengrin, when I purchased my '99 Frontier last week I received a $1000 factory to dealer rebate. Also, I read that the dealer holdback is 3%, and the sales manager agreed that was the case. I was planning to buy a Frontier anyway sometime in the next several months, but the combination of the rebate and the exact truck I wanted in stock at the time at a fair price sped up my purchase decision. I don't regret it--really like the truck a lot.
Joe

Lohengrin

Joe,

Thanks for your reply. I guess Edmund's isn't always right all the time. Since you mentioned it, I was wondering what you liked so much about the Frontier. I'll be buying a compact truck soon. I'm considering either the Ranger or the Nissan (Toyota and Dodge are too expensive and S10 has a horrible record). I test drove the Ranger and liked it a lot. I haven't gotten a chance to test drive the Nissan yet, but I like what I see in the reviews and stuff. If you could tell what you liked I'd appreciate it. Oh yeah, I'm looing at the V6, 4x4, king cab - don't know what you have or if that's relivent. Thanks.

scape2

What did Nissan do? I test drove a Frontier and my God! cheap cheap cheap. The interior is terrible, the truck was small. No back room in the kingcab. Plastic was cheap, no padding on seats. I even looked at the top of the line 4x4. Ok, the price was right but..... I think Nissan took a step backwards on this one. The styling is terrible. Shut the door and it even sounds tinny. I bought a Ford Ranger XLT stepside 4x4 and don't regret it and will not look back.

cncman

Lohengrin, I own a frontier truck too, I have had it since july, it is a 4x2 XE x-cab 5-spd, I really like everything about it. It is comfortable, I just came back from a 1400 mile trip in it, although I do wish I had bought the package with the cruise control, it is the best
built compact truck out there,(JD Power) has plenty of room, it's quite and has one of the lowest maintenance costs and best reliabilty records out there, check out intellichoice. Also
the 5yr/60,000 mile warranty is an extra piece of
mind even though I probably won't need it. All of this and it still costs less than the others. Whichever way you decide, I wish you luck.

curt3

I have to come to the defense of the Nissan Frontier. I found the interior to be quite nice and the doors are tight and solid. Mine now has 6,300 miles and has been a pleasure to own. As far as the space in the King Cab is concerned, it is sufficient for small kids and a briefcase. A Lincoln inside it isn't but a truck was intended to be utilitarian and not a flashy ride to the mall.

ApexEnv34

That may change when the new Frontier crew cab is out this May.

ladyblue

Just my opinion, but I believe a truck can be utilitarian AND a flashy ride to the mall. Many of the new trucks are as comfortable as they are practical.

jmstjohn

I am looking for some information. I will be purchasing a compact pickup in the next couple of months. I have narrowed the possibilities to a Nissan Frontier X-cab and a Ford Ranger X-cab. This week I found out that Nissan is going to offer a Crew Cab in May and I like the idea of having additional room in the cab. Does anyone know when pricing information for this new vehicle will become available? Also, the press photos show the bed much shorter than comparable trucks. Will there be options available on bed configurations?

indymoon

I have a 92 extended cab Nissan and would like to upgrade the center console (between the bucket seats) any ideas?

ray_schwarz

jmstjohn - the Nissan website indicates this will be a crew cab (4 full doors versus 2 full and two half doors) and the bed will be ~ five feet. I traded my 87 SE King Cab in on a Ranger last week.
Along with the doors, the 4x4 Ranger buckets have a driver's side lumbar support and oil & volt gauges (my 87 had the lumbar support, and the gauges, the Frontier does not).

Road39

Hi Gang,
Seems like there are quite a few happy Nissan truck owners posting comments here, I wonder about problems with Nissan build quality though. As an owner of a '91 Hardbody 2.4L I have to say that I have been less then pleased with this truck. My troubles started at about 32K miles, when the valve guides started leaking... Shortly after that it was a bad ignition computer and a persistent check engine light ( the two were not related). And believe it or not, with less than 45K on the truck, the flywheel hatched and required replacement. I won't bore you with the suspension and paint problems. Most recently, the truck suffered a complete loss of power to the lighting systems.

Thankfully, the vehicle was under warranty for most of these problems, and the local dealership rectified them.

The truck is now closing quickly on 100K miles and has been trouble free... But man oh man what a ride it has been. Someone please tell me it is safe to buy a Nissan product again... Up until a few years ago, I would have gladly set fire to this truck and happily roasted hot-dogs over it's burning hulk.