I don't have any rattles or brake problems, and my truck was
built on 12/18/03. It must be one of the early handmade ones.
As far as the hitch goes, you can tow with the Titan by just adding a
ball, but I haven't owned a truck yet that I did that and didn't scar up
the step bumper.
If you aren't going to tow anything heavier than a boat, the factory
or even an aftermarket hitch is the way to go. The SE's and LE's are
pre-wired for a hitch. You're looking at around $200 for the factory
hitch with relays from one of the vendors here, a little more if you
have the dealer put it on. It's up to you to decide if the other
features of the big tow pack are worth the extra bucks.
Steve