Unhappy !!!

GLHRACING · 07-02-2007, 12:26 PM

I have been following this board since the start of it and have learned allot. I am now looking for more advice.

I have a 2004 XE 4wd non big tow that has 55,000 miles on it now. Up until the last couple of months I have loved the truck. I get great mileage, infact I just returned from a 900 mile trip that I averged 20.1 mpg. outstanding for this size truck traveling at 73 mph. Yes those number are correct...

It has towed everything I have hooked it up to including a 6500lb tractor on a 2400lb trailer.

That is where the fun stops, in the last few months the following has happened:

* exhaust FELL OFF, it is so rusted that is just fell off!!!
* Need a new purge valve for EVAP system
* Tire pressure monitor is not working correctly
* Driver side seat foam is flattened out (I weigh 200 lbs)
* Dash is getting very noisy with creeks/crackles
* Flasher for turn signals died this past weekend on my trip.

It is as if my truck has a 50,000 mile life expectancy on it!!!

Out of all of these the only one that really concerned me was the exhaust. I have made the same trips and lived in the same place my whole life, why would the exhaust rot so quickly. I contacted Nissan about the problems and their response is "We are sorry but you are out of warranty and that is all we can say".

This is not good, I have been an engineer for 10 years and understand product manufacturing very well, this is not the way to promote quality. I went with nissan because of their quality of the past, I am now feeling it is not that great anymore. I don't care what you do with a vehicle, the exhaust should last more than 50,000 miles. Even the cheap ones from Auto Zone last longer than this.

I read all the posts of this problem and that problem and kept thinking those were just flukes, now I am in the same position and lots of others. What happened to getting what you pay for??? Is this what $30,000 gets you. If I add up the repairs it is almost $2000.

Thanks for looking,

Damon

**bbomar** · 07-02-2007, 12:32 PM

Hi Welcome to TitanTalk!!!

Nice first post!!!!!

Sorry you've had so much bad luck!

**vipzach** · 07-02-2007, 01:04 PM

The exhaust just..............FELL OFF??? You never noticed a difference in the exhaust sound, never changed your oil and took a quick look around??? I am not buying it!!!!

**DeadRiver** · 07-02-2007, 01:15 PM

i'm interested in some more detail on the exhaust issue and some pics... where did it rust? manifold, at the cats, at the muffler?

i've noticed that on long trips on the highway my TPS always comes on, i attributed it to the tires warming up and air molecules expanding with the heat.... when i check the pressure they are generally fine.

**Helinut1970** · 07-02-2007, 01:21 PM

July 04 join date and this is your 1st post

I cant imagine that your exhaust just "fell off". You were just driving down the road with no warning and plop, there went the exhaust rolling behind yuor truck. Besides that, every truck is going to have its problems after 50000 miles. It should be expected. Have you had your tires changed? Maybe the tire store messed them up. You might just need to take it in and have them reset the tire monitor. Dont feel bad, On my new chevy I "HAVE" to take it to the dealer to have the tires rotated or my tire guages will read wrong. Have you checked all your lights? The flasher might not be working because a light might be burned out. All the issues you are haveing seem pretty normal to me besides the exhaust and I find that hard to believe the way you discribed it. Do you have any pics of the exhaust??

Wiscdave · 07-02-2007, 01:35 PM

Sorry about your luck. I have the same truck...and have a stock exhaust I'll sell you. But yes the rust comes fast on these and all trucks now-a-days if you live in winter salt land. Did you wash under the truck in the winters??

I had my chime for the door open with the keys in - stay on after I pulled the key out this weekend and was like what the " f " is that. As cheap as the 07s are, if your really scared, trade up the rebate is great. They're way cheaper than the 04s where - sorta pisses a guy off!!

**Helinut1970** · 07-02-2007, 01:38 PM

I have a stock exhaust you can have if you come and pick it up.

cneary812 · 07-02-2007, 01:42 PM

do you live near the ocean? If so do you park your truck in the water? Or maybe you just live in the Maryland area

I had an exhaust split at a weld point once and only warning I had was the instant LOUD exhaust noise. That exhaust was only 2 or 3 years on that car. The one before that lasted a little longer. Only real cure is get SS so it will last longer.

All the other stuff sounds like minor stuff to me for the most part for having that kind of mileage in 3 years time.

**konigfritz** · 07-02-2007, 01:42 PM

Mine has 62K on it and pretty much no rust on the exhaust.;

baseballfanz · 07-02-2007, 01:46 PM

I was driving down the street and my transmission feel off, I didn't notice it was gone till I got home.

timid1 · 07-02-2007, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helinut1970

July 04 join date and this is your 1st post

I cant imagine that your exhaust just "fell off". You were just driving down the road with no warning and plop, there went the exhaust rolling behind yuor truck. Besides that, every truck is going to have its problems after 50000 miles. It should be expected. Have you had your tires changed? Maybe the tire store messed them up. You might just need to take it in and have them reset the tire monitor. Dont feel bad, On my new chevy I "HAVE" to take it to the dealer to have the tires rotated or my tire guages will read wrong. Have you checked all your lights? The flasher might not be working because a light might be burned out. All the issues you are haveing seem pretty normal to me besides the exhaust and I find that hard to believe the way you discribed it. Do you have any pics of the exhaust??

I don't buy that. My '00 Nissan Frontier has a little over 90k miles on it and it's NEVER been in the shop for anything other than an oil leak from the rear main seal. Oh, and I've modded the hell out of it. I was rolling 35 inch tires for 30k miles, then just recently downgraded to 33's.

Nissan trucks last. Plain and simple.

GLHRACING · 07-02-2007, 03:56 PM

Perhaps I should have started of with some credentials for those of you that need to see 8000 posts to believe.

: 11 world championships in snowmobile grass drags
5 top 3 world championship hot saw finals
7 years as manufacturing engineer
3 years as compressor engineer

Now for the rest of the story, I am not a typical babling idiot. When I stated the exhaust fell off that is not totally correct, the exhaust was still hanging from the rear hanger that is placed very close to the center of gravity. The flange broke that joins the tailpipe section to the muffler.

As far as not noticing it that is correct. Actually not many would because the portion that broke was after the muffler and since the tailpipe section has no sound absorbing properties the noise level changes very little.

I do live in an area with road salt and have lived here all my life. My last 3 truck have had over 200,000 on them before I sold them and not one exhaust component lost even on my POS GMC.

I wash my truck like it is infected, when you build race equipment you KNOW that clean is fast and lasts longer. I treat my vehicles like my race engines, I run them hard but take good care of them. I have no problem building 15 million dollar compressors, or race engines nor do I have a problem with them lasting. I do however have a problem with a vehicle exhaust rusting away.

I noticed the hanging tailpipe section on a weekly washing. When you live in the northeast you have to wash everywhere if you want them to last.

Finally, I appologize for this being only the second post. I am very involved in other forums not related to trucks so I thought this one was a good place to get information. Afterall I had been following this forum since I bought my truck in July of 04.

GLH

**DeadRiver** · 07-02-2007, 04:07 PM

I noticed the GLH racing and figured you weren't a troll nor the average Joe...

As far as exhaust failing where it did, I've seen it a lot. As you know moisture collects in the exhaust system... It probably rusted from the inside out, maybe you hit a good bump and it broke.. not that it's an excusable breakage, but it does happen...

**Helinut1970** · 07-02-2007, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GLHRACING

Perhaps I should have started of with some credentials for those of you that need to see 8000 posts to believe.

: 11 world championships in snowmobile grass drags
5 top 3 world championship hot saw finals
7 years as manufacturing engineer
3 years as compressor engineer

Now for the rest of the story, I am not a typical babling idiot. When I stated the exhaust fell off that is not totally correct, the exhaust was still hanging from the rear hanger that is placed very close to the center of gravity. The flange broke that joins the tailpipe section to the muffler.

As far as not noticing it that is correct. Actually not many would because the portion that broke was after the muffler and since the tailpipe section has no sound absorbing properties the noise level changes very little.

I do live in an area with road salt and have lived here all my life. My last 3 truck have had over 200,000 on them before I sold them and not one exhaust component lost even on my POS GMC.

I wash my truck like it is infected, when you build race equipment you KNOW that clean is fast and lasts longer. I treat my vehicles like my race engines, I run them hard but take good care of them. I have no problem building 15 million dollar compressors, or race engines nor do I have a problem with them lasting. I do however have a problem with a vehicle exhaust rusting away.

I noticed the hanging tailpipe section on a weekly washing. When you live in the northeast you have to wash everywhere if you want them to last.

Finally, I appologize for this being only the second post. I am very involved in other forums not related to trucks so I thought this one was a good place to get information. Afterall I had been following this forum since I bought my truck in July of 04.

GLH

Words mean what they mean. You said it "fell off" that is all we had to go on and replied accordingly. Would you have believed it if you heard it? Honestly? This is a great place to get info for sure. The other issues you have dont seem all that bad. Did you check your bulbs to make sure they wernt burnt out? You seem like a intelligent guys so I would assume you did. For a truck with over 50000 the only ligit. complaint to me would be the exhaust. I have one for you free of charge if you are in the area just come and get it. It has about 30000 miles but its Florida, no salt, and I hate the beach. I can say that it has a little rust where you have finally described in detail about so I can see how the exhaust didnt "fall off" hangers and all but instead broke at the muffler and hung there.

ruauman2 · 07-02-2007, 04:43 PM

I have 32k on my '04 right now. I crawled under it yesterday to find any problems so I can get the warranty to take care of it. I noticed that the exhaust pipes and the mounting bracket are exceptionally corroded. I doubt seriously that I could make it to 55k without it failing completely. With that said, I have not been adament about washing under the truck to rinse off the salt used during the winters. I'm also not *****ing, I'll fix it under warranty or I'll fix "out of pocket". I think I've been very fortunate in that my trucks has run so well for almost three years. I feel for those of you having problems. I also noticed my rear diff is leaking slightly.