Why is the Resale Value of the Nissan Titan So Bad?

"AkursedX" (akursedx)
01/09/2017 at 09:30 • Filed to: None

I have pretty much become the de-facto automotive purchasing agent for many of my friends and family. My Father, who goes through vehicles faster than Taylor Swift goes through boyfriends is my number-one client.

After a relatively long 1.5 years owing a Ford Explorer XLT, he wants to move back into a pickup. Prior to the Explorer, he had a ‘13 F-150 Ecoboost and only got rid of it due to my Step-Mom not being able to get in and out of it due to health reasons. Fortunately, she’s doing better and lost 40lbs so she can climb into a truck again and they regain the hauling ability a pickup offers.

Anyways, my Father became somewhat disenchanted with Ford lately and has spent a lot of time looking at the Nissan Titan. He likes in particular the ‘XD’ version which is like a ‘F250-lite’ when it comes to hauling and payload.

When researching vehicle for my Father, I always have to focus a lot on resale value (Note: He bought the Explorer against my advice and I have spent 4-months listening to him complain to me about how dealers aren’t giving him anything on trade) What I have come to find is rather surprising. Titans lose an INCREDIBLE amount of value! Like 50% after 2 years. That’s domestic sedan territory. Even the diesel, quad-cab, 4x4 versions lose 25% of value much quicker than it’s domestic counterparts.

So is it because the truck is bad? Or is it because it’s ‘Japanese’? Both the Tundra and Titan have never really been able to grab a significant portion of the full-size truck market even though every one I have been in have been pretty nice trucks. But the on-paper capabilities really do look to be lacking versus the domestics and it doesn’t look like you gain any increased driving comfort or efficiency for it. I guess that is more the reason resale suffers more than any other.

It’s unfortunate because I think my father would pretty happy in a Titan-XD, but I can’t recommend it to him because he will will be way too underwater when he gets bored and wants something new. All the positive-equity that he built from his Tacoma and F150 will pretty much be eaten up on trading his Explorer in.

And before you comment that he should look for something used or CPO’ed, I have tried repeatedly to go these avenues, but it’s not going to happen. It has to be new! More than likely I will try to steer him into another Ecoboost F150. Ideally a ‘16 2.7 Ecoboost, but I know he’s going to want the redesigned ‘17 3.5 ecoboost. Whatever, at least I’ll be able to do fun burnouts in it again.

It was fun doing burnouts in his last F150

DISCUSSION (23)

Wobbles the Mind > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 09:42

Values are all about demand and there isn’t any demand for the Titan. Doesn’t mean it isn’t a great product, people aren’t shopping them is all.

Here are the total sales for 2016:

820,799

574,876

489,418

221,680

191,631

115,489

108,725

86,926

37,449

23,667

21,880

People just don’t remember to shop it, and most people buy the first car the drive, and the first car you drive is usually the one you wanted most.

BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 09:47

KBB has the Tundra ranked as the full size truck with the highest resale value in 2016 so I doubt the issue is that the Titan isn’t a domestic. I’ve always wondered why the Titan has such poor resale as well.

CalzoneGolem > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 09:51

The badge on the front.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 10:56

I think it is mainly a reputation for poor quality - the first generation are notorious for rear end problems and look how quickly the paint/clearcoat fades and peels on them. Nissan in general has a reputation for building cheap and chintzy things that sell for huge discounts below MSRP and then fall apart while Toyota has a reputation for building quality vehicles across the board. This is reflected in the difference between Titan and Tundra resale values. The new Titan may fare better, but time will tell. Before considering an XD, I would definitely wait for some 40,000 and 100,000 mile reviews to start rolling in - a quick Google search shows that there have been some teething issues with them resulting in lots of trips back to the dealer in the first 20k, but that could be just anecdotal.

loki03xlh > Wobbles the Mind
01/09/2017 at 11:03

Looking at the sales numbers you posted, I’m pleasantly surprised that the Canyon/Colorado sales are only 24% less than the Tacoma’s numbers.

Wobbles the Mind > loki03xlh
01/09/2017 at 11:12

Oh yeah, the Colorado/Canyon are crazy successful when you look at that market share. Then add in that the ancient Nissan Frontier completely decimates the completely new Titan and Titan XD and you’ll notice that it’s much easier to break into the midsize truck market than the fullsize and up. That’s why Ford is going to offer the Ranger, Jeep to make an off-road focused pickup, and even Hyundai will probably aim at the Ridgeline. Exciting times.

Steve in Manhattan > Wobbles the Mind
01/09/2017 at 11:41

Wonder if Ridgelines fall off a cliff (value-wise).

nermal > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 16:04

With trucks, it’s about how you buy them. At some point in the model year, usually towards the end, you’ll be able to buy a new pickup from any of the domestic manufacturer for ~$10k off sticker price. As a result, all used trucks are worth at $12k-$15k less than sticker price after the first year.

Same goes for the Nissans. I’ve seen the ‘16 diesels advertised for $10k off sticker, which if purchased that way, puts first year depreciation in a much more reasonable spot.

jkm7680 > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 19:29

Unreliable, bad quality, prehistoric engines, shit interiors.

ranwhenparked > AkursedX
01/09/2017 at 19:29

Nissan just doesn’t have the same reputation as the other Japanese brands. Or, basically just not the same reputation as Honda and Toyota. And Toyota makes very good trucks.

E92M3 > AkursedX
02/11/2017 at 21:20

Have you seen that front end?

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre
02/13/2017 at 00:09

Yeah the toyotas seem to do a damn good job holding value

Autophile412 - what's the world got in store? > AkursedX
03/10/2017 at 08:55

I think it is because the latest version looks like a kindergartners rendition of a 2015 F150. I had so much hope for the new Titan and Nissan shat out that turd of a vehicle and expected everyone to fawn over the Diesel technology. Little did they know that people actually expect a nice looking truck a’la the new F150, Silverado, Tundra, F250. Hell the new Tacoma is more desirable than that piece of excrement.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > itranthelasttimeiparkedit
03/26/2017 at 16:47

They are crazy, my friend couldn’t find one that he liked used for a good deal so he bought a new one.

BenStone04 > Steve in Manhattan
06/10/2017 at 17:07

I would guess not.

Scott > AkursedX
06/11/2017 at 08:07

Basically the blame it on the First Gen Titans. It was marketed towards off roaders. That’s a small segment among truck buyers, and it competes with SUVs. Beyond the marketing, it was practically useless to people that NEED a truck. It had a Short bed, or a Really short bed. Long bed, nope. When it came out it had terrible reliability if you towed or hauled with it. That’s the biggest point of a truck. It took until 09 for Nissan to fully fix that issue, by then the reputation was set.

So the Titan is not a truck that most truck buyers will even look at. It does not matter that the new Nissan Titan is different. Nissan will have to work a long time to over come the reputation set buy the first gen Titan. The used truck market tends to follow the lead of the new truck buyers. And the first gen Titans are going to pull the prices down on used second gen Titans for many years. Fixing the problem, does not fix the reputation, or the effects of that bad reputation.

MyEVwillSmokeYourBigWheel > BIGBLOCK472 - wide and bizarre
06/12/2017 at 08:20

Toyota also benefits from the perceived reliability. Whether warranted or not people equate Toyota with quality even though they’re nothing like they used to be.

MyEVwillSmokeYourBigWheel > AkursedX
06/12/2017 at 08:22

So what you’re saying is in two years I can get a smoking deal on a used Titan XD, if I can find one....

Dan > Scott
02/19/2020 at 19:20

I know this is old but I don’t understand your comments about the bed length, king cab had 6.5 ft bed just like all others I personally own I can measure and send pic and crew cab bed was short but just like all other brands. They did offer an 8 footer we had one as company truck. Put drywall and plywood in it and closed tail gate. Second thing is why do people refer to Toyota and Nissan trucks as Japanese they are both made here in. America exclusively where the big three trucks aren’t made here exclusively. Most come from Mexico or Canada. Some argue well the money goes back overseas well so does Dodge they haven’t been American owned in how long? They are a foreign truck. They all are crawl underneath or open hood and start looking at manufacturer locations stamped on the parts.

Dan > jkm7680
02/19/2020 at 19:28

How is 32 valve DOHC prehistoric? Wouldn’t that be pushrod technology?

Dan > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
02/19/2020 at 20:17

Yeah but look how many years the paint flaked off Chevys, their junk diesels before Duramax which is a foreign design by Isuzu, the 6.0 Fords. Dodge and transmissions. Folks will buy the big three trucks no matter what it seems. Sad thing is they have been making full size trucks longer than anyone and lol.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Wobbles the Mind
08/18/2020 at 09:59

The ancient Frontier outsold it by a factor of 3. I don’t understand.

I thought people would love how the Titan is like a more livable heavy duty that looks like a heavy duty with enough compromise to make it easier to drive.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > AkursedX
08/18/2020 at 14:28

I have a neighbor that got a Cummins Titan, it’s huge, it doesn’t fit well in our parking areas. He seems to like it. The first Titans sold well in Hawaii, they even have a club on Oahu. I wonder about the new one, I guess I didn’t see many last year when I went back for a wedding.