Autoblog

PickupTrucks.com's latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota, Ram

PickupTrucks.com has gone and thrown the latest batch of half-ton pickups into a cage match to see who would come out on top. The site put the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, 2013 Ford F-150, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan through a battery of tests. Those included 0-60 miles per hour acceleration, 60-0 mph deceleration, fuel economy, a hill climb, and payload and towing. They even threw the rigs on an autocross course to evaluate overall handling. Each truck was given points based on how it scored in each evaluation.

Who came out on top? Somewhat surprisingly, the 2013 Ford F-150 walked away with the gold, though fewer than 50 points separated first and fourth place. Head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full evaluation and the final results. You may be shocked to see exactly where some of the segment's newest additions placed. You can also watch a video on the test below.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com's latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video]

PickupTrucks.com's latest test results in a familiar winner [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #331

Dan Roth — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts

2014 Toyota 4Runner, Hennessey SHO, the Chinese are coming, Volvo gives up on flagship

Episode #331 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about the 2014 Toyota 4Runner, the Hennessey Ford Taurus SHO, the impending arrival of Chinese brands in the US market and Volvo deciding to let the big European flagships have their niche. We wrap up with your questions and comments, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #331:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage:

Hosts: Dan Roth, Zach Bowman, Jeff Ross

Runtime: 01:36:14

Get the podcast:
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
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Autoblog Podcast #331 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan adds 2013 Titan to gearshift recall

Zach Bowman — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Work, Nissan

Nissan has added the 2013 Titan to the list of vehicles recalled over potential gearshift issues. Just a few days ago, the automaker recalled nearly 20,000 NV Vans for a problem with the shift lever assembly that could cause the gear selector to read inaccurately. Now Nissan is recalling certain 2013 Titan pickup trucks manufactured between December 17, 2012 and February 20, 2013 and equipped with column-mounted shift levers, though for a different fault. The pickups were built using certain chemicals that could cause the brake-shift interlock mechanism to fail over time. If that happens, the truck could be shifted out of Park without the driver's foot on the brake.

As a result, the truck could roll away and cause an accident or injury. Nissan says it will remedy the fault free of charge. Owners can expect to be notified once the campaign begins on or around April 8. You can read the full National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice below for more information.

Continue reading Nissan adds 2013 Titan to gearshift recall

Nissan adds 2013 Titan to gearshift recall originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #318

Dan Roth — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Truck, Etc., Cadillac, Dodge, Lexus, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota

Toyota back on top, Barrett Jackson, Crowdsourcing your Dodge Dart payments, Nissan and Toyota double down on pickups

Episode #318 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Michael Harley talk about Toyota regaining the No. 1 sales crown, getting your friends and family to buy you a Dodge Dart, Barrett-Jackson, and Toyota and Nissan remaining committed to their pickup trucs. We wrap with your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #318:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage:
2013 Lexus ES 300h
2013 Cadillac ATS 2.0T 6MT
2014 Subaru Forester

Hosts: Dan Roth, Zach Bowman, Michael Harley

Runtime: 01:50:11

Get the podcast
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
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[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback
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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #318

Autoblog Podcast #318 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #318 LIVE!

Dan Roth — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Auctions, Etc., Dodge, GM, Nissan, Toyota

We record Autoblog Podcast #318 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #318

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Can't see the EventBox? Click Here.Voices Heard Media

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #318 LIVE! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Nissan Titan

Zach Bowman — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Nissan, New Car Reviews

Revisiting "The Other Truck"

Of all the segments in the American vehicle market, the full-size truck market has proven the most difficult to crack for foreign automakers. Blame the Chicken Tax, dyed-in-the-wool brand fanatics, decades of buying tradition or all three, but truck buyers have barely given Toyota and Nissan a fraction of the sales ladled onto Ford, Chevrolet and Ram. In fact, last year, Toyota saw just 82,908 Tundra units roll off of dealer lots. While that number seems astronomical compared to the 21,994 Titan models Nissan shifted during the same time period, both stats fall far behind even the third place Ram, which sold 257,610 units last year.

The easy assumption is that trucks like the Tundra and Titan simply lack the competitive capability to hold their heads high among their American counterparts. With offerings like the 2013 Ford F-150 EcoBoost and 2013 Ram 1500, modern domestic offerings are now more efficient than ever without sacrificing their already impressive tow ratings. Given just how long it's been since the Titan landed in showrooms, is there any reason at all to look outside of the Big Three for a pickup purchase? We decided to spend a week reacquainting ourselves with one to find out.

Continue reading 2012 Nissan Titan

2012 Nissan Titan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan offers to make Peyton Manning a Tennessee Titan... sort of *UPDATE

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:27:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Nissan, Celebrities

In yet another case of a carmaker hoping to get media coverage by giving a vehicle to a millionaire celebrity who probably doesn't want it (and certainly doesn't need it), Nissan has offered to build a Titan pickup for Peyton Manning. Or at least it has issued a press release to that effect.

The hook here is that the Tennessee Titans NFL franchise is wooing the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback and likely future NFL Hall of Famer, with owner Bud Adams offering Manning a lifetime contract, according to ESPN. Nissan, of course, relocated its North American operations to Tennessee in 2006. Manning also has roots in the state, as he attended the University of Tennessee, where he was the Volunteers' all-time leading passer.

We suspect Manning has better things to do right now than help Nissan stage a further publicity stunt, given that he's spent the past week working out for two other NFL teams in addition to Tennessee. That's not stopping the PR team at Nissan from suggesting that Peyton might want a Titan, the slowest-selling full-size pickup in America, because it's built in Canton. That's Canton, Mississippi, rather than Canton, Ohio, where the NFL Hall of Fame is located.

And lest anyone get all up-in-arms over Nissan's homer-ism, the company has said it will give Manning the truck regardless of which team he signs with "as a gesture of gratitude recognizing your great accomplishments and philanthropic contributions to our national community." Click past the jump to read the full press release.

*UPDATE: If a slew of reports are to be believed, it appears Mr. Manning is headed the Denver Broncos. As some readers have noted in Comments, we, too, hope that Ford takes this opportunity to build Peyton - and the rest of us - a new Bronco.

Continue reading Nissan offers to make Peyton Manning a Tennessee Titan... sort of *UPDATE

Nissan offers to make Peyton Manning a Tennessee Titan... sort of *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan's Ghosn directly confirms next-generation Titan pickup

Chris Paukert — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Truck, Nissan

This afternoon at a Detroit Auto Show media roundtable event, Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn unequivocally confirmed that Nissan will build a next-generation Titan pickup. "We are going to replace it. We are going to present in every segment in the market in the United States." Previous news stories indicated that Nissan was pursuing a new Titan, but persistent reports indicated that the automaker would pursue an outside partner for the vehicle's development.

A subsequent Autoblog discussion with a Nissan official revealed that not only is the company developing the next-generation Titan right now - internally and without another automaker as a partner - it's not that far off. Our source confirms that Nissan will first show the truck "in about a year's time" and the vehicle will likely go on sale as a 2014 model, consistent with earlier reports.

One of the chief issues the current Titan has faced, according to our source, has been its limited configurability versus competitors' offerings. But the next-generation Titan won't make this same mistake - it will offer multiple engines and cab configurations.

Nissan first introduced the Canton, Mississippi-built Titan in 2004, but it's suffered from slow sales and limited updates. More recently, The Japanese marque entered the North American commercial truck market with its NV van line, but in 2011, it only managed to sell around 6,500 units.

Nissan's Ghosn directly confirms next-generation Titan pickup originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Titan successor pushed back to 2014

Zach Bowman — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Nissan

It may be a while before buyers get their hands on the next-generation Nissan Titan. Automotive News reports that the vehicle has encountered engineering delays brought about by this year's earthquake and tsunami tragedies in Japan, and now the next-gen pickup may not debut until the 2014 model year. The news comes courtesy of Andy Palmer, executive vice president for vehicle planning and program management at Nissan, who said that he made the decision to delay the vehicle's development.

As you may recall, Nissan originally planned to co-develop a successor with Chrysler. Unfortunately, the American automaker entered bankruptcy before that plan could come to fruition. The next-generation full-size pickup from Nissan was slated to debut this year.

The current Titan debuted in 2004, making the truck one of the oldest platforms in a fiercely competitive segment. Here's hoping that the delay won't cause any issues with turbo diesel four-cylinder engine Nissan is currently developing with Cummins.

Nissan Titan successor pushed back to 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Frontier and Titan dash in with new appearance packages for 2012

Zach Bowman — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Nissan, Design/Style

Nissan has announced new appearance packages for the 2012 Frontier and Titan. The smaller of the two workhorses will jump into the new model year with a Sport Appearance Package on King Cab and Crew Cab SV iterations. The kit packs 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, as well as a front grille with a Dark Hyper Silver, body-color front and rear bumpers and the Frontier graphic on the vehicle's flanks seen above. The interior gets its fair share of kit as well, with the addition of cloth sport seats, white-faced gauges and a Bluetooth hands-free calling system.

Meanwhile, the full-size Titan will receive a Sport Appearance Package of its own, complete with 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels, a grille dipped in the same finish as the aforementioned Frontier, body-color bumpers all around and a set of black step rails. A handy lockable storage compartment resides inside the bed, and Titan graphics are also part of the party. Inside, the appearance package brings along many of the same tricks as found in the Frontier with captain's chairs embroidered with the Titan logo and white-face gauges.

If you like the sound of this dance, you can expect to pay $1,190 for the Sport Appearance Package on the Frontier and $2,490 for the garb on the Titan. Hit the jump for the press releases.

Continue reading Nissan Frontier and Titan dash in with new appearance packages for 2012

Nissan Frontier and Titan dash in with new appearance packages for 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Nissan, Toyota

PickupTrucks.com asked five half-ton truck manufacturers to provide their best trucks for $30,000. The entries consisted of the 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 Extended Cab, 2011 Ford F-150 Regular Cab, 2011 Nissan Titan King Cab, 2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab and 2011 Toyota Tundra Double Cab, all of which were put through a variety of tests over four days in and around Detroit. Unlike a comparison that seeks model-feature parity, this one allowed for manufacturers to provide whatever they thought was best, which is how you get Ford supplying the only regular cab among the field.

After being run through load tests, brake tests, the drag strip, 0-to-60 and even an autocross run, the crown was given to the Ram 1500 Quad Cab. It didn't scorch its competition, but it was always near the top of the field, which gave it enough to take the glory. There's a video of the test after the jump, or head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full piece.

Continue reading PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K

PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Certain Chevrolet, Nissan owners most likely to die in a car crash?

Zach Bowman — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Chevrolet, Nissan

We've got some sour news for you if you've got a Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Cobalt, Nissan 350Z or Nissan Titan in your driveway. According to a new study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, owners of those particular vehicles are more likely to die in an auto accident than those who own other vehicles. That's thanks in part to the fact that those models aren't equipped with traction control. Automotive News reports that the IIHS study found that of the 26 lowest-rated vehicles in the study, none had the technology.

In the past, SUV drivers were the ones most likely to die due to the threat of rollovers, but new safety systems have changed that trend. The IIHS report now says that SUV drivers are among those who are most likely to survive an accident.

So, which vehicles came out on top? The Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Toyota Sienna, Ford Edge, Nissan Armada and Land Rover Range Rover Sport and LR3 were among the winners of the survey. That settles it, Aveo owners; time to trade it in for Range Rover.

Certain Chevrolet, Nissan owners most likely to die in a car crash? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cummins developing four-cylinder diesel for Nissan Titan

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 19 May 2011 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Technology, Nissan

Cummins-developed diesel being developed for Nissan - Click above for image gallery

Is Nissan making play for diesel? According to our friends at PickupTrucks.com, it sure seems that way... at least for pickup truck duty. Thanks to some cash from the U.S. Department of Engery, Cummins is developing a four-cylinder oil-burner, and it's currently nestled under the hood of a Nissan Titan. Cummins is looking to bump fuel efficiency by 40 percent compared to the current V8 mills being employed.

The current fuel economy target? A combined rating of 28 miles per gallon, which would mean the diesel-equipped Titan would be running at over 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Cummins is said to be targeting 220 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, and currently, the prototype engine is able to produce 350 pound-feet of torque at 1,800 rpm.

Cummins developing four-cylinder diesel for Nissan Titan originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reports: Nissan to repair 2.14 million vehicles in its 3rd biggest recall ever

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:52:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Infiniti, Nissan

The line at the door for the recall party is getting longer. Nissan has just showed up and it needs to bring in 2.14 million vehicles around the world, making it the automaker's third largest recall of all-time. The issue lies with a faulty ignition relay that could cause the engine to stall or fail to restart. The fix is reported to take less than 25 minutes, and involves swapping out the faulty ignition relay for a new one.

This recall affects vehicles built around the world, from August 2003 to July 2006. Japan serves up the bulk of the recalled vehicles, with 835,000 units needing to come back in. The U.S. and Canada are not far behind, recalling 762,000 cars between them. The vehicles include a wide gamut of Nissan product, from subcompacts like the Micra and Cube up to larger cars and trucks such as the Titan and Infiniti QX.

Nissan joins an ever expanding list of automakers reporting recent recalls. BMW recently took the first step in admitting they have a problem, by recalling N54-equipped vehicles. Chrysler and Volvo vehicles have had power steering issues. Some Ram trucks went out with incorrectly labeled weight and seating stickers. Honda and Toyota used a parts supplier who was dealing in faulty brake master cylinders. The list goes on and on.

[Sources: AOL Autos]

Reports: Nissan to repair 2.14 million vehicles in its 3rd biggest recall ever originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Titan and Armada get new prices and model designations for 2011

Zach Bowman — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Nissan

2011 Nissan Titan - Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks like the 2011 Nissan Murano was the harbinger of names to come for the rest of the Nissan fleet. The company just released pricing details on the 2011 Titan and Armada, and it looks like the two heavy-breathing bruisers will carry new badges when they hit dealer lots. Starting next year, the Armada will shed its SE and Titanium designations in favor of SV and SL trims, respectively. Those looking to land themselves in the big Japanese SUV can expect to pay $37,910 for a two-wheel drive in SV garb. Things top out with the $52,890 Armada 4x4 Platinum.

On the truck side of things, XE, SE and LE trims have been scrapped in favor of S, SV and SL designations. Oh what a difference a consonant makes. Pricing for the full-size pickup starts at $26,820 for the short-wheelbase version in two-wheel drive, S trim and goes up from there. The priciest of the lot is the $39,620 Titan SL Crew Cab four-wheel drive. Hit the jump to check out the full press release, complete with pricing information.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Titan

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan Titan and Armada get new prices and model designations for 2011

Nissan Titan and Armada get new prices and model designations for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Nissan Titan and Frontier pickups to get new model designations for 2011, little else

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Nissan

While Nissan refines its pickup truck plans and gets ready for an all new Titan in 2014, it is doing only a little bit of tweaking to the 2011 Titan and Frontier. The Titan swaps three of its four trim level names, with XE becoming S, SE becoming SV and LE becoming SL, and any four-wheel drive model will get a "4x4" badge. More substantively, captain's chairs will be fitted as standard on the top-level SL trim. The 317-horsepower, 5.6 liter V8 remains unchanged.

The name swap carries over to the Frontier, however, with the PRO-4X model keeping its name on the Frontier and Titan. The smaller pickup loses the six-speed manual on the long wheelbase SL King Cab and SV Crew Cab, but gains a six-speed manual option for the lowest trim S model and the PRO-4X short wheelbases. The top line SV trim adds a Luxury Package to its option sheet, and with a little mix-n-match you can get LATCH child safety seats.

The 2011 Titan goes on sale in August, the V6 Frontiers hit showrooms in September, the four cylinder Frontiers in October.

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: Nissan Titan and Frontier pickups to get new model designations for 2011, little else originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Nissan still committed to full-size pickups

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:32:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Nissan

For all the success that Japanese automakers have had in the U.S. market over the past thirty years, there remains one very important segment they've never really managed to break through: full-size trucks. The big pickups from Ford and General Motors have remained at the top of the sales charts for decades. While Toyota has made a minor dent in the segment with the Tundra, Nissan's Titan has just never really caught fire.

Despite that, Nissan still wants a piece of the pie. The potential profit margins and volumes continue to make this market too attractive to abandon. After a deal to share the Dodge Ram platform was abandoned during the runup to Chrysler's bankruptcy, it was decided to keep the current Titan alive for the foreseeable future.

While Nissan has not announced what direction it will take with the next Titan, we'd expect it to share a lot with the recently-introduced NV2500 commercial van. The NV2500 is built in the same Canton, Mississippi plant with the Titan and has an architecture that's more like a pickup than a traditional van, which could make it a suitable starting point. The NV chassis has already been designed for heavy duty applications, so it's possible that it could finally spawn an HD pickup as well to compete with similar models from Detroit.

Update: Back in January PickupTrucks.com reported that while a new Titan is coming, it likely won't arrive unitl 2014

[Source: Straightline]

Report: Nissan still committed to full-size pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan recalls 540,000 vehicles for brake pedal pin, fuel gauge problems

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:23:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, SUV, Truck, Recalls, Safety, Nissan

Another day, another recall. This time Nissan is the automaker in question, recalling a total of 539,864 vehicles due to faulty brake pedal pins and fuel gauge components.

Nissan reports that three instances have been reported where brake pedal pins have partially disengaged, resulting in a loss of normal braking ability. Additionally, the fuel gauges in certain higher-mileage vehicles may incorrectly indicate the amount of fuel in the tank. The automaker sites that no accidents or injuries have been reported with either issue, and that all of its new vehicles currently on sale are not affected by these problems.

Vehicles affected by the brake pedal pins are the 2008-2010 Nissan Titan, Armada, Quest and Infiniti QX56. Of those recalled brake pins, 178,916 are in the United States and 25,869 in other markets. As for the fuel gauge inaccuracies, this affects 2005-2008 Nissan Titan, Armada and Infiniti QX56, as well as any Nissan Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra models produced between January and March of 2006 or between October 2007 and January 2008. This accounts for 418,865 vehicles in the U.S. and 53,253 elsewhere in the world.

Beginning this month, Nissan will be notifying all owners of the vehicles in question, and they will be able to bring the vehicles to any Nissan or Infiniti dealer to have the problems repaired at no charge. For vehicles affected by the fuel gauge issues, Nissan recommends that in the mean time owners maintain a fuel level of no less than a half-tank. Hit the jump for the full details in Nissan's press release.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan recalls 540,000 vehicles for brake pedal pin, fuel gauge problems

Nissan recalls 540,000 vehicles for brake pedal pin, fuel gauge problems originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: New Nissan Titan coming in 2014

Michael Harley — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Work, Nissan, Earnings/Financials, Off-Road

2008 Nissan Titan - Click above for high-res image gallery

Originally launched in late 2003 as a 2004 model, the Nissan Titan light-duty pickup may not see its replacement until 2014 - a painfully long time in the full-size pickup market, and the Titan is already the oldest half-ton pickup in the segment. Titan sales in 2009 fell 44.1 percent from 2008. However, according to Larry Dominique, Nissan's Vice President of Product Planning, things may be turning around.

Improved traffic in Nissan showrooms, new "value packaging" that bundle popular options together, and an effort by dealers to target existing owners to replace or upgrade their Titans seems to be working. In the fourth quarter of 2009, the Titan sold 5,337 units compared to 4,153 during the same period in 2008. However, Dominique appears to understand that even the most loyal customers eventually lose interest in an outdated vehicles.

"My team is working on the best overall scenario for doing the next Titan internally," Dominique said. "Given the environment, given the economy and that Nissan's global resources are constrained, we can't do everything we want as fast as we want. We had a plan that was humming along with Chrysler to deliver the truck by 2011 but that deal went away. It's a few years away. We're looking at short term enhancements we can make until 2014."

In the meantime, Nissan's pickup team will ask headquarters to approve building a heavy-duty Titan. Pushing for development of a light commercial truck (2500- or 3500-series) to increase sales volume will help spread engineering costs across more models. However, it's clear that this process isn't a short road. Once Japanese executives approve the development of a new Titan, the Nissan light-truck still figures to be another two years from production.

Gallery: 2008 Nissan Titan

[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Report: New Nissan Titan coming in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Nissan doggedly pursuing Titan replacement, "pretty much going it alone"

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Nissan

2008 Nissan Titan - Click above for high-res image gallery

If you want to be a full-line automaker here in the United States, your dealership lots must be stocked with fullsize pickup trucks. Apparently, despite meager sales of its current Titan pickup, Nissan is committed to doing battle on a level playing field with Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and Toyota. That means remaining in the truck business here in our pickup-loving country, which in turn means a replacement for the stagnant Titan is sorely needed.

Unfortunately for the Japanese automaker, Chrysler's bankruptcy proceedings allowed the company to divorce itself from its previous agreement to provide Nissan with a Ram-based truck platform for the next-gen Titan. As such, Nissan spokesman Scott Vazin tells USA Today that the automaker is "pretty much going it alone" on its fullsize truck replacement.

Until that next-gen truck is ready - at the moment, no production date has been announced - Nissan will continue to build the current Titan at its factory in Canton, Mississippi.

Gallery: 2008 Nissan Titan

[Source: USA Today]

Report: Nissan doggedly pursuing Titan replacement, "pretty much going it alone" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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