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Thinking of selling frontier. Thoughts?

4K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  4XVentures 
#1 ·
I have a 2007 Nissan Frontier. My front brakes went out yesterday due to a caliper being stuck. Luckily I didn’t hit anything or anyone but that scared the crap out of me. Like all old trucks mine has issues every once and while. I have changed out the engine, transmission, t-case, rear drive shaft, wheel bearings, battery, brakes, put on a lift kit, airbags suspension for the rear, Really good tires, a good set of springs. But like I said every once and while my truck gives me issues that have to be fixed. The drivetrain components didn’t need to be changed but I changed them out as a precaution. Should I keep my truck or sell it? I am considering getting a Chevy/GMC 2013 or newer with around 100,000 miles. It’s just hard for me to think that all that money and time was wasted. What are your thoughts on this? My truck has 210,486 on the clock by the way if that matters.
 
#3 ·
I am the mechanic on my truck. I would buy a Un rusted truck from the the south or the west. 100,000 is nothing in my opinion on modern vehicles. My truck had 190,000 when I bought it. My truck came with a really good record history. That is also a concern with buying another truck. I’m just not sure if it’s best to keep what I’ve got since everything I’ve done to it won’t fail or take a chance on a different truck. I would like a bigger bed, just not sure if it’s worth it.
 
#4 ·
Yes rust is cancer to any vehicle. You should know the engineers design most vehicle to endure up to 100,000 miles to honor the factory warranty. Why would they build anything better? No one would buy new vehicles. Most mechanic knows its all about modern money mechanic. Not about modernizing. My truck is 17yrs old and run like new. Never own a new toxic interior with payment. Cash smash deals. You can't be a mechanic if you don't know what you have. A good mechanic is a great inspector, investigator and fight all.
 
#5 ·
You stayed too long at the party. Your '07 210k miles is probably shot notwithstanding all the new components.

Buying a truck with 100k miles is buying trouble. They can last a lot longer but you will be the one that has to pay for all the repairs on worn components. If this is your game, then go for it.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Tough spot you are in here. Considering you have only had the truck for ~20K and you replaced the engine, trans, and t-case, you are probably going to take quite a loss on what you have in it if you sell it now.

The thing with a good record history is that it is not guaranteed protection against future problems. Your situation is a good example of that considering all the parts you replaced in such a short timeline after buying a truck that you said had a good record history.

Sounds like a lot of major components have been replaced and future failures could be seen as regular wear and tear items, but who really knows.

I'm kind of leaning towards sticking it out longer with your current truck and try to squeeze every bit of life out of it. Try to get value out of the money you already put into it.
 
#8 ·
Just FYI that right now is a historically bad time to be car-shopping. Prices are at all time highs, and inventories are low.

Here's the most recent news article I read about this:
AP 06/22/2021: Some used vehicles now cost more than original sticker price

Last week I saw that CarMax is selling my exact truck (year, trim, color, everything) for $3,000 more than I paid for it new in 2018.
 
#9 ·
Should I keep my truck or sell it? I am considering getting a Chevy/GMC 2013 or newer with around 100,000 miles. It’s just hard for me to think that all that money and time was wasted. What are your thoughts on this?
From your post history, I believe you landed on the Frontier because you were in a bit of a bind and needed a truck? But you actually want a full-size?

If that's correct, I think you answered your own questions. You want/need a full-size but are trying to talk yourself out of it by justifying all the work you put into the Frontier.

If you have the resources (money) to buy the truck, then buy it. Especially since it sounds like you use your truck more as a tool than a toy, good tools are worth their weight in gold. Used vehicle prices are at an all-time high right now though. If you can borrow a vehicle for a few months, I'd consider selling the Frontier now and waiting to buy a truck when prices eventually fall.

Keep in mind that random stuff will break on any vehicle. Changing vehicles isn't a magic cure-all unless the vehicle is under warranty. Even then, you still inconvenience yourself with dealership visits but at least you don't have to pay out of pocket.
 
#13 ·
Keep in mind that random stuff will break on any vehicle.
I had a stuck caliper on my Honda Accord when it had 50k miles on it. Brakes are one of those things that if you use cheap aftermarket parts or the mechanic did a piss-poor brake job (i.e. didn't replace hardware, didn't grease pins, etc) it can cause problems no matter what age the vehicle is. After I took over doing brakes on my Accord I never had a problem with them. I'll be doing my own brakes on my Frontier too. Use good quality parts, take your time, and learn how to do them right. YouTube is a great resource for learning how to do stuff like that yourself (I personally like South Main Auto's channel).
 
#10 ·
I’m questioning why you’d buy a vehicle with 190k on the clock and not expect to be putting money into it. Same thing with 100k. Yes 100k is “nothing for today’s vehicles,” but it’s after that when things can really start to go wrong.
 
#11 ·
Hopefully you originally got the truck at a good deal based on all the stuff you have replaced, in all honesty I think only you can really answer if its worth selling. As @Berserker pointed out, the market is crazy with current prices for used vehicles, so you might sell your truck for a good amount but the truck you're looking into buying might also have the same offset with a higher price, plus whatever maintenance and repairs it needs.
 
#15 ·
Regardless of age, the best insurance against brake calipers seizing is to take the brakes apart for a cleaning and lube on a regular basis. With my Pontiac Vibe [RIP] my mechanic took apart the disc brakes up front once every two years [25000 kms] for a cleaning and relube. Every second of these [eg every 4 years] it needed new pads and rotors. Never needed a new caliper, never had one seized. As for the rear drums, he just gave them an open up and cleaning. Car was 14 years old with original rear drums and shoes when my 17 year old daughter totalled it due to a soft mud shoulder plus inexperience.. She was ok. .A very well maintained rust free car [thank you yearly Krown] protected her.

For someone who ventures off road and can do their own work, a once a year take apart, clean and relube would give you tons of piece of mind whether your truck has 30K, 100K, 200K or 400K.

Keep in mind too that although the Frontier is mid-sized not full sized, it has a frame like no other mid sized. The Frontier is BUILT.

Wife and daughter have Mazdas, a 5 and a 3 respectively. Great cars BUT, very prone to calipers sticking, especially in the rear. They always stick on, wreck the discs, pads and calipers.
 
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#16 ·
I have to service/re-lube the rear brakes on my avalon every spring.


If you've got the drive train in tip top shape, keep it. Buy the full sized too.


I love having a sedan and a truck. There's nothing I can't do. Have an issue in the morning before work? Hop in the other vechile.

2 is one, one is none. This is my philosophy with firearms, tools, you name it. In fact, I have 4 socket sets...
 
#18 ·
I love having a sedan and a truck. There's nothing I can't do. Have an issue in the morning before work? Hop in the other vechile.

2 is one, one is none.
I was like that but had a change of heart. At one point I owned 6 vehicles. I'm now down to one, the Frontier being it/my Swiss Army knife vehicle. Can do everything, just not anything particularly well. My philosophy being, I'd rather have one nicer, newer, reasonably reliable vehicle than 6 that are in various stages of deferred maintenance and repair or that see very little utilization.

I have 4 socket sets...
I thought I had 20 tape measures and yet I can never find one. Same with work gloves.
 
#17 ·
So you replaced the engine, transmission, transfer case and a boatload of other misc stuff and now you want to dump it? Why heck, you've got a new truck sitting on a 2007 frame. If the radiators been replaced too then your only other known endemic concern'd be the rear axle vent sticking. Other than that, it'll just be routine items.
I wouldn't sell. Not in this market.
 
#21 ·
I think what I’m going to do is hold onto the frontier. Unless I can find a lower mileage Chevy/gmc cheap. I found an auction website that sells used fleet vehicles. I am looking at a 2015 Chevy 1500 RWD regular cab with 56,000 miles but overheats. My guess would be heads. Worst case new engine $600. If I got that I could also keep my frontier. Another one I’m really interested in is a 2017 Regular cab RWD Silverado 2500 with a utilibody on it. If I got that I’d sell the frontier. I’ll get a new truck and keep it or sell depending on what I get and the price, but I am in definitely not in a rush and if I get one it will be on a truck below market value. (Normal market value- not the current crazy high prices now)
 
#23 ·
I haven't read the whole thread but I don't think it's a smart move to sell your paid off truck to get into a new old truck, let alone a chevy or gmc. Unless there are things I'm not aware of, if your goal is reliability and ultimately a cost effective decision than it's more likely resolving your current problems will be more beneficial than moving on to a new truck, being good for 2 years, than encountering more issues.

If you've got the money, buying a new truck you know you'll own, take care of, and not run into issues for years would be a good option. But there is beauty in a paid off truck you'll only remind yourself of a few months after buying a new(er) truck. Monthly cost + insurance premium rises.
 
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