The 2006 Dodge Dakota Almost Killed the Company
In 2006, Dodge decided to take its Ram Dakota models and completely redesign them from scratch. The new trims were a lot sportier and featured a 210 horsepower V6 engine with upgrades for up to a 4.7 liter V8 with 302 horsepower. The redesigned Dakota seemed very promising, but Dodge later found out that making this model was a big mistake.
The Dakota trucks often broke down in the middle of driving, making them into a financial nightmare as many of the vehicles had to be recalled or refunded. By 2011, the company had only sold 12,000 Dakotas and decided to shut down the entire operation, discontinuing the Dakota model after five years on the market. The most important thing about pickup trucks is reliability since truck drivers often find themselves in desolate places carrying extremely heavy loads in rough terrain. When your truck can’t provide that, that’s a serious issue.
The 1978 Subaru BRAT Was a Fake Pickup Truck
Subaru is mostly known for building fast, efficient and reliable vehicles, which makes them an incredible competitor when you consider their lower prices. Unfortunately for the brand, they didn’t manage to have quite the same success with their pickup trucks as they did with their regular sedans. The 1978 Subaru BRAT is proof why the company should stick to its regular cars and stay as far away as possible from trucks.
All Subaru did in order to turn this car into a truck was add a flatbed to the back of the sedan and not much else. Arguably the only reason the car sold well was that Ronald Reagen drove one for two decades. This increased its demand substantially. Subaru's current attempts at trucks such as the Baja is still pretty problematic, but at least these new ones are actually trucks and not just modified sedans. Dodge and Ford are back again with some of the worst pickup trucks this world has ever seen. Can you guess which models we’ve picked this time?
The Nissan Titan is Almost a Titanic Failure
The only saving grace about the Nissan Titan is that you can find it online at highly discounted prices. However, that has much more to do with its poor quality than actual market efficiency. This pickup by Nissan attempted to create a slick and competitive truck to show its strength in the crowded American pickup category but failed to make a dent due to lacking various qualities.
If we cut the Titan some slack and also focus on its positive features, it’s worthy to note that the truck has been praised by reviewers for having a large cab and great towing capabilities. Despite these positives, however, the lack of quality, which is due to its belts, pullies, and mounts, simply keeps it from becoming a real contender. Many owners of the Titan also claim to experience leaks and cracks in the body, which is the last thing you want to say about a pickup truck. We'd definitely give this one a pass.
The GMC Canyon Has Leaky Fuel
Another truck that was built by GMC to look fierce on the outside but was actually soft on the inside was the Canyon. Despite appearing as one luxurious pickup, there have been many reports by customers who claim that it malfunctioned due to transmission, fuel system, and cabin electronics problems.
The Canyon was also recalled at least one time for having a damaged fuel line that could potentially create a fuel leak and eventually go up in flames. Yikes. It doesn’t live up to the standards set by its competitors, which makes it quite a sub-par offering when compared to other pickup trucks in its price range. This is one pickup truck that you might want to skip on your next offroad vehicle purchase.
The Mitsubishi L200 Was Also a Rusty Pickup
The Mitsubishi Triton was one of the Japanese car manufacturer's only pickup trucks, and it definitely showed. This 1978 truck bears the same look like many of Mitsubishi's vehicles, albeit with a flatbed in the back. It was a compact pickup, very compact, with wheels that were not much larger than a regular car.
The Triton was sold in the United States as the L200, but it would have been more appropriately named if it was just called the Mitsubishi Rusty. Based on many accounts from truck owners, the truck would tend to gather rust underneath it in less than just a year after it was first purchased. For a country that prides itself on minimalism and technological superiority, it's quite a surprise that Rusty turned out so poorly.