5 Trucks To Avoid Buying in 2024
Written by
David Nadelle
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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Originally used as a tool of trade, the pickup truck has evolved over time from being necessarily a workhorse to a multipurpose vehicle category catering to a diverse range of lifestyles. They say that popularity breeds contempt, but in the world of automakers, it breeds competition. There are a ton of trucks available now for every type of driver, so it stands to reason that some impress and some fall flat.
Luckily, figuring out whether a certain truck will suit your needs is easily done by taking a test drive and doing your research. Brand reputations are also affected by expert review sites who use road testing and harsh scrutiny of a vehicle’s features important to consumers.
While it’s smart to take reliability reports — like the annual Consumers Reports (CR) rankings — with a grain of salt (their surveys are fueled by subscribers’ opinions), they can be great for separating strong contenders from weak links, like the following five 2024 trucks which you should steer clear of buying.
5 Trucks You Should Be Careful About Buying in 2024
1. Nissan Frontier
- MSRP: $29,770
With so many brands battling for the almighty dollar, the midsize Frontier is up against stiff competition from Chevy/GMC, Ford and Toyota. The Frontier has changed little over the past two years, but perhaps it was a mistake by Nissan not to do an update. “There’s plenty to like about the Nissan, just not as much as there is to like about most of its rivals,” said Kelley Blue Book (KBB).
2. Jeep Gladiator
- MSRP: $41,085
Known for its off-road mastery, Jeep has jumped in the pickup pool — and the results are mixed. The Gladiator retains that rugged Jeep look and emphasizes off-road functionality over a smooth street ride. According to Car and Driver, “Loud road noise, compact crew cab, poor fuel economy, meh on-road handling” make the Gladiator a better buy for an off-road adventurer than a city-dweller.
3. Ford F-150 Hybrid
- MSRP: $36,570
The traditional F-150 is the best-selling truck in America by a wide margin. It has been for decades and will probably continue to be for many years. So why would you avoid buying its hybrid option? The 2021 F-150 Hybrid was the most unreliable truck on the market last year, with a CR customer reliability rating of 4/100. Things have improved only slightly for 2024 (a 19 out of 100 CR rating), per KBB.
4. Rivian R1T
- MSRP: $80,800
The first all-electric truck to make it to market, the Rivian R1T has enough battery capacity for an estimated 400 miles on a single charge and has above average towing capabilities. With little in the way of trim options (Rivian only offers the Adventure and the Adventure All-Terrain models) and being so new, there’s no long-term reliability reports on the R1T. While CR gives it a 22/100 reliability score for 2024, site reviews are positive, so your experience may vary.
5. Nissan Titan XD
- MSRP: $54,210
The full-size Titan XD is a competent drive but those looking for strong towing and hauling capacities would do better looking at a more powerful rival — or even a half-ton like the Chevy Silverado 1500 or GMC Sierra 1500. CR gives it a low reliability score and ranks it among the worst vehicles of the year, according to Forbes. Noting its limited pulling and handling scores, Car and Driver said, “The Titan XD exists in the gray space between half-ton and heavy-duty trucks, and seems lost in that no man’s land.”
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