Found one

[Laxaholic]

I have been looking to replace my 100 series for quite some time now, just can't keep up with the fuel bill with the amount of driving I do. So, I've been looking into other options. Cars, wrx wagons, 4runners, and tacomas. This doesn't mean I'm going to settle on getting a tacoma, but I should atleast go look to help me decide.

I have found a 2004 Tacoma extended cab, 5spd. Going to have a look tomorrow. Anything that you all would suggest looking for in this one? Specifics when looking at it. Has around 138,000 miles on it, so of course I will look for service history. Any places to check for leaks, corrosion, interior bits that I might overlook? Just want to give it a good look and see what I think. Somewhat worried that the interior will be too small, compared to what I'm used to.

What kind of real would MPG could I expect, hypothetically, from the 04 extended cab 5spd v6?

Thanks again.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I have been looking to replace my 100 series for quite some time now, just can't keep up with the fuel bill with the amount of driving I do. So, I've been looking into other options. Cars, wrx wagons, 4runners, and tacomas. This doesn't mean I'm going to settle on getting a tacoma, but I should atleast go look to help me decide.

I have found a 2004 Tacoma extended cab, 5spd. Going to have a look tomorrow. Anything that you all would suggest looking for in this one? Specifics when looking at it. Has around 138,000 miles on it, so of course I will look for service history. Any places to check for leaks, corrosion, interior bits that I might overlook? Just want to give it a good look and see what I think. Somewhat worried that the interior will be too small, compared to what I'm used to.

What kind of real would MPG could I expect, hypothetically, from the 04 extended cab 5spd v6?

Thanks again.

Is it a TRD? That would give you alloy wheels, better shocks and a rear E-locker, and I think maybe power windows and doors.

I had an 04 SR5 V6 5 speed and I could get 17-20 in the city and 20-24 on the highway if I kept my speed below 65. This was with a couple of different toppers, I started with a cab-high and then moved to a high-rise just to get more headroom.

I found mine to be very comfortable for the most part, although the 2/3 - 1/3 "split bench" seat in the non-TRD SR5 model was not a good seat compared to the buckets on my 4runner (which I think are identical to the buckets in the TRD version.) The stupid "split bench" was supposedly to allow for you to put 3 people in the front seat but the only way you could put a third person in there is if the person that sat in the middle was a midget with no legs. Not only that, but because of the "split bench" design, I could not put inexpensive seat covers on the seat without having to modify them quite a bit.

 

[Laxaholic]

Thanks for the reply,

I don't think it is the TRD, as it seems to have the stupid split-bench seat in the pictures.

 

[mtnbike28]

Has the timing belt been done? Due ay 90K and a $500-600 plus bill at the dealer.
Rear axle seals.... pull the drum. They had a bad part when new and the seal fails and ruins the pads. Not super expensive to fix. I extended my dif breather at the same time... seems a clogged breather could cause the failure too.
Frame rust. Gently tap around the inside of the frame in the rear where the spring is. My frame is being replaced this week.





Otherwise 200k miles and nothing but gas and oil changes.

 

[Laxaholic]

Thanks for another helpful reply, I will definitely give that a look when I go later this afternoon. I appreciate it.

 

[phsycle]

Frame rust would be the #1 issue, but seeing you're from the South, (and assuming the truck has been in the area its whole life), frame rust shouldn't be an issue. But Toyota has a 15 year warranty on these frames, so you'd still have 6 year coverage. I've also heard of few issues with the TB on the 03-04 models. Timing belt is a big one at 90k miles (although I've never done one earlier than 100k miles on these 3.4L's. They're non-interference). Also check rear axle seals.

Other than that, it should be a solid performer. Up until about 3 months ago, I had both an ext cab Taco (V6, 5-sp) and 100. With a family, the ext cab just wasn't cutting it, so it went. I do miss that truck, though. 100% stock, it got 21MPG on the freeway (~70MPH).