Tacoma shopping questions

[CountryHandyMan]

So after many many years of Jeeps and Fords I'm looking at Tacoma's for my next rig. It will be replacing both my over built TJ Wrangler and my Superduty flatbed. My aim is a light duty over lander. My Superduty is a fuel hungry beast, a leftover from my construction business I sold. My Wrangler is a slow, underpowered slug, locked and geared that will tackle more than I care to do these days.

My question, never having owned a Toyota is What should I look for, problem wise, on a used Yota? Is there a motor or transmission to avoid? Is the TRD package worth the extra cost?

I'm a heavy equipment mechanic, so maintenance does not concern me but I don't wish to be the sucker that picks out a dud.

Living in Maine the truck will see mostly gravel roads and snow with occasional road trips to Virginia. I'm not planning huge lifts or hard core wheeling, just family camping.

 

[Pilotamis]

I'll be following this. I was set on a Frontier until I went shopping and found 2 CC LB's that I liked. 1 had a lot of rust under if for a truck that was only 4 years old. I read somewhere that is a major issue with them to the point of service recalls. Good luck.

 

[DVexile]

Maine + Tacoma = likely totally rusted through frame that will eventually fail or fail to pass inspection unless already replaced by Toyota under a recall.

Honestly, I would not purchase any used Tacoma in the NE unless it has already had its frame replaced under the Toyota recall. They are trying some half-assed "corrosion resistant compound" on some trucks but that is just delaying the inevitable and letting them wash their hands of it cheaper. Definitely read all the frame recall threads over on Tacoma World to make sure you understand the problem and what to look for and avoid before purchasing any Tacoma more than a few years old any place that has a real winter.

Issue affects both 1st and 2nd gens. They've said it was "fixed" more than once only to then later expand the range of years covered by the recall.

 

[1MK]

Buying new or used?

If used, what years.?

TRD package depends on what you want out of it and what your plans are.

 

[SSF556]

Thorough inspection of the frame would be #1....May be tough to find a non rusted frame in Maine....might want to look at the SE or SW USA.

 

[CountryHandyMan]

OK, thanks for the input so far. New is out of my budget, I've heard '05 and up are better so that's what I'm thinking, I'm strongly considering buying out of state, Virginia specifically as I have some family down there. I just looked a an '07 at a dealer in "good shape" and was peeling rust flakes off everything.

Aside from rust, my concerns are mechanical. Is there a horrible engine to avoid? A tranny known for slipping? (Auto is a must as the missus wants to drive too) Is the TRD E-locker worth a dang?

 

[1MK]

Some of the 2005 4.0 V6's experience head gasket failures. Toyota made a design change that remedied the problem from 2006 up. Other then that they are all the same (engine, trans, running gear).

Transmissions are near bulletproof.

The rear locker works great and is tried and true. There is a mod out there that you can engage it without being in 4wd. I use this more often then the 4wd.

FWIW, I run a Independent Toyota shop in Southern California so I know these trucks inside and out. If you have any other questions, let me know and I'll be happy to help.

 

[amo292]

I wouldn't be too worried about buying a used Taco up here in New England. Most the trucks in this area have already had a full frame replacement so you are good to go. If you check out craigslist you will find most disclose that in the initial title. Definitely be aware of the issue though. If you find a nice truck that hasn't been done yet take down the vin and call toyota up to see if they will still take care of it. They say they aren't doing it anymore but my dealer near me is still flat out changing them. Good luck with your search!

 

[DVexile]

I'd probably skip the '05 just because it had first model year problems. Maybe target an '06 or '07. Virginia is going to be awful for rust, they use salt all the time and then the temperatures are high enough to promote very rapid corrosion if the undercarriage isn't washed promptly. I live in MD and over here they use magnesium salts these days which corrodes way faster than good old NaCl does. I think VA does the same.

There should be plenty of Tacomas driving around with new frames up in your neck of the woods. I'd be plenty happy to buy a used Tacoma in the NE if it just had its frame replaced! So don't rule out buying locally, but just know you should only buy one with a new frame. It is much easier to buy a used vehicle locally of course.

Otherwise mechanically they are pretty darn bullet proof. Really the engines and transmissions have not had problems. The frames rust as mentioned. People often end up with various drive line vibrations that are just annoying rather than a real problem - and most of those have inexpensive fixes if you care about it and take some time to track down where the vibration is coming from.

 

[marathonracer]

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a truck that had the frame replaced. Toyota replaced the frame on my 03 Tacoma along with quite the laundry list of other parts. If you are interested in 2nd gens then you won't need to worry about the timing belt. One thing to look for on a truck with a frame replacement is the rear diff. Toyota rears are different they don't have a removable cover and the housing is very thin. Since these were not replaced on the recall look for pin holes or just a wet looking rear. Also look for signs that this has been patched (I did mine with jb weld and a grinder).

The elocker won't let you down especially in the snow (make sure it still works an is not damaged BC of corrosion). As stated above a simple snip of a wire in the harness will allow you to engage it whenever. If you don't have plans for air lockers then buying a TRD for the locker is worth it. Other than that the benefits aren't that great just go for an SR5.

I have a special place in my heart for 1st gen tacomas. Very narrow so they can fit down any alder chocked road with ease but they are far more comfortable than a jeep on the higher speed roads (think realty road or pinkam rd). I had 33 10.5 km2s on it and it simply was an amazing truck for both the pavement and the woods. Only reason I sold it was we needed more room for kiddos. We have a double cab 1st gen tundra now (06 last year before they got fat) get taround the same gas mileage with the v8 as I did with the 6. Its a comfy truck but loooong. For us the tundra works well (way more room for the snow machine).

 

[CountryHandyMan]

Lots of good info, thanks folks, and yes Marathonracer the pinkham road is a serious hand full in a lifted, locked, overloaded TJ

 

[DaVikes]

As others have said, the 4.0 / auto are very solid. Things to look out for: The carrier bearings fail prematurely, and the rear driveline can cause vibrations that are a headache to solve. Front wheel bearings last a long time with stock wheels/tires, but if the truck has run large and heavy wheels and tires, the bearings fail sooner. Both of mine were shot at 50k. Overall, I think the Tacoma's are very reliable. As long as you find a well maintained truck, you should get a lot of miles out of it.

 

[marathonracer]

Lots of good info, thanks folks, and yes Marathonracer the pinkham road is a serious hand full in a lifted, locked, overloaded TJ

Used to have a tj myself on swampers...and only a soft top...DUST There's something to be said about a rig that can do both the higher speed running and still go up a twitch road or a winter road. Good luck.

 

[CountryHandyMan]

The dreaded Allagash dust. I used to use pantyhose as a pre filter on my K&N. Now I use the AEM dry flo filters, just tap it clean at camp each night.

DaVikes, good to know about the carrier bearings, drive line vibrations drive me nuts. I don't currently plan a big wheel/tire combo, I believe 265/75/16 or similar will suit me fine, but then again we all know how plans go.

 

[marathonracer]

I think there were some cracked motor mount issues on a few of the 05s and failed rear ends if I recall (at one time there was a list on ttora of members with failed rears in 2nd gens) but I think that was an isolated issue to the first model years of the new generation.

"I'm just going to put 265 75s on it and be done..." Famous last words in my household...