Toyota Tacoma Experience

What year Tacoma are you looking at? Here's some potentially helpful research resources:

Toyota Nation

Tundra Solutions

W.E.BGood wrote:
What year Tacoma are you looking at? Here's some potentially helpful research resources:

Toyota Nation

Tundra Solutions

Thanks! Probably looking at an 09 and up model.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

My parents have a 06' that they purchased new, they love it. I really enjoy driving it, definitely feels rugged and well made.

A V6 Tacoma is a great choice for a pup and even a smaller hybrid or travel trailer.

I know the current generation of FJ Cruisers, 4Runners and Tacomas pretty well and they arent really known for major issues.

The motor and trans was used in all of them along with the front suspension.

Look for a long bed double cab. The extra length overall isnt really that noticeable in everyday use but the shorter bed is useless.

Have a 2012 Tacoma pulling a 2012 Starcraft Hybrid. 3000 lbs dry. Pulls great. Have a WDH and Anti Sway. No issues. Rated for around 7400 with about 1350 payload. Love it.

But my son just took it over from us and we just got a 2015 Dodge Durango with 5.7 Hemi. Haven't had a chance to hook it up yet but I know I will miss the truck bed.

Here you go, a useful link that discusses problems with different years of Tacomas and also recalls. This seems to be a good list as if I were interested in buying a used Tacoma, I would check it out and see if the recall has been done and the recall fixed. In the case of problem common to the year you are looking at, see if it has been an issue with the truck you are interested in and if it has surfaced, and then been repaired.


Toyota Tacoma problems and recalls[url=]

Hope this helps.

Les

Here's some more good sites for recalls and TSB's Jeremiah. Good luck.
Recalls & TSB's
AutoMD TSB's

We towed our 24' Surveyor to CO with one. Did fine.

Just don't fool yourself into expecting good mileage. In the last six years we've had 3 Nissan 4 liters; 1 Tacoma 4L; Ford's 4.6 & 5.0. Last two listed got best mpg. All were 4dr 4x4. Expect around 18 as a daily driver.

Ductape wrote:
We towed our 24' Surveyor to CO with one. Did fine.

Just don't fool yourself into expecting good mileage. In the last six years we've had 3 Nissan 4 liters; 1 Tacoma 4L; Ford's 4.6 & 5.0. Last two listed got best mpg. All were 4dr 4x4. Expect around 18 as a daily driver.

Thanks for the experience!

Yea, I'm not really looking for MPG that's great, mostly wanting a truck that fits in my parking garage at work and that fits our lifestyle better. I've had several Rangers and loved every one of them. But none of them Got great MPG.

My favorite was a 4.0 Ranger 4x4 regular cab...that truck got about 16 mpg mixed. That's only about 3 mpg better than my F150 with a 5.4.

Second favorite was a 93 2wd 4 cy 5 speed regular cab...lot of fun to drive, but would t pull the hat off your head. Lol.

I have never owned a Toyota anything...so it's a big change for me if we go Tacoma.

Something. I really appreciate...being able to reach over the side of the bed to access things in the bed. Something I have not been able to do with any of my full size trucks.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

With my 120 something HP '89 Mazda 4wd truck, I towed all the time. Crossing mountain passes may be at slower pace, but the newer trucks have more power than what I drove. I had reasonable mileage when empty with the I4-2600, but my mileage dropped into the single digits when towing more 3500 lbs over the mountains. It was a manual transmission and the clutch and brakes lasted 100K miles towing a 8' flat bed, 16' Scamp fiberglass egg, 16' Coleman pop-up or 20' Challenger boat. After 16 reliable years, I replaced it when I bought a toy hauler and needed something that could tow over 10K lbs.