Problems to look for on used Tacomas

[funkendrenchman]

Looking to sell the WRX and get a pickup. What are the problems that start appearing on late 90s Tacomas with 120,000-150,000 miles?

[Orange Julius]

Possible starter motor contact problems. Key will turn but nothing happens for a few seconds.

Leaking shocks (non TRD models).

Worn timing belt (V6 engine).

Squeaky clutch pedal due to pedal bushing wearing out.

Really, not much to go wrong with these guys. I have a 98 I4 w/ 155k and no major issues at all.

[dirtybryan]

5 have a friend with an old tacoma, unsure of miles and year but he definitely has that starter problem. He doesn 't want to pay to fix it since he is leaving for college soon, but it took him like 10 minutes to start his truck the other night.

[Orange Julius]

If he has the 4 cylinder he can reach through the left wheel well and undo the battery connection to the starter motor. Clean off the contacts with some simple green or similar and wrench back on. This fixed it for me w/o taking the starter motor out (a major pain in the ass) and taking it apart to replace the internal contacts. Worth a shot to avoid removing that sucker.

I don't know how hard it is to do this with the V6 engine.

I would definitely look to get a V6 if you are in the tacoma market. The 4 is the classic famous reliable engine but I find I'm always stomping on the gas and downshifting to keep up so any gas savings are out of there.

[dirtybryan]

I think its a v6. I drove it once and it definitely had some get up and go. I'll have to ask him.

[Alkasquawlik]

I just sold my '99 taco and bought a '02 Tundra.

My problems were a cracked exhaust manifold, dead starter (very typical), some small electrical problems (like dash board lights not turning off and/or never turning on (taco's are known for these types of elec problems), body rust and dents (they attract dents like coke to hookers), alignment (check for uneven tire wear). Other than that the thing treated me awesomely, never broke down, got me were I always needed to go and drove wonderfully. I'd recommend toyotas to anyone.

[Orange Julius]

A few other things I thought of:

Take a peek at the front differential skid plate for off-roadin' action.

Tacomas look great with 32-33" tires. Unfortunately a lot of people size up and get a small body lift to avoid rub w/o regearing (expensive) so the drivetrain and engine get worked. I pity those guys with the 4 cylinders running 31" or larger.

Custom wheels often have an offset that puts the tires outside the wheel wells. This looks nice, but if you don't have the $300 fender flares (come stock on newer tacomas), the paint takes a beating right around the wheel well.

[mntlion]

your a canuk too right?

might want to look at some of the right hand drive, deisel trucks.

you can get a 91' 3L 4 door, 4WD, now....

[cooltsi]

The starter problem is more than a Tacoma problem, been through several on my Landcruiser as well. $20 worth of parts to fix them once you pull the starter though. Contacts and the plunger build up and don't make good contact over time. I have pictures of the guts if anyone is interested.

[lemon boy]

Looking to sell the WRX and get a pickup. What are the problems that start appearing on late 90s Tacomas with 120,000-150,000 miles?

Soul crushing conformity?
Difficulty finding where you parked it in a field of tacos?

of course...you should be used to those problems driving a suby so...not many problems I can think of otherwise! Have fun man! are you moving to RFV?

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

Keeping them aligned/tire wear is pretty much the main problem. New ball joints after 100K or so can help significantly. It's something that's often overlooked, especially they don't usually show any external signs of wear.

I've seen more than a few 2&3RZ's with the cracked manifold issue, as well as starter issues. Again, though - pretty much expectable on any 150K+ vehicle.

I would definitely recommend the 4 cyl over the v6 as far as reliability and maintenance issues go. Especially when you begin to approach the 200K range. A non-TRD 4X4 3RZ with a decent regear ($4-500) is almost as quick as the v6 with virtually none of the headahces. Expect 24-25 mpg if you stay on top of routine maintenance, so there is a definite savings there as well.

[BeanDip4All]

Tacomas look great with 32-33" tires. Unfortunately a lot of people size up and get a small body lift to avoid rub w/o regearing (expensive) so the drivetrain and engine get worked. I pity those guys with the 4 cylinders running 31" or larger.

You can just lower your gears to avoid this problem. I'm running 6" of lift on 34s and have a 4banger... still has plenty of sack.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned rot yet.

I'll also second the alignment... I've had problems with that consistantly.

[funkendrenchman]

Soul crushing conformity?
Difficulty finding where you parked it in a field of tacos?

of course...you should be used to those problems driving a suby so...not many problems I can think of otherwise! Have fun man! are you moving to RFV?

Thanks for the advise guys. I'm looking to switch to save some money on car payments, have a better shuttle vehicle, to tow things and to get more ability to offroad.

Yup... Aspen.

[Flake]

http://tacomaterritory.com/
A good forum for all things tacoma.

[1000-oaks]

Taco auto transmissions (V6) sometimes "buck" when you're sitting at a stop light with your foot on the brake, almost feels like someone hit you from behind. My GF knows a few Taco owners that have experienced this. Also, some have intermittent AC problems.


My GF finally traded hers in for a 4Runner after the dealer told her nothing was wrong with it a half dozen times. The other Toyota dealer that took it in trade specifically asked if the AC has any problems (as if they knew it was a common issue); she told them the other dealer said it worked perfectly - and it did that day. And it only had about 20K miles.

Other than a constant "low tire pressure" light, the 4Runner has been flawless and now has over 30K miles.

[kidwoo]

Dirty mass air flow sensor making it run like crap, especially before warmed up, easy fix, don't buy a new one.

Alignment/shock problems as mentioned.

Wierd dash electrical things like mentioned.

Broken parking brake cable (seems common among my friends, as well as mine)

No starter or exhaust problems on my 99 with 175k.

[BLOOD SWEAT STEEL]

Dirty mass air flow sensor making it run like crap, especially before warmed up, easy fix, don't buy a new one.

True. Little electrical contact cleaner will have it good as new. Taco's are very picky about air filters & overall MAF cleanliness.

Be conscious of your K&N or Amsoil filter, the filter oil combined with a dusty environment will muddy up the MAF in no time.

[daPig]

I'm on the verge of buying a 2001 Taco with 95K on it. I'm taking it over to BobMc for a thorough look before I start talking money with the dealer. This information is very helpful, I have printed a list of things spacific things to check out. Thanks!