? for Toyo Taco owners

[xboat]

sorry for the NSR post, but i know there are quite a few taco owners on this board that could help me, thanks in advance.

so i finally broke down and spent some hard earned money and bought a new to me truck. i had been looking for a tacoma x-cab 4x4 for a while now and finally stumbled upon a deal i couldn't pass up. a buddy works at the toyota dealer and called me as soon as he took this thing in on trade. '98 tacoma, x-cab, 4x4, V6, automatic, limited package, dark green, sunroof, sliding rear window, matching lockable tanaue (sp?) cover, cd, power everything, keyless entry, nerf bars, 7k miles on sweet tires, tow package - the thing is freaking almost too clean. get this..... only 45,000 miles!!! i would think that you would almost have to try really hard to only put that many miles on a truck in seven years. i'm pretty stoked.

my question is, what should i keep an eye on with this truck. any known problems to look out for? i think i found a good truck but was hoping for first hand experiences. the dealership put a new water pump on it this week and other than that all service was done at the dealership, including oil changes.

[Lane Meyer]

It's "tonneau," by the way.....

I bought a '96 with 103k in July, and the only thing that went wrong (so far)was that I had to replace the starter, which I did myself. Toyota starters typically go at right around 100k miles, I've heard of many similar stories. Other than that, change the oil, check the fluids, and you sould be good to go for a long time, especially with only 45k miles on a 98. I've heard of clutches going at around 130-150k, but it all depends on wear and tear.

Prior to me buying mine, the dealer replaced:
*battery
*tires
*brakes
*bedliner
*all fluids

[Superstar Punani]

I love my Toy Taco almost as much as I love pink tacos.

Mine's a '99 V6 4WD TuRD that I've had since new. Currently have 186,000 miles on it and apart from regular maintenance I haven't had too much shit happen to it.

No known problems for the 98/99 models. Here's a list of shit I've done to it.

0-90k miles:
Regular maintenance (Oil changed every 5000 miles)
Major maintenance every 15/30k miles ($175-$300)

90k miles
Timing Belt and Water pump - around $500
New Good Years - $750

90-180k miles
Regular maintenance (Oil changed every 5000 miles)
Major maintenance every 15/30k miles ($175-$300)

180k miles: Got assfucked to the tune of $1400
Bunch of preventative shit
Timing Belt, cam seals, fanbelt pulleys, brakes, etc,
New BFG All Terrain KOs-$550

181k miles:
Launching Bullitt style airs off steep SF steeet kickers, led to an Exxon Valdez oil spill. Turns out it was warrantied from the previous $1400 assfucking I got.

IMHO If you can find a good stealership and get it serviced and assfucked by them regularly, you won't be paying any more than an independent mechanic (unless you have a brobrah hookup), plus they usually warranty their shit and hook you up with discounts so it works out okay in the long run.

[The Reverend Floater]

98 Taco with 80K miles on it.

Not a damned thing wrong with it, other than getting the starter fixed. Not a penny more, though, and I am HARD on this truck. The things are indestructable (knock on wood).

[Viva]

My first Taco (new 2001 PreRunner) was 2 months old when I lost control on a logging road near Mt. Adams and ended up off road in the trees. The front end was punched in very badly, yet, after being pulled out by a bunch of drunken rednecks, I was able to drive back to Portland at highway speed. Frame was not bent, steering was fine, etc. Still, it was >10K in repairs and it was in the dealer shop for over a month.

My current rig is a used 2002 4 cyl auto 4X4. It now has about 50K on it with no problems at all.

Make sure that you have a new battery. If it's over three years old, get the dealer to replace, if possible. They should also give you a deal on flushing the brake and cooling systems and replacing the fluids. Ask for new wiper blades, too. The Taco floormats are shit. Replace with heavy duty rubber jobbys. when you test drive, make sure that the vehicle goes into and out of FWD easily. Check for rust around the passenger side (peel back carpet if you can) There was a time when this was a problem. Listen carefully for under the dash rattles- this is also a problem in some Tacos. Get a couple of 50-50 pound bags of sand and keep in the bed near the back. You'll need more weight there.

[lemon boy]

okay, I had to fucking laugh at this:

Get a couple of 50-50 pound bags of sand and keep in the bed near the back. You'll need more weight there.

In what kind of fucking pussy ass truck does two 50# bags of sand make a difference?

Don't forget to put a case of boones farm back there, apparently you'll need it.

xboat: Sounds like a good truck to me. Toyo does build some very nice light trucks and everyone that I've known who has one absolutely beats on em and they just run and run and run. Only bummer is its a slushbox

[The Reverend Floater]

okay, I had to fucking laugh at this:



In what kind of fucking pussy ass truck does two 50# bags of sand make a difference?

Don't forget to put a case of boones farm back there, apparently you'll need it.

xboat: Sounds like a good truck to me. Toyo does build some very nice light trucks and everyone that I've known who has one absolutely beats on em and they just run and run and run. Only bummer is its a slushbox

Easy, redneck. How much cash you poured into your Ford?

[Viva]

In what kind of fucking pussy ass truck does two 50# bags of sand make a difference?

In my case, I already have a lid on mine, so that's, what 150-200 lbs? Add an additional 120 lbs to that and it'll make a difference.

Xboat's rig has a Tonneau, so I don't think he needs too much additional
weight.

[lemon boy]

Rev: A BUNCH Baby!

With high performance comes high maintenance Actually, now that I'm thinking about it and looking at SP's list, probably about the same as him cause I don't EVER HAVE TO GET A TUNE-UP. But oil changes are expensive (15qts).

Viva- easy up there buckko. and 4wd taco? why weight it, it will do fine without.

[Big Tim]

45,000??? give it another 100,000 then ask. Should be a long lasting relationship.

[MOHSHSIHd]

love me taco, love it...

[hucksquaw]

dude, its a toyota. drive the shit out of that thing and talk to us again when you have 500,000 miles on it..

[lostboy505]

I broke leaf springs in mine until I had it resprung with heavier leaves. But then I do abuse the shit out of it. I spend three and a bit months a year as a hunting guide driving large mileage (ave. 450 km per day) beating the crap out of my trucks on logging roads (and what once were roads). No complaints other than that. Best trucks going in my mind as long as you don't need to tow a big boat or pack a camper.

[rippin]

[QUOTE=lemon boy]okay, I had to fucking laugh at this:



In what kind of fucking pussy ass truck does two 50# bags of sand make a difference?

QUOTE]

It makes a huge difference believe it or not. It gives you more traction on icy roads but I put four 50# bags in the back of mine.

[MOHSHSIHd]

well my cap probably weighs like 150 and i probably have about 50-100 pounds of gear in the bed at all times anyway...


and 4wd is a big plus...

[lemon boy]

It makes a huge difference believe it or not. It gives you more traction on icy roads but I put four 50# bags in the back of mine.

[bagtagley]

With that few miles, you should have little to worry about. The only thing I'd watch for is play or looseness in the steering. Early model Tacos had some issues w/ the steering rack.

[descender]

98 Taco with 80K. I had to replace the water pump, but I am an asshole and I break everything.

[Todd Zander]

sorry for the NSR post, but i know there are quite a few taco owners on this board that could help me, thanks in advance.

so i finally broke down and spent some hard earned money and bought a new to me truck. i had been looking for a tacoma x-cab 4x4 for a while now and finally stumbled upon a deal i couldn't pass up. a buddy works at the toyota dealer and called me as soon as he took this thing in on trade. '98 tacoma, x-cab, 4x4, V6, automatic, limited package, dark green, sunroof, sliding rear window, matching lockable tanaue (sp?) cover, cd, power everything, keyless entry, nerf bars, 7k miles on sweet tires, tow package - the thing is freaking almost too clean. get this..... only 45,000 miles!!! i would think that you would almost have to try really hard to only put that many miles on a truck in seven years. i'm pretty stoked.

my question is, what should i keep an eye on with this truck. any known problems to look out for? i think i found a good truck but was hoping for first hand experiences. the dealership put a new water pump on it this week and other than that all service was done at the dealership, including oil changes.

how did your taco do over the years?

[ill-advised strategy]

Around here those trucks die of frame rust well before the mechanical service life is used up. I wish I had taken a picture of the mountain of tacoma frames behind the old Toyota dealership before they moved to a new location. It was epic.

Every year, a few times a year you can find a flawlessly-running older taco for ~$1000 on craigslist with sketchy frame rust.

[snowaddict91]

Even around here you see yotas with frame rust issues occasionally.

[XXX-er]

they replace the frames on warranty, ask Angle Parking what he thinks about the rusty frame on his Taco ?

They covered the head gasskettes on my 90 4runer in 1997

shit happens .. its all about how you handle it

[Todd Zander]

98 manual with 140k. the original frame is 8/10 easily.

[Name Redacted]

98 manual with 140k. the original frame is 8/10 easily.

Damn, that thing is worth some money. Not really but is it the 4 cylinder? Buddy of mine had that exact truck in a 4.

I had the 98 extended w/ a 6 manual, bought it at 80k, sold it at 280k w/ only mild body rust, no frame rust, got it checked. Bought a Ford and it was a big mistake. Now I'm back in a 2020 Taco and I searched out a manual. Pretty stoked on it. No rust yet.

[Ottime]

how did your taco do over the years?

I'm still running my '97 around with 360k on it. I don't take it far out of town much anymore but it gets me to the hardware store, nursery, dump and surf.