Why are there so many haters for Tacomas!?

Being a Ford guy for 15 years and a Toyota guy for 6 years my experiences couldn't be any further from yours. My Tacoma is a POS and has only 94k on it. It has so many problems it would take me 15 minutes to type them all.

My 3 Fords on the other hand weren't perfect but had way less issues. I beat the balls off my 89' 5.0 Mustang for 3 years and never had a single issue besides some rear wheel bearings from me doing so many one leggers. I had a 99' Explorer with a 4.0 for over 200k and 10 years. It never had any issues not covered by warranty and got better mileage then my 08' 4.0 Tacoma. Currently while my POS Tacoma is "down" due to mechanical issues I purchased a AWD 97' Explorer with a 5.0 in it. It has 130k on it and gets better gas mileage then my Tacoma and even though it is 12 years older then my Tacoma it has had way less parts replaced on it. My Tacoma will never even make it to even being that old because the POS frame will rust out from under it just like the past 20 years of Toytota trucks has.

Now flame away fan boys.

 

Wow, if your Tacoma is that bad mechanically then why do you keep it and not trade in for another Ford?

Sounds like you got a lemon or something. That's the totally opposite experience that all of my friends and family have had with Toyota vs Ford. My best friend has over 240k miles on his Tacoma right now, bought with just over 100k miles and has never had a single problem with it. It has even had drive line vibes the entire time without a failure.

The frame rust and drive line vibes are really the only weak points that I know of, but if you maintain your frame and put an oil coating on it every year it should be fine and last for as long as you need it to. If you're worried about your frame rusting, have you ever done anything to maintain it?

 

Agree on the older Tacomas (pre TMMTX, pre TMMBC). My 02 xtra cab 4 cyl, 4x2, had alot of problems/pending problems. Engine knocking on startup, dragging front brakes that destroyed the front rotors (normal per toyota), frame rust (not critical and fixed) rear-end noises/whine (even with diff oil changes), cooling fan clutch early failure, poor gas mileage, and an auto trans whine when in reverse), massive rust out on the chrome bumpers, could go on/on.
'Fortunately' a left turner cut me off and did $5k in damage-ins company said it was worth 10,500 at 10 years old, 75 k miles (paid 15900) so no total. I took the $5k, started a bidding war on the wreck, sold it at is for $2600 to a Fla internet dealer) and use the total on my down payment for '12 prerunner.
NUMMI build trucks, as I stated earlier, were a great problem for toyota. They wouldn't admit it though. But the Texas and Baja plants are much more capable of making an AMERICAN (or NORTH AMERICAN) quality vehicle. I'll stand by the quality I've observed so far. ( 2years).

 

At the end of the day its what you use it for. A ton of people around me I serve with all have huge trucks, 2500s turbo diesels and what not. Thing is they don't tow a darn thing. They just want a big truck to have a big truck. My taco is perfect for everything I use it for, and if could handle way more than I put it through.

 

I clearly stated I bought a Ford while my Toyota is down.

I'm not one to give up on anything so I take my time and fix it.

Your buddy had driveline issues the entire time, but yet never had issues?

When you figure out how to oil metal that is laminated together in sheets on a boxed section of frame and rusts out from within let me and everyone else know because all 2nd gens will eventually do this at the front right by the cats.

 

Lets be honest with ourselves, it's all about WHY you're buying the truck. I have had 2 American cars and they both sucked. Since then, all Japanese and only minor issues if any.

If you have a toy hauler, or a 5th wheel, and you're pulling it with a Tacoma? Sorry, but fail. Tacomas are great trucks, reliable, capable, and look good IMO. But work horses they are not.

 

Yes my buddy's Tacoma has had light drive line vibration the entire time he has owned the truck, but no failures related to it or reason to have anything replaced or fixed. He's still driving it at 240k miles with the same light vibration so a non issue in both of our minds.

I think you lost all credibility with this statement. fueleconomy.gov shows lower avg MPG ratings on that year and model Explorer for even a 6cyl 4.0L 2WD model:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/1997_Ford_Explorer.shtml

If your getting less MPG than that in your Tacoma then something is majorly wrong, or you must be running huge mud tires, with a super charger, and heavy on the pedal every where you go. I get 19 MPG AVG consistently in my 4x4 TRD OR DC.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhhVghywSEw

 

And yet you're still here????

Not a fanboy because every vehicle has it's issues but if you choose to keep your POS that is no one's fault but your own. You have no one to blame but yourself. If my truck was as shitty as you say yours is and you keep it you have no sympathy from me.

 

Perfect!

 

No issues with mine on the 11. But... I took care of mine. If you can find any rust I would challenge you.

Picture taken at 30,000 miles on the 11 and drove it in all types of weather from salt to salt water to snow and pretty much everything else you can think of.









If you choose not to take care of it or do "any" type of maintenance / cleaning then yeah... It will rust.






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There probably mad they didn't buy a Tacoma lol. I get shit from my friend who drives a jeep, and his cute little SUV has broken down like 6 times this winter haha.