2nd gen best and worst years?

This scares the shit outta me. My frame is in great shape though.

 

My pick is my '10. Last month of the Nummi plant production in Calif. It has the extra airbags and maybe the improved frame supplier. I like that it doesn't have the air pump and aiv valves of the later '12+ trucks. Granted, the stereo head unit is awful and the mouse fur on the door panels is absurd, but those are fixable.

 

You can Line-x/rhino line/whatever the composite bed. There's a thread here of a 2nd gen guy who either rhino lined or raptor lined his composite bed. To be honest a bed mat is probably your easiest option. If my bed was scratched to shit I might consider the line-x.

 

Is what I need in a truck, I'll be doing a bit of towing, not a lot but some so a V-6 would be a must. I will be hauling a motorcycle so I'm going to want a long bed. And also because I'll be hauling a motorcycle I'm not going to want much of a lift on it, maybe a leveling kit is pretty much all I'll want that way. I will insist on a Manual transmission so I have full say over when and where it shifts plus I just dont like Automatics at all, and also I want an Access Bed so as to keep the turning radius as short as possible. Other than those things everything else is negotiable. Budget? We shall see on that, currently I am saving up to pay cash for a truck but as the pile grows I'll be looking at later and later models until the finally the right one comes along.

 

I can comment on the 2008 TRD Off Road; had it for a few years.

Keep in mind I live in snow country; where the road conditions for 1/3 of the year are not the best. I also use the best winter snow/ice tires available.

1. The anti-lock brakes were terrible; I believe the Tacoma brakes were updated in 2009-20010 then also later on maybe 20012. That truck would not stop if there was a partial covering of ice on the road. The anti-lock kicked-in and the truck would just float away; NOT that the tires were sliding, they were Not. It seemed that when one tire found a ice patch and I had the brakes depressed; it threw the other 3 wheels into a semi-float.

On the dry pavement you never saw this. It worked fine. Called Toyota several times and they usually blew me off. But one call, an engineer, did confide in me that the ice under one tire could set the braking system into a mode that tried to even out the other 3 wheels to control a skid. Thus limiting the braking force to the other wheels.

Duh!!!

Let me have all 4 wheels braking and I will get it stopped. I understand the newer trucks don't do this.

2. The rear springs both broke between 5K and 7K miles. Which they would NOT fix at that time. Now I believe they are replacing springs, that cost me $$$$.

3. Overhead console stopped working at 4k. I fixed it.

4. Tailgate was so weak in the center, that it started bending after loading a few off road bikes.

 

2012 DCSB 4x4

Only issue has been the annoying clickity clack noise from the brakes when shifting from reverse to forward

 

I think either the 08 or 09 and up has traction control standard.

 

2013 best year of 2012-2015 The only issue I had so far is a burnt out DRL bulb on the driver side. Other then that it's been 60k flawless miles

 

My old 08 did not have it.

 

I have an '08 4 cyl SR-5 Access Cab with an AT. Apart from a noisy rear drum brake at times, the truck has been solid since new for 110,000 miles. I brought it in for the frame inspection (it was fine), but apart from that it has just been tires and normal maintenance. I did add an Alpine stereo to get Bluetooth, USB port, and an auxiliary port and some overload springs to augment tha weak stockers...

 

I bought a new 2015 in August. One of the last of the 2015s. Here is what people aren't considering. I wanted to buy used, but I'd find a let's say 2012 for $25k... and it has 80,000 miles on it. But... but.... for $6.5k more, I could get brand new! With full warranty! I saw this over and over... Or I'd see a 2013 with 38k miles... and not kidding almost the same price as my brand new truck. It drove me crazy. Tacoma's have one of the highest resale values of any vehicle. Which is great if you buy on and sell it 3 or 5 years later. But if you are buying one.... unless you go way back 8-ish years, or well over 100k miles, you might as well buy new. That is where I wound up.

Sorry so long winded. But my point is, it isn't just is a 2013 better than a 2011. You need to consider "what is my best value." And for me, because of the incredibly high resale value of slightly to even moderately used trucks, 2015 was the correct choice. Plus, everyone knows 2015 is the best

 

I have an '06 sitting on a new frame as of Jan this yr. No issues, 80k, everything works. I'm a happy camper.

 

Exactly! I lucked out and had my frame replaced with many other goodies on a 2005. Best of all worlds.

 

'12 and '13 have the best mix of features, but since Toyota builds these things with a lower standard of quality every single year, I'll say '05 was the best of the 2nd gen's.

 

Is there a recognized "BAD" year that has been more problematic than others?

 

wow, more issues on different models than I truly knew about. I have an '05 AC TRD with 152K miles. Other than oil changes (new tires), I have only replaced a front wheel bearing. I am scheduled for the frame replacement, and at that time I will upgrade my struts. I have also never changed serpentine belt, pulleys or water pump....and no noises, no issues. I know I am driving on borrowed time and already have the parts to replace those. So I can't say my 05 is horrible or bad or had issues, when it hasn't. But I know there were many new things added that I would love to have inside the cab from later years. If I was going to a newer 2nd Gen, I think the 2013-2015 would be the ones I would look at first.

 

I recently asked myself the same question, what are the good years. I just got a 12 OffRoad and love it, in part of why I chose this year was because of the feature mixture, but also this, hopefully its useful.

Anyway. This may help you out a bit.

 

I have a 2012. I like the gauge cluster and interior upgrades, the front end looks nicer, it has the better looking LED? Ring tail lights, cool stereo, and the back up camera in the mirror is really nice.

 

I'm glad to hear this, I just bought my 2013 access cab and it had 56k on it when I got it, felt a bit high compared to my typical annual mileage but it was a great deal.

I haven't searched yet, about to do that, but what bed mat is the most recommended/liked around here?