Country girl wanting a Tacoma

http://columbiamo.craigslist.org/cto/5524598685.html

 

It sucks when what you want ain't always what you need.. I love the way that truck looks, but it did drive rough and had that shake. Along with more miles than id like. I do wish he'd take less but he's firm on 13,500.

 

There will be another one.

Dont know how dooable it is but you might consider upping your budge cus 13k is really not enough to get into a clean good used 2nd gen tacoma.

 

If it is truly highway miles those are the best kind. If it was a farm truck then I would pass.

 

I don't want to sound like an a-holes AND it is NOT directed towards you of course, but if he is "firm" about his asking price KNOWING it has shakes AT speed, then I would suggest to WAIT!!! Just doesn't sit well with me that he won't come down in price knowing certain things about the\his truck Just my humble opinion

 

The seller is about $1k over KBB for your area. He's probably trying to price in the new tires, bull bar, and lift. Personally, I'd pass.

If you're looking at trucks in the 150k+ range, I would make sure they are stock and have well documented maintenance records. Tacomas are generally very reliable vehicles at high mileage when properly maintained, but a poorly maintained, high mileage Tacoma will not be.

As has already been stated; second gen Tacomas are notorious for frame rust. Check for rust throughout the frame, but especially toward the firewall where the boxed portion of the frame meets the open portion (you'll see when you crawl under). Remember, the further north into the snow belt you go, the worse the frame rust will be.

 

Just looked up the private party values on KBB, based on the listing info think this falls under "Good" possibly "fair" condition.
Plus the seller says "Good" condition in the ad so you might be able to use this as leverage when negotiating since "Good" KBB is in the 12k range.
Based on Condition and a random missouri zip.
13,911 Excellent
13,082 Very Good
12,334 Good
11,395 Fair

 

If the truck rode rough and he won't come down on price I would just walk away. I think you may also have a hard time finding a truck in your price range with low miles. 200k+ would be a deal breaker for me. If you haven't already, I would check KBB and other similar websites for prices you can use for haggling. I also think you should be able to find what you need here in Missouri, or Arkansas. Springfield is a pretty big area, and is 2-3 hours away from a lot of places to buy cars. The lake has more dealerships per capita than the rest of the state.

As much as you may not want to get involved with a dealership, you may stop by and see if they have trade-ins on the lot, or talk to someone about looking at some before they go to auction. They may not give you the time of day if you won't buy something new though, or try and talk you into a lease. I had a decent experience dealing with the dealer there at Sunshine and 65. There are also dealers in Marshfield, Warrensburg, Jeff City and Columbia.

Just my .02. Also, if you aren't using search tempest for your craigslist searches, you should. It is much easier.

 

I would definitely pass on this. There is no point buying a car that may already have a problem. Even though the truck itself may be close to your budget, the solution to your problem could end up being very costly and far exceeding your budget. Furthermore, Toyotas last forever, but I would be weary about spending that much on a truck with over 200k miles. I would check around for some Tacos in the 2005-2008 model years. I think you can find a good deal, around your budget, with half the miles.

 

Just another few tips: Id avoid the trucks from the north. It snows a lot more, therefore there's a bigger chance of rust. Also looking at that craigslist ad, it seems to be a farm truck. Farm trucks are usually worked hard. One last thing, it might just be me, but I get worried if anything on the truck is covered. Seat covers usually means that there are tears or rips in the seat. Which means he likely didn't care about the truck. Or it could be that they just liked the cheap camo seat covers and there's no problems. who knows. But even looking at the camo wrap or sticker or whatever that is on the bottom part of the truck, I'd be worried if the sellers just trying to cover rust.

 

Welcome to TW!! Looking at the pics you have good taste in trucks! Its a very nice looking tacoma but you really want to make sure it's going to be a reliable one. I have a 2015 2nd gen that I bought brand new and it has always had the same tick. It's normal for these trucks as everyone has mentioned already. I would be a little concerned with the shaking though. Could be something as easy as an unbalanced tire or it could be an issue with the lift, or drivetrain. If you know anyone in the automotive world I would take it to them and let them give it a once over. A 2nd opinion never hurts. You'll have to check out the 400,000 mile thread on here. The tacos will deliver if they are maintained. Best of luck! Hope to see you in a Tacoma before long! Keep us posted

 

Wait for a better deal! Too high price for mileage and age IMO. Any rust ? Walk away regardless of price, again IMO

 

Pro tip: don't go north to buy vehicles. North is where body/frame rust is born. Salt, moisture, they corrode everything from wiring to nut/bolt interfaces. Look for Texas (west of Dallas), New Mexico, Utah, AZ, etc. Do NOT go to Michigan or the NE to buy well-used vehicles.

Pro tip 2: at your price range, don't buy a heavily modded truck. No lifts, stock tire/wheel size. As somebody mentioned, the seller you're looking at is probably hoping to be compensated for his mods. That's not the way KBB or banks (or smart shoppers) look at it. The vehicle is worth what it would be stock, in the condition with the miles it has.

My $.02

 

I looked the truck over and crawled underneath, didnt see any rust. What would be a decent offer for this truck?

 

if you have 13k cash that's a great down payment, and it might be worth it to you to take out a loan and get a more reliable/newer/nicer car for a small payment. you're going to spend 13k on a car with 200k miles that's going to need work i'm sure, might cost you more than a monthly payment with what you need to put into it. but you'll never get that kind of money back out of it when you go to sell it with that many miles already

 

Don't do it. You'll regret it.

 

I'd like to see how long guys trucks around here are lasting before expensive things start to go wrong. I usually assume a truck will last 250-300k before you start to run into more expensive issues.
When you say you want a truck to last you a long time, what does that mean? Unless you drive very low miles, a truck with already 200K won't last you all that long without having to put $$$ in it.

I'd personally go for something younger. I'd go around a 2010+ because of frame issues.

 

Maybe the cost of lunch?