What to look for when buying!

Hi Guys!

I am looking to buy a Tacoma. I have found a few threads talking about common issues/things to look for, but they mostly talk about first gens so I am hoping you can help me out.

Currently, I am looking into a 2010 TRD with 118000 miles. It is listed for $23,900. I put together a list of specs, what to ask about and look for. Here is my list:

What I believe the drive train is

4.0 liter V-6, 236HP
Six Speed Auto Transmission
4 Wheel Drive
Do all TRDs have a rear locker?

Common Problems
Low speed vibration is a common problem (15-25 MPH)
Cracked rear leaf springs
Also flattening (they looked pretty flat)
Note: If the recall was done there will be four leafs
Paint bubbles

Questions to ask
How many owners?
Know anything about the PO?
Why did they sell it?
What kind of shape was it in when you guys got it?
Did you put the rims, tires, radio etc in or PO?
Oil been changed recently? (possibly ask to change it and look at old oil

I would be buying from a small local dealer.

If I could get some input on this as well as more common problems, questions to ask, things to do or simply advice I would greatly appreciate it. Really anything a newbie needs to know would be great.


Also, some history on me:
My name is Trysten. I am 18 years old and heading off to college (Texas A&M) about two and a half hours away from home. I owned a 2000 Jeep Wrangler (does that make me a traitor?) as my first car, but recently sold it because its not good for long trips (it also had quite a few miles on it). I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about off-roading/wheeling in theory more than practice. My Tacoma would be used to run around town while at college, occasionally move furniture and other stuff, occasionally pull a trailer, and visit home. While I don't do any serious off-roading, I will use it hunting, and enjoy having good off road capability. I am interested in Tacomas because they balance, on-road luxury and gas milage with off road capability as well as towing/hauling and maneuverability. They seem to me to be a good all around vehicle capable of almost anything.

Thanks a lot in advance!!

 

not sure of your location (thinking texas), but FRAME RUST!

 

Frame rust for sure.
In a hot environment the A/C drains onto the frame (pass side I think). Some folks extend the drip line so it doesn't drip on the frame. Can cause rust.

Front Needle Bearing Issues - grinding/vibration through floorboard in the 30-45mph range while accelerating.

 

That price sounds high. I would look for a single owner private party sale. If you're being asked to pay top dollar, then:

• The tires should have a lot of life left on them, and not be low end tires. A good set of all terrain tires will be at least $800 new. If the tires on there now were $500 new or they don't have much life, then you need a discount.
• No cracked CV boots.
• No vibration when braking. Break pads and rotors with plenty of life.
• No dents or scrapes in body.
• Polished paint without oxidation.
• Exhaust system not rattling or leaking.
• Clean interior.
• Belts in good condition.
• Cold A/C
• Hot heat
• Two key fobs
• All windows and door locks functional
• Get a car fax, but know it might not show a wreck.
• Look for signs of a bent frame from a wreck, repaired body, etc.
• Wheels aligned. Doesn't pull on a straight road (road crown can cause some natural drift)
• Balanced tires.
• Even tire wear pattern.

That's all I can think of for now. Negotiate hard. Get the sales person to write down an Out the Door price, O.T.D. and when the finance person and whoever the heck else get their hands on the paperwork, make sure the O.T.D. price is not exceeded. It's 99.9% likely they will try to add fees. Tacoma do move fast, so you may be scared you're going to lose it, but if you feel you're being asked to overpay, walk away and come back a week later to see if it's still there.

 

At that mileage you should ask if/when/or will they 1. Flush the radiator and replace the Toyota lifetime antifreeze (due at 100k) 2. Has the transmission been flushed with WF Fluid (due at 100k) 3. Have the differentials and transfer case fluids been changed (due every 30k but often gets neglected) 4. Has the serpentine belt been changed (start thinking about it after 100k) 5. Are the serpentine idler pulleys ok (they usually start to act up around 100k)6. Does the rear locking differential still work (if not cycled on occasion, they quit working) 7. Is the emergency brake cable working (usually fail around 150+), 8. What do the rear brakes and drums look like (mine went at 125k) 9. If it's super white, it's not shiny any more and you won't fix it unless you paint it. Super white fails in the sun because it's single stage paint 10. Check frame, check brake lines for excessive rust. 11. Make sure that you have no growling indicating a bad hub bearing up front . I lost one at 45k and one at 99k. 12. Check the springs for cracks. A 3 leaf lack indicates stock springs, a 4 leaf lack indicates they had the TSB springs installed. 13. You're probably ready for rear shocks

Just some suggestions having owned my first 06 Tacoma for 175,000 miles. The sell price sound a little strong to me unless it's perfect.

 

To put things in perspective, I purchased a 2012 double cab TRD sport with 58K miles for $23,500. You might find a better deal, or you might not. Depends on how long you can wait for a tacoma

 

It is in Texas so rust SHOULDNT be a big deal, but I will be sure to check well.

 

The tires are in good condition and are on some aftermarket alloy rims. There is also a new stereo deck and new speakers which may be why the price is higher, but when I put it through kelly blue book it came out to a little over 34,000.

I didn't check cv boots, and I have not yet taken it for a test drive, but will be sure to check for all those things.

It did stand out to me being a very clean car. Very good paint, clean interior, and even the undercarriage was nice and black without any mud or scrapes. This could be because the dealership cleaned it up really nice, or could be because the PO took care of it well. That concerns me a bit.

I will also be paying in cash if I do buy, so I won't have to worry about financing and will hopefully have a little extra negotiating power.

Thanks for your help!!

 

Thanks a lot for your help!! I did think about negotiating a full fluid change with spark plugs, and belts included into the deal. This list is a great reference!

 

I really have as long as I need because I don't NEED a vehicle right now. It seems people think this is a bit high, but I ran the kelly blue book price and it came out to $24,000. Is KBB generally high on Tacomas? I tried to find similar vehicles to compare prices but didn't find any. From what I have gathered, not many go for sale in my area and when they do they aren't for sale for long.

 

That's probably why it's so high, is the demand. I bought mine at a BMW dealership in the middle of no where, a week before the end of the year. They hated the idea of a truck in their lot so I scooped it right up for a great price

 

I looked around on a few other websites and it looks like it is a little high. I'm thinking I will go look at it, drive it, and maybe make them an offer less than 20k. I am hoping I can wave some 100 dollar bills under their noses and get them to come down as well as negotiate some maintenance (fluids changed, new belts, and anything else I find wrong). At the very least I will have a baseline when I look at different ones down the road.