Japan VIN for manual transmission Tacos?

There is a "chicken tax" for any light truck not made in North America of 25%. It's been in place for decades. It's why we don't have the Hilux for example, or the replacement for the Frontier that other countries have had for years. It's why when Mazda had a small truck, it was a Ford Ranger in disguise. There are other examples of this. That's why the salesman is as full of shit as the ocean is of water.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

For those that question my sanity.

 

My favorite end run around it: http://blog.caranddriver.com/feds-watching-fords-run-around-on-chicken-tax-riles-customs-officials/

 

It used to be I would agree with you, and you also got better mileage. Now with microprocessing, you simply can't beat the computer and the mileage goes to the auto. Also, after trailering a lot with manuals, I would rather sit at hill-light with my foot lightly on the brake and not worry about some idiot pulling up to my bumper or me getting just tired of both feet on the floor after a long light.

Once concern though is if the SHTF and you have to Mad Max this thing. The auto will be useless if the tranny software/electronics fails. One less component you could work around if it fails. That said, the better mileage, the wife, and no manual DCLB made the decision to go auto easy. The auto in mine is fine contrary to other's complaints.

 

Gotta love a car with 20k miles drinking 5 quarts of motor oil between changes and being told that anything less than a quart per 1100 miles is "normal". Used to love Subies until that experience. Never again. Warranty doesn't do anything when it is "normal".

 

If you know how to hypermile you can still be the auto counterparts of vehicles, i have a 6sp forester and my parents have the cvt version forsester that is rated for higher mpg than the mine and if i hypermile i can beat their mileage but normally I drive like a masshole and we still both end up with very relative milage. On you're point about rolling back into someone, newer manuals apply the brake when you let go of it to get to the gas while you're letting up the clutch and then disengages when you start moving forward. Took me some time to get used to it but its pretty cool once you do but i still can hold my car from rolling with the clutch if i need to. I do agree about the DCLB, if i could get a DCLB in stick i would have already bought one. I wish every company was like dodge. If you go on their site you can build a stick shift 2500 anyway you want, granted you'll be at like 60k with a mega cab, leather, long bed, moon roof sport package ect. But atleast they let you do it. Toyota basically says if want to drive stick you must not want anything cool so buzz off.

 

I actually just received a class action law suit in the mail where subaru had to pay for any oil or repairs you needed if your car uses excessive oil. Mine burns about one quart between my 7500 mile oil changes. Im not thrilled about it but its not a deal breaker for me. My parents cvt version doesn't burn any since the cvt keeps the rpms down, im always winding out first and second gear getting on the highway so i burn more. I have found as the engine in breaking in more, currently at 30k, i burn less than it was brand new, guessing the rings set more or something. 5 quarts between changes is definitely not normal and subaru doesnt say it is either, they will say a quart between changes is normal though, it even says it in the manual. God forbid people actually check their dipstick everyonce awhile. Back in the day you'd check your oil every time you gased up, thats why they sell oil at gas stations, now with new technology its not as common to burn much oil but i woudnt not buy another subaru just because i need to check my oil between 7500 mile oil change intervals. If they made the baja still id probably buy one over a tacoma lol, no one can beat subarus awd in the snow and sand. I havent gotten stuck yet.

 

There is for sure a manual double cab ... just hard to find. I had to drive a few hours to get mine but they're out there.

 

My '16 manual was made in Texas ... my 1990 manual "Pickup" had a VIN that started with a "J" and was made in Japan.

 

He was saying double cab long bed which doesnt exist in manual because toyota hates us.

 

Oh gotcha ... I wish I had a long-bed too ... can't sleep in the bed so I had to get a RTT.

 

I got that same paperwork about three weeks ago. F-ing Outback ate a quart every 3k the day it came off the lot and a quart in 2.5k with 57k on the clock when I dumped it on a Toyota dealer. There was no way I was keeping that POS for a single mile past the drivetrain warranty. I've washed my hands of Subaru and not going back.

 

As others have mentioned, because of the chicken tax, no pickup truck from any manufacturer, Toyota included, is built outside of the US.

Domestic brands can't import their own overseas pickups, and import companies must build here. Of course you could pay the tax, but it is so high that it would ruin the ability for the truck to be competitive.

This is a protectionist policy that only applies to pickup trucks - hence why you can buy 4runners that are built in Japan.

So yea, that salesperson is misinformed.

 

Interesting, i had no idea about the chicken tax, no wonder we are so behind the times on trucks here in the US. It basically allowed for American pickups to take control of the market which was fine when the epa didn't care about anything but now that the epa has nerfed the auto market and trucks cant be imported to the US we are stuck with whats here. I guess its good since it forces foreign companies to build trucks here but in the end it hurts the consumer and is a big reason why we don't have a ford ranger, nissan navara or toyota helix here.

 

Don't mean to hijack, but Subaru does say it--
Right from the Subaru TSB (Link - TSB 02-157-14R) for this issue: "As per the Owner’s Manual, engine oil consumption under these conditions may be as high as 1 quart per 1200 miles." Thats ~6+ quarts between 7500 mile changes. Before the class action suit, you had to show at least that to qualify. They made you come in every 1200 miles. Trust me. I didn't qualify. The procedure is all right there in the TSB.

Also, checking your oil has nothing do do with having to spend $30-40 on synthetic oil between changes. Checking is free. Oil consumption is not and anything more than a quart is unacceptable on a new car.

 

Its not going to matter if you have manual or auto if the SHTF. This truck has at least 7 different computer modules that control everything from the engine, transmission, brakes, all the way down to the A/C and lights. There's no way this thing moves an inch if you had to go Mad Max.

 

Agree, but who says the whole electronics fails at once.

 

By "Mad Max" I was thinking EMP ... all electronics fried. I agree, under "normal" circumstances, not having an automatic transmission computer to do the shifting for you would be one less thing to worry about.

 

The only positive to the chicken tax is it keeps light duty truck production in the U.S. If it is ever repealed, light duty production will move out of N. America. Downside is we miss out on some cool trucks.

 

I dont think you'd see it move out, the ones that are already here would stay and we would get to have the option for imports thus making the domestic market have to step their game up since they would actually have some decent competition, the chicken tax just hurts the consumer and helps out the big 3.