Newbie from NJ. Looking to buy a Used Taco

Hello from snowy NJ,

I've been a long time fan of Tacoma's, never owned one, but always loved the look. They always remind me of the 1985 black pickup Marty Mcfly drove in "Back to the Future"

So I just started looking for a used Tacoma and took one for a test drive last night. It is a Toyota Certified 2006 V6 4.0L 4X4 SR5 and what I believe, is an Access Cab (has a flip open door on the drivers side) with 49,000 miles. Exterior looks to be in great shape, no noticeable leaks underneath, runs smooth. It's been on the dealers lot for about a month and they are asking $19,500

I plan to occasionally use it for every day driving and then a few times a year for camping and fishing. I'm not looking to go 4 Wheeling with it, but definitely want the 4X4 for heavy snow and pulling my small boat out of slippery boat ramps if needed. My daily driver is a 2004 Mini Cooper S.

So my question to all you Tacoma lovers out there, what are the known common problems with the 06's that I should look out for and check on my next test drive?

Thanks,
Rob

 

I forgot to mention some of the features of the truck:
Truck Bed Rail Tie Down System
Tow Package
Pre-Wired XM Radio Antenna from Previous Owner
SR5 Package
Full Size Spare
and more I'm sure I'm missing

 

The first thing you will notice with the truck and after looking at the Mods and Tutorials section here, is that the truck will want you to starting adding modifications, which will make it happy........for awhile.....and then more mods will be expected to keep your truck smiling.

I really can't tell you anything about the '06 truck, but I have the '10 and I love it...although it is underpowered compared to the one you'e considering.

Welcome to TW and good luck with your purchase!

 

Ohhh I know about MOD's...I've spent countless hours installing mod's to my Mini Cooper. Everything from Engine Upgrades to Interior to custom LED lighting.

I've defiantly done my part to stimulate the economy...

 

I see that the truck has the OEM step bars too! I am not exactly sure, but I think that is a pretty good deal, although in my search for a new vehicle, I found that used Tacomas were priced all over the place. And I drove everything with every option out there with the exception of the rare V6 with a 5spd MT.
You will get some better responses from members who probablyl have the same truck you do....as I can't speak to the 4.0 and the 6spd tranny.

The truck looks pretty clean!

 

HellO Robert!


Welcome to the forum!!! Enjoy

 

Well, took the truck for another test drive tonight and a more detailed inspection.
- Body Lines of the truck - Nice and Straight, no singes of previous collision
- No visible leaks from the engine from above, underneath and from side views through the wheel wells
- No leaks from the transmission or rear transfer case
- Exhaust look good
- Oil nice and clean, oil cap has a little sign of condensation, but from what I read this is normal.
- Transmission Fluid, clean
- Coolant, nice and clean, no sign of oil
- Transmission shifts nice a smooth when switching between gears while stopped and under hard acceleration
- 4X4 4H mode engages smoothly while driving, under 45MPH of course. While stopped 4L engages with no problems.
- Alignment is good while accelerating, Cruising and Breaking

Worked with the sales guy for a little bit and got him to drop the $900 dealer prep cost and still working on the asking price. Was looking at an extended warranty and haggled the GM from the 2K asking price for the 7 year/100,000 mile certified bumper to bumper warranty to $895. For now I am letting them sit for a day and will go back with a counter offer letter from my bank to see if they bite. We'll see........now time to check out the Mods section of Tacoma World....

-ROB-

 

Just picked her up a few hours ago. Hmmm what will the first mod be?????

 

congrats!!!
I would suggest the hose clamp mod... That one was certainly was within my skill level :]

 

Thanks

Yeah I was reading the post about that. I'm stopping at WalMart tonight since I have to fly out of Newark Airport on Monday morning and that's not the most secure place.