98 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

Hello I am buying my first Toyota Tacoma 4x4 it's a 98 and I was wondering if there is anything I should look out for besides the typical water pump , frame rust and timing belt issues. Also the car has 174000 on it and there asking $7500. Is that to much? The car seems to be in good condition here is the webpage https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ctd/6090148369.html

Any help would be greatly appreciate thank you!

 

Just regular wear and tear items. I would pay 7k for that, just has a little higher miles. I bought mine with 113k for 6.9k

 

I think it's priced right, but some will tell you otherwise, but IMO the number of days it's been for sale is kind of a red flag.

 

It's a Toyota so I wouldn't be too concerned about mileage. It is all about maintenance. Although my 2000 Tacoma has 295,000 miles on it., it runs and drives like new. It's been in the family since new and correctly maintained. A poorly maintained 1000,000 mile Tacoma is worth much less than a 200,000 mile properly maintained Tacoma, in my opinion.

 

Walk up there with 6-6500 cash and I bet that guy takes it

 

Thank you all! I'm going to check it out right now hopefully the frame checks out and there willing to negotiate

 

If you buy it, replace those headlights. Those things look rough.

 

Checked out good exterior/interior few dents, little bit of rust on the frame but not to worried about that and has new leafs. Went 75 easily on the freeway and pick up was nice. I was able to talk him down to $6500 but my only concerns were the ABS light was on and the brake peddle was stiff. Has anyone had any issues with this?

 

Gotta have the codes that the ABS light is throwing. Could be minor or a big expense. @mechanicjon The ad looks like a small time dealer - these guys aren't always the honest type in my book. Possibly a better person to buy from is the original owner of a similar vehicle that's been pampered and meticulously maintained. It may take awhile to find one like that, but it's worth the wait. Can you drive stick or are you set on getting an automatic trans?

 

Get the code(s) read for the ABS light so you can determine the expense and if it needs to be a consideration in price negotiations.

 

Great advise has already been offered here. I'd definately get the ABS codes and find out the deal with that. Also, I'd want to see the carfax or autocheck report. See if the truck has been up north for an extended period of time and look at accident history. Keep us posted. It's cool that the truck has pwr wind/locks.

 

2000 models are notorious for abs issues. You will never have working abs on that truck. There are a handful of systematic issues and to my knowledge no one has ever solved them. That price is astronomical. Is it even 4x4? Non-trd... don't waste your money because you're in a hurry. If you have $8,000 to drop you have plenty of options.

 

It's got a j shifter and manual hubs so.. $8k won't buy you a ton out here, but it will get you a cherry truck if you're patient and get to the truck first...

 

Touché, no offense but you guys are crazy to pay what you do for Tacomas. You could save thousands looking elsewhere and making a trip out of it. That exact same truck here would take a month to sell for under $5,000.

Going through a dealer, a small one especially blows my mind as well. You guys should take a field trip to the actions these people buy their trucks from it's laughable the kind of stuff they are able to cover up.

 

I agree those dealers do some shady stuff and ask the moon for it. But on the flip side it's your job to know what your buying. In the end it's worth what your willing to pay for it.

 

The truck was bought in Iowa and driven up there for 5 years then made its way down to cali the rust on the frame is minor and I probably won't have to worry about it for a couple more years. (They did try to paint over) the car fax checked out and no major problems with the vehicle

 

I'm not set on getting an automatic, been driving stick since I could drive just thought I'd try and automatic trans. I've been looking for a while and it's hard to find a 4x4 v6 around where I live. Probably gonna take a mechanic with me to have the car checked, but definitely gonna keep my eyes open for other tacos

 

It's v6 4x4 witch is sorda hard to find around here in good condition. If there is nothing major with the ABS should I even mess with it?

 

Agree with all of the above.

When I bought my Tacoma a few weeks ago I did a bunch of research. I layed down on my back under the truck with a flashlight looking for rust. You will be able to see things that the cleanup shop missed.

Definately have the truck looked at by a mechanic. You want to know what your facing down the road. I have had my eye out for a good cleanTacoma for well over a year and in the end I drove 200 miles from Alabama to TN to look at the truck I purchased. I paid $6500 for my 1 owner truck with 289K on it no regrets. I'm very particular and condition(mechanical and physical) is much more important than miles IMO.

 

I would strongly advise a scan tool that does more than just checks for codes, pending codes are an issue as well as smog readyness. If she is not smog ready that means that the codes were cleared to turn off the CEL (Check Engine Light) so that they can sell her and say "The CEL wasnt on when we sold it to you!" Sometimes when the Catalytic Convertor is marginal it will take 100 miles for the system to see that something isnt quite right and turn the light on.
I recommend Blue Driver. It fits in your pocket and on the test drive you can plug her in when you are by yourself and check the COMPLETE system and monitor the opperation of the O2 sensors and fuel trim(s)... lots can be learned from watching how the o2 sensors react. I am sure that there are other pocket OBDII devices out there I just dont have any experience with them.