Help with decision

I'm at a decision point and I think the TacomaWorld community has the experience to help.

My truck needs about $2000 worth of service. Should I say goodbye to my first Tacoma and buy a brand new Tacoma or eat the cost and repair old blue?

Details:
-I own a 2005 Tacoma with the higher end TRD package
-It has about 97,000 miles on it
-In 2015 it received a new frame
-It supposedly needs the fuel pump replaced (quoted $900 for parts and labor)
-It also needs a new A/C compressor (quoted $1000 for refurbished parts and labor)
-Before these repairs were needed, dealership estimated $10K trade in value

I appreciate anyone's advice. Thank you in advance fellow Tacoma owners.

-AliasTacoma

 

why would you spend like 20k when theres nothing really wrong with ur current truck

 

Well I guess I was looking at the fact that I need 20% of the truck's value in repairs and don't know what's needed in future.

 

If it's still running, how do you know it needs a fuel pump? If it does indeed need a fuel pump, invite 3 buddies over for a BBQ. Have them help you pull the bed off and replace the pump yourself.

As for the AC, take it to an independent repair shop that specializes in AC and have them fix it.

Keep the truck and spend the money you saved by not having car payments, and mod the hell out of it.

 

If you can fix it yourself the parts are probably around $500. I'm sure there are write-ups on TW on both of those

 

97,000 miles..really? If you don’t drive that to near 300,000 or more something is wrong! I am sure you would be happier selling to someone on here than trading to the dealer with those miles and a newer frame...but I wouldn’t let it go..

 

Let's do some math. I am assuming the truck is paid for so, $2,000 to fix the truck paying stealership prices (you can do much better by going elsewhere) vs $500 ish/month/5 years in new truck payments. You are miles ahead to fix your truck.

 

The fuel pump is a very easy fix that you can do in your driveway. I did two of them before I really knew anything about cars. I just googled and YouTube’d my way through it.

I don’t know how difficult the compressor is, but I would at least call around to some other shops and see if someone will repair it cheaper. I’m assuming the quotes you got were from the dealer? That seems really high to me.

I’m with everyone else, keep your truck and make the repairs. Just don’t pay dealership prices for the repairs.

 

97,000 miles,your truck has a LONG way too go,keep it,replace the fuel pump yourself by sliding the bed over after removing the bed bolts,replace the A/C unit yourself and then take it down and have it charged up.Keep your truck!

 

I had an F-150 and the fuel pump went out. Had the local dealership replace it for $890.00. Told my best friend with a F-350 dually about it and he said both of his pumps went on the dual tanks. He put electric external pumps on each tank from autozone for 50 bucks each. I was not a happy camper about it.

 

assuming you're not buying the new truck cash, the interest would also be higher than the repair cost at the stealership lol

 

I only read the half of the 1st post.

A trd OR with less than 100k?

Fix it!


Also, 2 grand is 4 months worth of new truck payments

 

A point not yet mentioned. You will likely pay $2k or close to it in sales tax and licensing alone on a newer truck purchase. 97k is crazy low miles, and you have a brand new frame. Keep it, fix it, enjoy.

And while the dealer listed $10k trade in, they are robbing you. A 97k TRD OR with a new frame will fetch more on the private market.

 

I agree w all of the above. Start spraying your bed bolts daily, they’re gonna be a bitch at this point.
Also, at sometime your dealer’s gonna quote you somewhere around $600-800 to replace your wheel bearings, per side- don’t do it. Vendors here will sell you what you need for both sides for half the price of one at the dealer..
Good Luck. Keep your truck.

 

A brand new Tacoma is around $35-40k with taxes. If they were $20k new I’d own a different Tacoma for every day of the week.




It is sheer stupidity to even think about buying a newtruck over $2,000 in parts.


It sounds like you are getting your quotes from a dealer and not an independent shop. You will getting hosed on prices by going to the dealer.

 

I meant after trade in and all that lol

 

I’ll give you 11k for it

 

I was just given $16500 as trade value for an 05 with similar miles. I'm thinking that 10k is a super low ball offer. I'm in WA state also, so with tax credit it was mid $18k value. I know I could have sold for $19k on my own.

I'm super happy making the jump to a 3rd gen if you're debating that.

 

Keep that thing man! Unless money is no object to you, you'd be crazy to trade that thing in IMO. As others have said the fuel pump isn't very difficult to do at all! The compressor you can also do on your own, I'd say its a bit more difficult and at the end you will need to take it to a shop unless you have the tools to pull a vacuum on your system etc. Obviously its your decision but think very carefully especially if you'd be getting into making payments, cuz that shit sucks.

 

Keep it and get handy with some tools. I’m sure there are members in your area that can assist with a fuel pump and compressor swap. If you are in the Houston area I can assist with both. Neither are hard to do.