Poll: Problem or Problem Free?

Doing my 30k oil change/ tire rotation at this moment so I took a few picts of the rear in my 10/15 TX built SR5.

 

That’s mainly just hate from second gen owners. There isn’t much that’s the same. Sure the cab is the same demnsions but there are even changes to it. Not like it’s the same cab they have been manufacturing since 05.

Just crawled under mine. Last time I checked it was back in Nov. can’t believe how rusty the diff is getting too. Didn’t want to spray it though and now glad I didn’t or might not of been able to see it weeping out

 

Most of the people on here bitching are the same people who bitch about everything in life... Tacoma’s are the best midsize truck and some could argue best truck overall. Yea a few will have problems but that’s out of thousands of trucks. Also if you have a legit problem (not oh I hear my engine while driving I need to go complain, etc.) Toyota will fix it, maybe certain dealerships aren’t as good as others but that’s to be expected. That’s my rant for the day just tired of seeing all the cry babies on here.

 

Sales figures don't lie. Very few people spend $35K on junk. 3rd gen sells 20K+/mo and the residual value after three years is the best percentage of ANY vehicle. Some of you might not like your truck but you are in the vast minority, like a tenth of one percent.
My advice? If you have any dislike for your truck, get rid of it. Life is too short.

 

Normally I’d say never, but my reverse cam took a shit. They replaced it. I don’t count that stuff because it’s millenial accoutrements.

Standard Toyota, zero issues. For me anyway.

 

I agree. My point is that forums harbor the OCD, rightfully so or else they wouldn’t be on a forum. We just want our babies to be perfect in every way so this place is like the WebMD for Tacoma owners, nothing wrong with that. That’s why half of us are here in the first place, to get assurance we’re not the only ones with a serious issue, or to see what others have done to resolve them. The rest of us are here with itchy wallets and looking for fun mod ideas, opinions on things and so on. At the end of the day, no one should shy away because of what they read and here on here. Toyota’s are reliable, durable and last a long time. They’re not the best seller for no reason. Word of mouth spreads faster than words on forums.

People must understand that anything mass produced nowadays will have a few bad apples...this goes for anything not just vehicles. TVs, cell phones, etc...if everything in this world was perfect, there would be no need for yelp, and everything on Amazon would be rated 5 stars. Same goes for vehicles.

Except vehicle sales speak for them sales. That’s all the rating you’ll ever need! I don’t even trust car and driver or motor trend because you never know who ever is writing the article is biased or not...the only thing that isn’t a lie in those magazines are the published specs. Can’t change horse power or 0-60 times.

 

The undercoating of mine is a little rusty too. No weeping though. Makes me scared to spray it with WD40.

 

You can learn a lot from data, however data doesn’t always tell the true story. Even toyota doesn’t have 100% accurate data when it come to warranty issues or complaints with Tacoma. What I mean by that is simpley just info I gathered here on TW. How many threads have you seen people fix their own issues because they don’t want to take the truck back to a dealer? Sure it could of been something simple or minute, and in fact usually is. Some people aren’t bothered at all and did it simply to save time instead of setting up an appointment at a dealership and spending an hour there for something that only would take 10 minutes to fix. Others might be pretty upset, that they have an issue but are too stubborn to bring it in, don’t like dealerships (people calling them stealerships) and just fixed it so they don’t have to be bothered. Now some of these repairs, like the CPS issue, you’ll have to get OEM parts. So even the guys who replaced it themselves, under warranty or not, Toyota will still have some accurate data. But you also have the few people who didn’t have a problem, who just bought one as a spare so they aren’t out deep in the woods or desert and have a failure. They may never have an issue. So again, it kind of conscrues the data. I’m just trying to get the OP to see outside the box. Also that even the data here in this poll isn’t going to be fully accurate. Easily will have people who love their truck who had a small problem vote and say they never had an issue, because the issue wasn’t a very big concern to them. Your also going to get the polar opposite. People who have had a few small things happen that act like they had a complete engine engine rebuild and multiple big problems when in fact they had a interior dash rattle, and maybe the control arm whistle and a few other small annoyances like those.

Of course the Tacoma is going to sell. And it’s no surprise the numbers are what they are and going to continue to grow for a while. The truck and SUV market is on fire right now. Car sales are way down. The market has shifted. It will be interesting to see what Toyota does, because they have been probably the biggest player in the passenger car market. Ford who’s sales weren’t too strong in that sector decided to cut ties. Get rid of most models, move production of those to overseas and focus domestically on crossovers, SUV’s and trucks. Tacoma has a cult following. Surprisingly even after some big issues with rusted frames, the name still merit for many. But there also have been a bunch of people who bought a 2nd gen, or 3rd gen who will never return to Tacoma. So how strong will their number be in a few years? Also how will their numbers be when ranger, the new frontier, the new Jeep truck arrive, along with other manufacturers? Lots of competition coming. Remember, Toyota only took the title after Ford pulled the Ranger. The ranger was built off the same platform for 3 generations. Pretty impressive that it held that title, for a truck they put little to no focus on. Look at frontier sales. They are threw the roof, and continue to grow. The truck has been basically the same in almost a decade and a half. Why do their sales numbers keep growing? A few reason but mainly it’s the market, and they have a solid price point and right now it’s the “simplest” midsize available. So my point here is even looking at sales data, it doesn’t show everything. These companies use all this data and it’s came back to bite them in the ass several times. Not them with the best understanding of their own data, and the market data can predict trends and other influences, that and help/hurt sales

 

Good post. One exception: Data never lies. People do.

 

I should’ve added all the same fields/ questions in the poll, so eight total, the same 4 I have now but with a comma “, are you lying though?” Lol!

 

Data is only as good as the people collecting it lol

 

But the internet never lies...

I just lied.

 

My prediction:

Toyota Tacoma will continue to own the midsize pickup market in 2019, 2020....mainly because they are great looking trucks that work well enough, and in these days of social media, that’s extremely important to a lot of people who like to post photos of themselves, their trucks, and their adventures on their various feeds.

The only real contender has already ‘shit the bed’. The new Ford Ranger has the most bland styling of the whole group.....except may Ridgeline, but it’s a close second. A true yawn-fest. If Ford had added a little more pizzazz to the Ranger styling, then Toyota might need to be more concerned about some of the honest complaints people have here. At the end of the day, I think it comes down to the best looking truck is going to sell lots of units.

 

Have you seen the Ranger Raptor? Just curious...I think it’s supposed to be Ford’s mid sized answer to the PRO..I do know the Raptor is a big difference than it’s little brothers within the same F150 family...I wish I could say the same about the PRO compared to the rest, but then again, the price points are completely different.

 

I wasn’t sure if that was confirmed yet. For sure if they bolt enough plastic on something, and charge you enough money, you will get a good looking and desireable ranger. But the more affordable and available trim levels will decide who sells the most units.

 

I agree but Ford doesn’t have a reputation of doing what toyota did to the PRO and marked it up...Raptors are completely different and actually have wider bodies, faster engines and a lot more compared to the lower trims within the same series, but they charge accordingly. I am disappointed that aside from suspension and some cosmetic changes, and a special color each year, the PRO is no different from the rest of the trims when it comes to engine, body and so on. People with off-road can buy everything a PRO has, bolt it on, and pretty much be the same except when it comes to VIN on paper, and resell. You get special badging, and depending on color choice, you are now set apart from the rest, especially if you have no inclination to touch anything on it, then it makes sense to some. Am I wrong? If I am anyone feel free to let me know. The PRO should’ve had an engine that sets it apart from the rest, but then again I get the price point and they aren’t trying to compete with Raptors in the first place. What I don’t get is the ridiculous mark up we have in SoCal, $5k - $8k in some cases. That truck is worth no more than MSRP. Those who got it for MSRP should be happy, those who got it for less than MSRP got a deal. To each his own I guess...

 

The pro does have a different suspension and exhaust, so it’s not totally just a nicer “trim”, but for sure anyone can go buy the parts and there you go.

Anyways......Toyota seems to know how to sell these trucks because they are selling thousands even with dealers marking them up. Some magic formula that’s got everyone buying in, myself included.

 

That truck is just... meh.

Add to that one (yeah you read that right) and only ONE engine/trans choice in the non Raptor version. Supposedly a 2.3 ecoboost and auto. No stick. No V6.

You'd think someone at Ford would be looking at the mid size sales king and do something similar, no?

I guess you could say the same of Toyota and the Tundra from a sales perspective.. it's nowhere near the full size leader and that doesn't seem to matter much. I guess we'll see when the "redesign" happens.

 

The only people that would really know the stats on problems encountered and overall satisfaction with the product would be Toyota.
Nope, I chose to deal with the issues (either myself or at the dealer under warranty). Hell, I let the dealer replace both my transmission and T-case in an attempt to find the drivetrain whine. That was obviously before the TSB came out and we learned that a harmonic vibration originating in the rear diff was being transmitted to to the frame.
My other major dislike was throttle control. Ya ya ya test drive blah blah blah. The cumulative effect of dealing with the stock calibration day after day was not defeat or living with it. It was frustration. So again, I dealt with it. No plug this time, I know how much that annoys some of you.

Some of the responses to this poll are kinda ironic. The people who shout "see, see you complainers are in the minority" are the same people who find their way into multiple threads bashing members who dare post something negative and claim TW opinion is bullshit and doesn't represent the majority.

Look, I love a good discussion as much as the next guy. It's a fact though, that people who have problems and Google it are going to find their way here. That isn't going to stop. How about we try and help those people find answers instead of labelling them a troll or a complainer within 10 minutes of joining the forum.

To all those who love their 3rd gen and don't have issues - that's awesome! Now go enjoy your rides as much as I do and don't get upset about others who may not be having as stellar an experience as you. Nothing to see here, and certainly nothing to get worked up about. You really don't need to defend a multi-billion dollar corporation, right? I think they do a pretty good job of that already lol.

Edit: Hmm all these diff pics. Guess I'll have a look-see while I'm under there greasing the zerks today

 

True.

Another demographic "new member" is the person researching before they buy.

I am pretty certain that if I joined before buying my 3rd gen in Feb 2016, I would own a Frontier. Not necessarily a bad thing, but wonder of wonders, my truck exhibits none of the common complaints usually discussed here. I would have missed out on owning this solid vehicle because of the incessant bitching about the "turd" in early 2016.

This thread has managed to keep a civil discussion and counterpoint to the "just bought my truck and it drives like shit' threads.