Potential Buy of 2017 Tacoma Off-Road Questions

Hey all!
I am brand new here and am seriously looking into buying a 2017 Tacoma TDR Off-Road Manual and have some questions. The truck is at a dealer that is an 8.5 hour drive from me and so if I go up and look at it and test drive it, I realllly want to make it worth my while.

Questions I have for the experts/experienced:
- It has an aftermarket SB Filter - Is this a problem? Do they cause issues down the line? Does anyone else know about these or have experience with them? The dealer said he has the factory one too that the seller gave him, which is good to know in case I do want to switch it back.
- Lift - The dealer doesn't think it has a lift and it doesn't really look like it, but just to be sure I asked for pictures of the underside to see for myself. Nothing super obvious stands out, but in the pictures below, does anything stand out to you all?
- Shifter Knob - I noticed it has a lot of wear, which is fine, but is that something that is hard to change out?
- Tires - It looks like it has some pretty beefy tires, how do they look to y'all? Anything of concern?
- Are there specific things I need to look for/ask about when I go see it? Common things that are good to be aware of?


Any advice/experiences is greatly appreciated!
-Woody

 

Stock intake available so do whatever you want. If you want to know if it has lift/ aftermarket suspension you at least need a photo of the suspension. Shift knob is a piece if cake, plenty of options and install instructions in this forum. Tires are tires.

 

I think there should also be a front skid plate?

 

I also noticed it seems to be missing at least one (possibly more) skid plates as well. Judging by the pics from the under-side it looks like this truck has seen lots of mud.

 

That picture was past the front OEM skids. That area would be the transmission skid for aftermarket. The exhaust crossover is not crushed, so it wasn't wheeled hard. Cab mounts are in tact, so it wasn't a member here lol. Looks pretty good to me from what I can see. Clutch/tranny is always my main concern on manual vehicles. I don't want to buy someone's learner manual.

 

Not a scratch on the exhaust or chassis? It was a mall crawler... it should be in good condition.... plus its a 17.... so far they are the least troublesome of the turd gens

 

Yeah looks like it’s been wheeled in muddy water...if asking top dollar I’d pass. Most of the maintenance items (clutch, brakes, cv joints, shocks, wheel bearings etc.) will show a lot more wear than a street truck.

 

Nah, I hate mud... And the very few times my truck has encountered it left it looking worse than this truck looks.....

OP... check the truck over... 17 is arguably the best truck so far with this Gen... the truck is worth a decent hard look

 

How many miles and what does maintenance schedule look like? Suspension components look stock; can't tell if someone put in spacers but easy enough to remove. Don't see diff leaks unless dealer cleaned up. Everything you mentioned is more cosmetic, frame isn't rusty crusty.

 

What "skid plates" are missing?

The pics don't really give the best angle to see the very front one.

It appears that the second one under the engine is in place as well as the plastic thing under the gas tank..

 

If it’s an OR it should have a small one under the Transfer Case.

 

It does, you have to squint to see it in one of OP's pics lol

 

How much does the dealer want for it?

 

thanks all so far for all the replies! It's got 54,707 miles on it. Dealer is asking $30,900 for it, which i think is under market value. It owned by an older gentleman in MT who lived in a small ranching area, which explains the mud. I can add more pictures of the underside.

There is a skid plate (I assume stock?) in the very front.

 

Yes sir, and its in pristine condition which is a great sign.

 

Looks good to me and not a bad price. If he was right about the older gentleman, that is a great one to get.

 

thanks all! I really hope it works out.

 

Ask them to throw in a new shift knob to seal the deal. Most of the time that will work as it’s an inexpensive piece. Good luck

 

If you pick it up and want a new shift knob I'll send you my original one for the cost of shipping. It was on for maybe 1k miles.

 

Damn 30k, the 17’s hold their value.