Are Tacomas ACTUALLY reliable?

I don't know you or your driving habits, so I don't mean to imply anything. Really. But you've had five first gen Tacomas?

And I may be a fanboy, but I'm okay with that. I've had 8 Toyotas in my life, and the biggest complaint I have about any of them was that my FJ80 was heavy and slow (still wish I kept it though lmao.) No mechanical, reliability, or quality problems of any kind. While I only ran one into the ground - at over 400k miles - they were all pretty high mileage by the time I got rid of them (with the exception of my current truck which is new.)

 

Reliable and durable aren't the same thing. A lot of things are reliable right up until they suddenly die an early death. Some things require a little more maintenance, but hold up for the long haul.

 

Come drive my 60 and 62. Will make your 80 feel like a 812 Superfast!

 

I think that in general Toyotas are reliable vehicles. I feel their trucks are very poorly made. My Ford was much better quality and more reliable. I sold my Tacoma because of what a nightmare it was going to turn into for me.

I didn't have powertrain issues with my Tacoma, it's just little shit kept going wrong all the time, and I got tired of dealing with it.

I would definitely buy a Camry or Carolla or heck even a Prius. I love the 4Runners they just cost too much. I wouldn't buy one of their trucks again.

 

It does feel pretty flimsy compared to my work truck (F150)

 

and my F150 felt flimsy compared to my F350. Of course a bigger truck will feel stronger overall. That's not reliability. And it definitely does not mean it is more durable.

 

I think the powertrains are way more reliable than most other vehicles. Every other part seems no better or worse than any other vehicle brand sans the Fiat/Chrysler group vehicles.

 

I've had 4wd toyota pickups since they first arrived in 79. I can honestly say the only thing that ever left me stranded on them was a dead battery. Their extremely reliable. My last 2001 tundra went 292k miles before i sold it, and its still running great today. Had this 2020 tacoma a year now...except for finding an intermittent squeak a shot of silicon lube took care of its been perfect. Just did an errand driving on this deep mud rut ridden road here into town. I passed a few local residents with their cars stuck up to their doors on this road. What were they thinking? I had enough trouble with this 2 mile stretch of swill using my 4wd to make it to the main road.

 

No, mass-produced vehicle is going to be completely flawless. It is a puzzle put together with thousands of parts procured by vendors that likely count in the hundreds. What I can say is that in over 30 years of buying vehicles, I have never had a Toyota that left me stranded, not once. I can't say that for Ford, Chevy or Chrysler vehicles I have owned. I've had vehicles from all the Big 3 that have left me stranded.

 

It varies a lot. My friend sold his ford for basically the exact same reasoning - new truck with oil leaks, a tailgate that didn't close right, a radio that needed the fuse pulled on occasion to reboot it, just generally shitty workmanship.

Thats the problem with threads like these really, its all anecdotal.

 

It's important to benchmark terms like reliable, because it's not something that is really objective. That said, read reviews, Toyotas and Hondas have been the gold standard for at least 30 years.

Do they have problems? Absolutely, nothing is perfect. Do they by and large have fewer problems than GM, Ford, etc.? Certainly.

 

You’re correct. Every single old Toyota we’ve owned has had countless endless issues ha.

They keep running well beyond 300k miles is what makes them reliable.

They’re not problem free the whole way there. In fact, quite big problems and a lot of them.

That said, we’ve had the same experience where our most reliable Toyotas have been 2nd Gen Tacomas and a 4th Gen 4Runner.

Have owned Pickup, 1st Gen, 2 2nd Gens, a first Gen Tundra, a 3rd Gen 4Runner, and a 4th Gen 4Runner.

Tens of thousands in repairs over the years.

 

At the end of the day the answer is maybe

 

If you don't drive it

 

Any vehicle can be reliable if cared for with routine maintenance such as changing fluids, brakes, tires, etc. Just about all Toyotas have a great reputation for being extremely driver friendly with limited work required, and their resale prices reflect that.

 

i replaced the trans in my 2nd gen, and 3 starters in 50k miles of ownership. To be fair, I bought it with 140k for 11, and sold it for around the same with 50k more miles.

My 1st 3rd gen, no issues (totaled it with 45k miles)

My 2nd 3rd gen, Ive been rough with it. Only issues Ive had have either been caused by the dealer, or covered by insurance. I currently have 78k on a 2018.

 

I have a 2005 Sequoia, that I bought new. It has been very reliable but not free from expensive repairs. Ironically, the things that have failed have all be related to either safety or emissions systems. The most expensive being the Air Pumps that are located underneath the intake manifold. I also had to replace the VSC computer module. The core drivetrain systems have been flawless.

 

I have had lots of issues with other vehicles and I have seen vehicles that were well cared for that were service monsters. I know what you mean though. For the most part modern vehicles are fairly reliable these days, but lemons show up and in some brands show up more often than others. I love the big draw to land rover defender. A more unreliable vehicle there has never been, except for maybe the mid 70's and 80's jaguars. Horrible cars. I love it when the old Top Gear would make fun of american cars while ignoring the horrible reliability of their love, the range rover and land rover.

 

This is my first Toyota. Have less than 20k driven but it's been rock solid. Another thing that impresses me is it still looks almost brand new, despite sitting outside all the time in the Florida sun and storms. There have been a few recalls on this truck but I had no issues getting them resolved.