When to schedule my first maintenance?

My '96 Tacoma has 414,000 trouble-free miles on it and has never been back to the dealer for their recommended maintenance or anything else for that matter.
And I've never taken my '18 TRD Sport back to the dealer either after 3 years. Have done just fine performing my own maintenance.
And they can keep their free oil changes.

Every trip back is just an opportunity for them to screw something up and/or try to sell you something you don't need.

As far as oil change intervals go, Toyota recommends 10,000 miles, I've always changed oil in my '96 at 5,000 miles with great success so continue to do same with my '18.

 

I agree we all want our trucks to last but unfortunately they are not built, tough and durable like the older trucks of the 60-70-80. The biggest issue is bodies falling apart from rust especially up here in the North.

 

How do we know they won’t last like an older truck? They haven’t been around long enough to know.

Other than accident there are two things that primarily effect longevity. Abuse and neglect.

Drive like a sane individual and do your PM’s and you can keep vehicles forever.

The truth is most folks look at vehicles as a short term disposable item and act accordingly.

 

Those old trucks didn’t regularly last much over 100k. I have three trucks and a jeep with over 200k, only one was from the 80’s, the rest are 99 and newer.

 

I had 2008 Tacoma and the underneath was so rotten and everything was seizing up like transfer case, brake drums etc etc. I was getting it oiled every year and wash it a lot and was surprised how bad this taco went on me. After I got rid of it ( traded for a new 2014 Venza ) 2 years later got a letter from Toyota saying they had recalls on frames for rotting out. I went without a taco for 7 years I was so disappointed. So I bought a new one, now that all the big flaws are out I will see how long this one lasts. Just saying.

 

That's correct! I originally purchased my '96 Tacoma as a delivery vehicle for my auto parts stores. I drove it to and from work and it functioned as a delivery vehicle for it's first 5 years and I never had any idea that I would still have it 20 years later. So I give my '18 the benefit of the doubt that it will also last for decades and hundreds of thousands of miles until I'm proven wrong. So far after 3 years and 26,000 miles, I haven't had a minutes trouble with it.

The problem in the future may be more finding gas for a 3rd Gen that's lasted 25 years.

 

My old 1978 GMC Sierra Madre was a great truck had it till 1998 and it ran good and body was in excellent shape. Had over 160,000 miles on it and the only thing I ever did was put in a new cam that was defect from day one. Those were the days of 12 month warranty. GM never came good for it as they dragged their ass till the warranty was over. I replaced it myself and was one of the best trucks I ever had but sadly had to get rid of it needed money for a down payment on a house. The man I sold it to took off the box and put a flat deck to accommodate is Welding unit for out in the field work. I never saw the truck again so can't tell how much longer it lasted. That was the last GM I ever bought because of the warranty bull shit.

 

A big reason the old trucks didn’t last is because people made a living out of them. Who knew that there was a weight limit? You hauled what would fit, if the bumper drug it was too much.

 

I had a 2001 tundra, and fluid filmed it every year from 2003 on till i sold it last year. Still, the frame was pretty rusty, and the Ebrake cable system was rusted and frozen along with the Ebrake rear drum levers. You couldn't find a spec of rust on the body of the truck.
I had smaller 4wd toyota pickups from 79 till 01...non lasted more than a few years before the bodies, or frames had excessive rust showing.
This time I've used cosmoline on the undercarriage of my 2020 tacoma. Been over 1 year since done...frame, and underneath truck still appears brandy new. I think the frame rust solution has been resolved.

 

You do you.

 

This^ My '93 T100 was my first vehicle. I still have it and drive it regularly, however these days it rarely leaves a 100 mile radius from where I live; for longer trips I prefer driving my Taco or Silverado. Better seats, stereo and more power. In my area a lot of people replace their vehicles before the warranty runs-out; shiny and new sells well here.

 

I did mine slightly less than the 10k mark, 3 years in a row now. I only get 1 oil change a year, as I only drive slightly less 10k mileage a year. Still running lot a champ.

 

I use to see a few t-100's around here till about 5 years ago. Even those had bodies that were barely hanging together due to rust. A friend had one around 1996 that lasted till 2015 taking excellent care of it till it to rust out.

 

I’ve been waiting until about 1k miles before each recommend maintenance to call it in for scheduling purposes

 

Well I have a lot of small engines and vehicles and ive always done the furst oil change in the first 100 miles of an engine or couple thousands probbly no more than 3k miles to change the oil, maybe im just old school idk thats what id do

 

Yes, rust was not kind to the T100, even mine which has lived in So.Cal. it's whole life had a spot rust about the size of a quarter above the windshield which I had to have repaired a couple of years ago. Mine's also been re-painted once; the sun down here is brutal and ate-up the clear coat.

 

What I read for the 5k check, is that if frequently used in Dust and Dirt, oil and filter should be changed along with more checks than if not in dirt or dust.
Might be worth taking it down a dirt road just before the Scheduled 5,000 maintenance check, and requesting the extras.
Anyone else agree or disagree???

 

More reason to change the oil sooner. Setting around collects condensation and it sounds like you're not driving it enough to burn that moisture off

 

As far as the clear coat on my 2001 tundra....the roof of the cab had to be done over a few years back after it too fell victim to the sun, and summer heat. Body shop did an excellent job of blending/matching it with the existing paint on the rest of the truck.

 

It's a common issue for vehicles which live outside. For me it was worse on one side of my truck where the sun hits it daily. Mine was so bad I had to have the truck re-painted (which is also when I two-toned it). I think it cost $2K at Maaco.