2000-2002 tacomas...issues and info please....

Hello, I am looking to buy a used tacoma come next spring, and i want to do some research on models and stuff before i buy. I currently own a 1994 ford ranger (my 2nd), but have decided it is time to upgrade to the best truck available, the tacoma.

I live in Buffalo, NY (snow and salt country), so will be buying and driving an older taco home from down south.

I am interested at possibly a 2002-2002 v6 extended cab 4x4.

any known problems on this year model tacoma?

thanks and any info is greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome

 

Well allow me to start this off by saying welcome here my 2001 is so damn fantastic that I have become very stingy at the mere thought of getting rid of it! 8yrs old and still has that new vehicle verility and I still get that driving satisfaction because it is a vehicle with substance. I can honestly report to you as a potential owner of what is known here as the pinnacle of Tacomas...the '01-'04s...that this truck has had absolutely ZERO problems so far, one small recall for a fuel neck shield, and routine maintainance. That's it. A ton of other fine 1st-genners reside here and you will hear pretty much the same reports

 

I love my 02 prerunner. Only a couple issues: There's a couple recalls out for them, lower ball joints and gas filler neck. There's an infamous dash rattle that's a bear to beat. The rear springs are weak and develop "axle wrap". And if you get the V6 engine check and make sure the timing belt has been replaced.

Other than those nothing else I can think of. They're well built!

Oh yeah and Welcome!

 

I'm from Clarence (1/2 hour away) and Toyota bought my 2000 Tacoma extra cab back due to the frame issue about a month ago. I suspect most of the buy backs are going to be in areas like ours where heavy road salt use is common place. My truck looked like a champ other than the hole in the frame near the rear shock mount.

Buying one eslewhere and bringing into this area with that known 'issue' would definitely weigh heavily in the decison. It appears the problem carried beyond 2000 into the range (early 2000's) you are considering.

FYI - Great truck other than the unfortunate frame issue. I expected to get at least another 100,000 out of it.

 

what caused this hole in the frame?

 

They didn't treat em properly during the manufacturing process. My impression is it was whoever Toyo subbed the frames out to.

Regardless, there are a bunck of 95'-2000 Tacoma frames that have the 'issue' and Toyota is buying then back (after confirming they qualify) at 150% blue book value in 'excellent' condition.

They game me over $15,000 for my 8 yr old truck and another $1000,00 incentive to buy another.

 

If you bring one up from down south just have the frame rhinoed and You'll be fine. You will never look at anotehr truck once you get in the seat of a Tacoma.........my neighbor jsut bought a 03 Dbl Cab........and told me he wished he had bought one along time ago instead of the Heep (jeep) he was driving.

 

Welcome! The 01-04's are a great model. I absolutely love my 02, I've had no problems so far, I take extreme good care of it. You really can't go wrong with these trucks!

 

...actually, they more often rust from the inside out. I guess the rhino might disguise the holes and shorten your warning time if you think that is the smart play...

Be careful and do your homework. Might save you from a headache.

 

If you spray it on instead of rolling it oon you can get an adapter that will spray the inside as well.

 

By the way, mine was undercoated and treated inside the panels as well as maintained religiously. Didn't matter.

The guy that traded me the Toyota check for my truck that would no longer pass a NY inspection due to the frame said it was as nice a truck as he had seen while he was traveling around handling the buy back program.

If you drew the one of the short straws and got one of the trucks and live in the salt belt, you're very likely on borrowed time. The car carriers are taking them out of the dealerships by the dozens.

 

oh wow that sucks...........glad you got your money back fro it.

 

Yeah, that softened the blow big time.

I got the 09' treated within 5 days of getting it, (about a month ago) to protect it before the salt flew. The thing was dripping for about 4 days after that. ...swear the truck was 100 lbs heavier...

Took me about 3 washes including inside the doors before i got the stuff off of all of the visible areas.

 

yeh, i currently get my 2000 civic undercoated with RUSTOP treatment every year just incase my ranger takes a crap and i need to bring her out in the salt and snow.

why is the frame rot only in the one area of the fram and not in multiple places.....

also, where exactly is this area of frame rot....thanks, i want to look more into this.

 

Mine was a single egg sized hole near where the rear drivers side shock mounts. It was on the inside or i would have seen it myself. With the i took of it and with the previous undercoat history, i thought there was no way it would happen to mine. Wrong...

I've seen photos of many frames with a swiss cheese look to them. Some of the trucks folded in half when lifted.

Google 'Toyota buy back' and i am sure you'll get all the information you are looking for.

ps - i went with 'Carwell' for my undercoat / inner coat treatment this time. Similar to 'Ruststop' i guess. There are both supposed to administer the penetrating oil stuff which displaces moisture and prohibits rusting. I did this due to some of the photos of even 05' frames i saw here and elsewhere with considerable surface rusting after obly several years.

Though i would expect Toyota has addressed this after all the bad pub and expenses involved, i try not to take these things for granted as my last truck was a champ other than the damn frame snafu. ...that and the fact i live in the salty NE.

 

Absolutely love my 02!!!
It is such a versatile truck and is not hard on the eyes either
You will fall in love once you turn the key and step on the gas

 

You can read up on the rust buyback issue in the first gen. section of the forum. It's a sticky.

 

As far as frame rust only a select few 01s-04s got those bad frames. Mine is perfect, for example-and was built in Fremont, Ca. if that makes a difference.