Does any other truck compare to Tacoma's reliability?

Toyota did the same with before the frame recall trying to pass it off as a customer issue before they got sued to accept the recall on it, but yet there are people still willing to buy Toyota trucks. Same goes with any other car manufacturers.

 

Pretty sure the Tacoma is rated low on reliability scores. Like the old saying, "anyone can build a bridge, but it takes an engineer to make one that barely stands".

Manufacturers optimize for profit, not to build vehicles that'll live forever. For example, they could have put a aluminum coolant flange on the upper rear of the 3rd gen like they did with the Lexus version but they instead put a plastic one. The plastic ones will usually last 100,000+ miles and we get a lower cost vehicle.

 

I have a BIL who is still driving his 1999 F250 with the 7.3 diesel engine and a manual transmission. 400,000+ miles and he has done next to nothing other than normal maintenance. He could sell it for what he paid for it.

 

I had a 1999 F250 with the 7.3 and I should have kept it! Only had 186,000 miles. Exceptional vehicle for certain.
Traveled from Key West, FL to Deadhorse, AK and Nova Scotia to Yuma, AZ.

 

93 dodge w/ 5.9 cummins and 5spd
97 powerstroke with 6spd
95/96 Nissan D-25 hardbodies w/ 5spd
The rangers, Mazdas, and S-10’s already mentioned.
Late 80’s and 90’s gm trucks pre 98.
Toyota pickups pre Tacoma excluding the v-6 models.

Lots of trucks out there with 200+ on them. They don’t make them like that anymore.

Edit: Forgot about the jeep Comanche late 80’s early 90’s with the 4.0 inline 6 and 4 or 5spd.

 

I have really liked my 2003 Tacoma with the 3.4 V6. I have maintained it changing oil and filter as the manual suggests, and changed timing belt and pump per manual. Now at only 173,000 miles I expect it to out live me at 75. LOL!

 

The paint peeling issue reallllllly agitates me beyond words and I don’t even suffer from it (yet). Is your truck white? I mean, I’ve heard so much about this game-over (for your truck) problem you would think toyota would fix it? How is it an issue that still exists?? I’m seeing white 2018 tacos with paint peeling. Whhhhyyyyyy? The issue has to be known at this point, so …. I just don’t understand.

 

I'm going to partly disagree. Yes, there are some makes and models of older vehicles that were known to go 200,000 trouble free miles. But you are much more likely to hit 200,000 miles with no major parts replacement today than ever. And that includes most manufacturers. In fact, 200,000 miles is no longer considered a big deal. Most people aren't impressed until you hit 400,000 miles.

There was a time when 150,000 miles was cause for celebration. And that was with 3000 mile oil changes and 30,000 mile transmission services. People are going 400,000 miles now with 10,000 mile oil changes and never servicing the transmission. I think 400,000 is more likely in a Tacoma than a Ford, Chevy or Dodge. But lots of those get there too.

Check out this old school ad. They are bragging that some of them went 150,000 miles before the engine needed to be rebuilt.

 

I hear you. For the third gen, if you look Consumer Reports, at the issues table over the years, all of them have some kind of flagged issue except 2021 (the last year they reviewed). It’s all green. I’m thinking the 2021-2023 third gens will be pretty good, if not very good for reliability. Only time will tell.

 

There are plenty of vehicles out there that can be bulletproof with about as much care as it takes to keep a Tacoma running properly. Some personal examples, my family owned an early 2000's Ford Windstar minivan, which when sold had around 250/260k miles. Honestly, I don't remember my parents having many issues with that van minus being in the northeast and it being front-wheel drive.

Another example, some family friends of ours recently sold a late 90's suburban with over 350+ that was still running well but wanted something newer. That same family also has probably the most beautiful 7.3 PSD OBS F-350 I have yet to see.

 

We have owned Camrys, 4Runners and Fords over the years. Fords got the same attention. Never came even close to lasting as long. But none of them were Ford trucks which I think are a step up from their vans and sedans.

 

Accept for last year? They are new so I would expect things to fail once there are more miles on them.

 

I think they are comparing apples to apples somehow but not entirely sure the methodology - i would post a picture but it’s a copyright issue

 

I was referring to the non tacomas specifically the Toyota pickups or pre tacomas if you want to call them that 80’s - 93. The first production year for Tacoma was 94 which also saw the v6 get a refresh so it didn’t eat head gaskets for breakfast.
The 3.0 in those trucks were garbage. I know I still own one with the 3.0. A 92 that is absolutely cherry. I bought it in 2010. Has 232k and has ate a couple head gaskets over that accumulation of mileage.

 

I completely agree 200k is not much of a celebration nowadays and 400k is the new 200k. Also agree with new is much more capable to last 400k than old with context and apples to apples comparison as you mentioned. I would feel confident saying any of the ones I suggested could go easily 300/400 on stock motor and trans just like the first and second gen tacos. Maybe? Some 100%. But all would likely be trouble free for over 200k similar to the second gen Tacoma.

The one hesitation I have with new over old is quality of build and materials used and achieving said 400k versus the ones built 20/30+ years ago that are still going strong. Random thought 400k driven the average mile per year in my state (12k) would take 33.3 years.

In reality it’s most likely a non issue and a 2023 anything is likely far superior in every aspect. My stubbornness wants to believe some things from my generation are/were better than todays.

Btw That ad is awesome!

 

I could be wrong on this, and maybe this is just my impression, but reliability is something that’s not super easy to define. If you’re talking about the reliability of the non-moving parts like the frame or the paint, things like that, I’d say Ford or Ram beats Toyota. If you’re talking about the engine or the transmission, moving parts, Toyota is superior in terms of reliability. This is just my impression.

 

That’s the thought process I used. Power and drive train reliability.

 

Thanks for sharing the story.

Shame someone died in it.

 

I had a 96 Nissan pu. Not a frontier or hard body. The only major issue was a slack timing chain due to a crappy designed tensioner. I found someone who makes kits to replace the little piece that uses oil pressure to push the tensioner out with a new piece with a little spring. It came with detailed instructions and little wooden wedges to keep the chain from coming off the sprockets while you worked on it. It ran really good but made very little power. That was back when you could still buy a small truck.

Then an elderly driver ran a red light, I hit at about 40mph.

Mines the red one. I think the black one is what I hit. I had very little time to react. He stopped then started rolling, I swerved to go in front of him, then when he rolled I had no where but into him to go. I tried to avoid the passenger door, his wife still got 5 broken ribs, I was out of work for about 2 months with severe bruising and a hole burned into my leg by the airbag projectile.

 

Mine it's Magnetic Grey paint started to fade on roof, hood and grill. Painted those areas and now the sides of the roof and top of the doors are starting to fail, Lots of blue, black, silver and magnetic grey trucks with faded paint around