Like my Tacoma NOT!

I would say though, that at the end of the day it is a truck. While it has many funks to it, I can’t complain as it gets me to work and back safely, it is fun, it does have its personality. Whenever I hop in and grab the steering wheel I always feel like I’m “breaking” a horse. In time in confident it will become more me; the more I ride it the more I learn where it’s sweet spots are on the gas pedal, I can feel what it’s thinking and when it wants to do something I sort of help it along, I don’t fight it. Idk.. just kind of ease into it. You’ll know when something is “wrong wrong” and when something is “off” these Tacoma are certainly “off” but you learn to accept that I suppose. Life is good and it goes on.

 

Check the VIN on the engine against the door frame VIN….I bet that you have a junkyard engine in it. Sounds like the deer was a moose

 

I really can’t agree with 95% of all that.
Let me ask this, did you even drive it before you bought it? I come here and complain about it. Just sell it and move on. I have no idea how you get that shitty gas mileage, I’ve never gotten below 17 highway or city.

there’s more to the story than hit a deer. A deer doesn’t total a Tacoma and in my opinion, its foolish to buy salvaged truck.

 

A deer can total anything. I've handled probably two thousand animal claims in my career, most of them being deer. Plenty of total losses, and not just on older/cheaper/smaller vehicles.

 

how about moose?

 

We don't have moose in this part of the country, though I did see the aftermath of a few moose claims when I would travel for catastrophe duty. Don't hit a moose would be my recommendation. I would suspect most vehicles that hit a moose are total losses. By most, I mean nearly all of them.

 

I have a '23 TRD OFF ROAD. Bought it new last August. It now has 6500 miles on it. Stock tires and wheels. I get 19mpg around town. Haven't towed anything with it yet. Haven't done much highway travel in it since my other vehicle gets 34mpg on the highway at 80mph.
I've never understood why anyone would buy a salvage vehicle unless they knew the whole history of the vehicle.

 

OP hasn’t had it but a fartnight yet.

 

I did notice the op did not mention any steering issues?
See? Something works!!!

 

How are you driving in the city that you are getting 8-10 MPGs? That’s insane.

I get 16-18 in city driving conservative and I’m not stock. 33” tires, 2” lift and 350-550# of constant weight.

I get 10-12 MPGs towing my 8’ tall 6x12 enclosed trailer through maintain passes.

 

For sure.

Expectations are also a big one. Crazy how many people expect v8 performance out of this 3.5L

 

I’ve towed a lot in frigid conditions. No issues to speak of.

Well the clutch pedal is a lil
Slow to come up the first few presses but that’s about it. That’s nothing though

 

You lost me at salvaged title. You are rolling the dice with a salvage title... always. Sometimes you will win, but other times... you lose. This sounds like a losing situation. You can't judge a truck by comparing it to the worst/damaged versions of itself. You will forever be chasing down these gremlins.

That's the price paid for such a discounted sales price, but it sounds like it has cost you some of your sanity.

 

For last 20 years or so, my dad only has been buying salvage title vehicles.

He had some minor issues here and there but never something major. He has been very lucky to say the least.

He bought these rebuilds:
2001 Sentra 5spd (awesome little car, no major issues)

2003 Nissan quest (beast, no major issues)

2007 Subaru Impreza WRX 5spd (replaced clutch)

2008 rust bucket 4R from Alberta (still starts and drives like new, I have no idea. Had to put some money into suspension and some other minor things but that’s about it)

2013 4R (no issues as of yet)

 

You’re shocked a truck that comes with lightweight SL 30.5” tires runs poorly with heavier LT 33.8” tires? And that it gets poor mpg to boot?

They shift a lot in stock form because the gearing is tall. Your tires made the gearing even taller.

 

285/75/16 is actually 33x11

I’ve got 33x10 E rated and can still get advertised MPGs if driving conservative, and that’s with my lift and 350-550# constant weight. Only in spring/summer/fall though. In winter my MPGs go way down.

 

Oops, I am assuming 285/75R17. I forget that one exists on 16’s too, which yes is just a 33”. Still though. Getting advertised is not typical, especially with the extremely tall gearing of the automatic paired with taller tires.

 

Ok….. i’ll reword it.

I’ve never personally seen a new Tacoma that was totaled just from hitting a deer. Now if someone hits a deer and then hits a tree that’s a different story.

 

Forgot to mention, I am running 94E0 gas. Combined with the tune it seemed to help with MPGs a bit.