AZ BS Thread 4²0

My scoutmaster said that he put a quote together and it will cost $15,000 to fix the engine, as they can’t get a whole engine from Toyota, they have to order it piecemeal and then assemble it. That also means no warranty from Toyota.

I am thinking of taking it to a dealership for the possible repairs, most of the ones I called charge a $180 diagnostic fee to figure out what is wrong. Are there any recommendations of good dealers in the east valley? Any positive interactions with them? I am leaning towards Earnhardt, they gave me the best trade in offer for the truck and they are the closest. Any help?

 

Independent mechanic and junkyard motor my guy. You might be able to cut that number in half.

Piecing together an entire motor from the dealership parts department is insanity.

 

I need reliable. I don’t know how good of a motor I can get used, or even where to go for that

I also would kind of like a Toyota dealer to take a look at it at least, just in case there is a small chance that it is something small that I missed and wouldn’t be a small fortune to fix

 

Back in the day I found remanufacturered motors for my old ford ranger that had a warranty

Stealership markup is bad on parts without some sort of sale

on a high ticket item like that it’s got to be 50% markup

 

Fair enough on getting expert eyes on it just in case.

But for reliability I’d prefer a low mileage factory sealed motor pulled out of a wreck than one cobbled together in a garage (dealership or not, not the same as factory). Do your research on trustworthy independent mechanics first, I’m sure there will be recommendations provided here, and they will have their own preferred sources for stuff like that. You will probably get a several year warranty from the mechanic this way.

 

Where would I go about getting said motor? I’d like to look into it

 

You don’t, the mechanic will. They won’t warranty something they didn’t have control or knowledge over sourcing. Find a mechanic you like and ask them for recommendations. They will show you what’s available and won’t purchase something without your approval (which presumably means you’ve had time to do your due diligence on their recommended motor).

 

@PilotBoy352 Check out car-part.com. They have several low mileage engines here in town ranging anywhere from $2500 - $5500. There is one listed as having 42K miles in A condition for $2950.

 

Any recommendations on shops to go through if not the dealer?

 

AZ Toy Pros or Desert Toy Shop - both specialize in Toyotas. Also Joe Guiliano over at Higgy's Off Road could do it.

 

I’ve been to AZ Toy Pros before, I didn’t know they did engine stuff! I’ll reach out to them. I think I am going to have it towed to Earnhardt tomorrow for a diagnostic, and then I’ll see what they say

 

I'm not 100% sure they do engine work but they seem to be well respected here. If they don't do engine swaps I'm sure they have someone they could recommend.

 

Car-part is a good starting point to get an idea of price and availability, but there are a million salvage shops out there and some of them are shady… Whomever is doing the work will have a source they trust and have confidence in their warranty.

 

Not gonna lie, I think you'll be hard-pressed to find something that Ben can't do. Just maybe something he doesn't want to lol

Still think it's worth the college try. They're in my backyard and are good people!

 

Also adding - if you join the AZ Tacomas facebook group, there's some kid parting out a total every week or two.

You don't have to worry about an RC lift and spacers and the maintenance record when it only made it 20K miles before hitting a wall.

 

Congratulations!

 

I had some warranty work done at Earnhardt. They "forgot" a few things. When I had the mess with my truck I went to Big2. They kept up with problem solving, didn't charge for every diagnostic when we played whack-a-mole, and gave me military discounts.

 

I was turned off from Big Two when they sent the offer for $1 for my truck, they burned that bridge. I liked them a little bit, they are the nearest to me and my fiance, but earnhardt is where I've gone from my parent's house.

 

I'm sorry. I didn't know that, service seems to be hit or miss just about everywhere.

 

Wait , they literally sent you an offer for a dollar ?