Is there a way to tell at a glance, the different years of Gen 3s?

There's also the bedside embossed TRD pro logo and red TRD upper control arms. Not sure which year, but I'm thinking 2023-2024

 

Oh yeah, you might find a GoPro mount on some of them too. I'm thinking off-road up until 2018.

That, and the 2019 lost the large cubby in the bedside.

 

2018/2019 off-road and sport had the smoked chrome diamond mesh front grill, 2020+ had the grey honeycomb

 

All the trail models have the bronze pro grill, along with a little trail badge

 

SR has no fender flares. SR5, sport, and limited have the color matching fender flares. Offroad and pro have the black fender flares

 

Color matching rear bumper caps are only found on the tech package off-road and sport, and limited and pro models, but they could have changed it up in the late model years for the trail package and SR5 everything else have those beautiful chrome bumper caps.

SR model is the only one without the trailer hitch (optional)...

Limited had chrome door handles and fog light bezels... Maybe, and on the side mirrors too?

Late model two-wheel drive SR models had the SX package. SX had the bedside decals and black door handles

Only Limited, SR5, and the SX package had badges on the rear passenger doors, or the extra cab rear pillar

 

I look at the grill as well as the wheels straight away.

From there, I look at the head/tail lights.

 

I think 2019 is the last year the off-road and the sport had the plain red tail lights.

All the SR and SR5s have the plain red tail lights.

The black stripe on the tail lights, compared to Chrome, only came out in the late model pros...

Oh yeah, the pros had the pro badge until they went to the embossed bedside panel.

Let's not forget the hood scoop is only found on the sports and the pros.

And the bedside stickers on the sport and the off-road clearly state "sport" and "off-road".

Off-road and pro are the only ones who came with a gas tank skid. Pros the only one who came with the TRD skid out front

 

It's super easy to change the headlights, tail lights, grill and make your truck a few years newer.

 

Or add the SR5 badge and LED headlights to mess with everybody

Please, anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here...

Up until 2019 the off-road and the sport had squared bezels for the fog lights. 2020 they went back to the typical diagonal bezels...

SR and trail have no fog lights...

Pro has a pro badge on the tailgate

SR5 and SR, Limited, and Pro have a 4x4 badge on the tailgate, but sport and off-road do not because they have the bedside stickers.

4cyl models don't have the V6 badge lol

2019+ models sport, pro, off-road had black Tacoma letters on the tailgate... Limited had the beautiful Chrome.

Note, some could be dealer installed options. For example, only the some East coast locations had a keypad option to unlock the truck on the front windshield.

2018+ Tech package also has the touch to lock/unlock feature on the driver door handle with the three stripes. 2020 plus years had them on both the passenger and driver door handles. Sorry, we're getting to the weeds here.

All models 2020+ had the option for black overlays over the beautiful chrome badges. Obviously, many have retrofitted their trucks with black overlays.

 

Before I was born, my dad bought a new 1955 Bel Air no post. I asked him to save it for me until I could drive. He sold it a couple of years before I could drive because he said it had rust and needed mechanical work. Because I wanted that car so bad back then it will always have a special place in my heart. Looked exactly like the car on this link (with rust and a banged up rear bumper.).

https://www.worldwidevintageautos.com/vehicles/1795/1955-chevrolet-bel-air

 

The 2016 is the only taco that did not have a power rear window. It looks different than other years even from 100 feet away. I'm not sure if the SR models had a sliding window. The 2017 is the only other year with the chrome grill. I am not sure if all 2016 and 2017 had a chrome grill. You would need to look at the vin to be sure of the year unless you had a giant list of things to look for.

 

My 2016 SR5 has a slider, manual not power...

 

The GoPro mount came with my 2017 SR5, so I assume it’s on most trims of that year.

There is that unicorn year (2020?) where all Tacomas got the shark fin antenna horn moved back into the way of the rear folding rack crossmember…and then they moved it back.

Did I spell antenna right this time, @Bertw192 ?

 

Oh yeah I can relate... used to be able to spot make & model in the dark by the head lights, tail lights, or side markers.

 

Too bad he didn't hold it a few more years for you. It would've been a good project car for a teenage kid!

Dave

 

I second this, at least thats how I tell them apart for the most part.