Did I make a mistake buying a 2011 Tacoma?

I was searching for a rust free Tacoma in AZ. It seems as though there was something wrong with every vehicle I found or the deal fell through.I live in Wisconsin so it seemed to me this was the only option. Start fresh with a rust free used truck and coat the snot out of it with a lanolin based product on a clean frame. I found out many private owners are remiss to do a deal with someone from out of state.
I found a good deal on a 2016 that had most of the "problems" taken care of with factory recalls but I couldn't be sure. There was a 2014 access cab with 125k miles that had a lien on it.While I was waiting for the credit union to open up on a Monday morning to finalize the details of how the transaction would work he sold it to someone local.
So I found this 2011 Tacoma. It had more miles than I wanted,cost more than I wanted,but was in excellent shape and the dealer facilitated the sale and transfer of the truck.
So now I come here to find out all the problems with buying a 2011 Tacoma!

2011 Tacoma access cab TRD Sport V6 6 speed manual 160k. Spent it's whole life in Rio Rancho, NM. Have Carfax report. All scheduled maintenance done at dealer and oil changes every 5k on record. New clutch and front wheel bearings at 110k. The frame and all under carriage is corrosion free. I have all pictures, very well taken care of.
I'm in Wisconsin and purchased in AZ. Having it shipped up. The dealer split the cost of shipping and it will cost me the same as a plane ticket and I wont have to pay for gas on the 1200 mile ride home. I've always done my own mechanical work on rust buckets which everything is in Wisconsin. So if I have to do work on this it will be a real treat.If I get another 100k out of it before anything major it might outlast me.I have a 2001 Tacoma 4x4 with 140k, about 6k miles a year. So if this lasts another 100k I'll be 88 years old! Two variables...will it last to 260k.....will I live to be 88 years old? Life is a gamble more so the older you get!

 

Good luck with the new to you truck. Step 1 - coat the frame including inside of the boxed sections with Woolwax, Amsoil HD Metal Protect, Cosmoline, or similar.

 

Congrats! Great looking truck!

 

I love it. I’ll race you to 260

 

Practically speaking, does an 80 year old man need 2 trucks?

 

I am going to try to find a place that will pressure wash the under carriage and then let it sit for a day or so to dry and then spray it with Surface Shield pulling the plugs and spraying internally and all the surfaces. I guess dust clings to everything resembling grease but it doesn't degrade the rubber components even with the dust it still stops corrosion for up to 2 years supposedly. After you treat it for a few years you don't have to spray the whole thing I guess. There is this guy called"Repair Geek" on you tube that does torture tests on the big 3 undercoat products and he says he has found Surface shield can with stand pressure washing. I'm sure the debate rages on as far as which one is better. Just get something on there!

 

Sounds like it might have Woolwax on it.

 

As long as it’s coated, it’s fine. I’d buy some Woolwax in a spray can to touch up any bare spots. It’s a very popular coating up here.

 

My sympathy's for the guys in the rust belt. My wife and I vacationed in New England a couple of summers ago and it was really hard looking at all the vehicles with rusted out sheet metal.

But I think the odds are good that your new 2011 will get to 260,000 miles. It's quite possible you may need to spend some money to get it that far. FWIW the only thing I did to my 2007 for the 1st 245,000 miles was an alternator. Other than normal stuff. I'm at 258,000 now and I have had to spend some money on it in the last 12 months. But considering I bought it new 18 years and almost 260,000 miles ago I can't complain.

 

@DTL54 - getting back to your thread title question - In my opinion the answer is NO. If you are happy we are happy for you !

 

My 2001 has a rotted frame. I would have been happy fixing the little things on it for the rest of my life! My mother died when I was 18, I got divorced in 2002, finding out I could no longer keep fixing my 2001 Tacoma this year because the frame was gone, was, I hate to say,almost as traumatic as the other 2 events.
I'm 71. Going by the mileage on my 2001 I figure 6k a year x17 = approximately 100k. 71+17=88. I have a friend ,my age, who just bought a new Corvette. Does he need it? He had to build an addition on his garage to put it in...that's how much he doesn't need it!
But....It has always been my motto not to question what a another man spends his money on. I figure he traded his time and energy and smarts to get it. Believe me I worry enough about how I spend my money for the both of us!

 

To each his own.

 

As far as rust is concerned New Mexico is very kind. In fact there are no Ziebart franchises within 300 miles of the state. I’ve even seen a late 50’s DeSoto on blocks in a sideyard with no rust. The sun kills paint (my silver 2013 is losing clearcoat). There are 6 Tacomas on my street, out of 11 homes (rural) ranging from 1984 to 2023, and at least 2 have 350K miles. None have rust except the 1984 where the bed has been scraped from use.

I can guarantee you the one you have was garaged and not parked outside. No way the paint would be that good if it had been.

 

Some Parts of New Mexico are Very Kind. I am in Southern New Mexico. I am 4500 feet in elevation. 30 minutes before I retired I was Plowing and Salting the roads, They sit at 9000 feet in elevation. In 16 miles you climb a two lane highway and halfway up you hit snow and a tunnel that divides the weather. Sotheastern New Mexico in the Gila they get snow also.

 

Here near Albuquerque they sand the roads with a red ground up rock. I’m east of the city and at 7200 feet. I’ve been down to Alamogordo, but never in the winter. We live in an interesting place.

 

Yes we do, What does the DOT do on the Interstate?

 

Don’t drive on 40 or 25 if I can possibly avoid it, and being retired that’s pretty easy.

 

LOL, If the City Mixture is kind of a Dark Maroon Color, They are probably using what we used, And the are probably mixing Salt into it. With the Otero County Road Department we ordered the Salt from one place and the sand mix from another, and then we blended it together.

 

Up here in NY it’s a brine solution and tons of salt . If you don’t stay on any thing you drive it will rust until it disintegrates

 

Not 80 but give me a few years.