Seeking Advice before I purchase a 06 4x4 ext cab

UPDATE!!! Thanks for the feedback. Yeah this truck is POS after careful examination.I found another deal and created another link here:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd...ccess-buy.html

Hello! I just put a deposit on a 2006 Tacoma SR5 4x4 extended cab, black/grey with 96k miles. I got a deal of $13,000 + $500 dealer fee. I did a full auto check and the truck had one owner and was never involved in an accident and the title is clear.

The car is located in NY and I'm in Ohio so I will be having the toyota dealership do a full inspection before I pay cash for it. I was going to
fly out and drive it back but I've decided to have it shipped for $500, if
everything checks out with the inspection of the car at the Toyota dealership.

I just sold my near mint 98 Lexus SC 400 platinum/black (fairly rare), and before that I owned a 92 Lexus SC300. I've had a Lexus SC for 12 years! So I'm switching forums from Club Lexus to here.

I've always wanted a Tacoma but waited for the right deal to come through, the time is now. I know 96k miles for the tacoma is nothing, especially for a 1 owner truck that was never used for towing. My former 92 Lexus SC300 had 225,000 miles when I sold it.

Question: Is there anything I need to look out for with the 2006 Tacoma? Did I get a decent deal (if everything checks out)?

2005+ 4x4 tacoma ext cabs under $15k are extremely hard to find as they are a highly sought after truck and sell quick. I've been looking for a tacoma deal for a long time. I was going to buy new but I don't want a monthly car payment and a truck that's too perfect b/c I want to 4 wheel with it on occasion.I'd hate to have to leave a brand new 2012 tacoma in a ditch or wrapped around a tree somewhere in the smokey or rocky mountains. lol

If everything goes well and I get the truck I will be adding the following mods: 18" black wheels, dark tint (legal on sides and 90% in back), add a double din radio/DVD, possibly leather or neoprene seat covers (Katskins), rear bed AC outlet and possibly smoked headlight covers for the murdered out look.

Any other mod suggestions? I hear the ride can be kind of rough on these tacomas, is there anything I can do to make ride smoother such as upgraded suspension and tires? I'm a total newbie when it comes to these tacomas. In the past I've owned nissan frontiers for a short period of time.

UPDATE: I CANCELED MY DEPOSIT AND WILL NOT BE GETTING THIS POS TRUCK!

Here are pics of the tacoma 4x4 I will hopefully be closing on:

 

Great looking truck man.... I've got an '06 like that only in silver...... Only ever had 1 problem...a bad rear shock...replaced on warranty....

The ride is just fine as far as I'm concerned...after all it's a 4x4... I'd not change anything except the poor ride when you put weight in the box....It will bottom out a lot....I think they F---ed up on the springs.....

Good luck with her...

Over

 

Check to see if it has a cabin air filter in the filter box.
If it doesn't make them put one in there. Trust me it will save the blower motor down the road. Also check the for a spare tire and jack. these seem to go missing a lot.
If the tier pressure light is not on consider yourself lucky. But be prepared because it will come on and annoy you down the road.

Good luck and happy purchasing.

 

Check the timing chain cover for an oil leak(this is a TSB). Ask if the rear spring TSB has been taken care of. Other than that, clean truck! I have 128k miles on my 06 4x4 SR5

 

That one looks like it has rust issues, tail pipe looks like its hanging quite low, the skid plate and all the brackets under the hood all show way more rust than my 06 with 110k miles and the roads are salted here in the winter. I see corrosion on the valve cover too. Missing a d-ring in the bed, the battery cable looks like its been messed with and not put back properly, those are not factory SR5 wheels.

From the pictures it doesn't look like its been treated well at all unfortunately.

 

looks like it's missing a cargo hook thingy on the rear driver side next to the tail gate..you'll regret if you don't get it replaced


edit: already covered Syncros and some other points that were brought up that should be taking into consideration!

 

Sumofabitch thats a great deal!!! If you want to get a smoother ride look into installing some bilstein 5100s all around with either an AAL or even a Dakar leaf pack. That will give you a nice ride and you can adjust for a Level/lifted look

 

Thanks all for the feedback! I contacted Toyota and they said there are no rust issues with the frame on the 2nd gen tacos, although I've seen members on here complain about rust on models as late as a 2009.

After some wrangling with the guy he agreed to drop the tacoma over at the toyota dealership Wednesday for a full inspection for a $112 out of my pocket. For $13k it seems like it's too good to be true, although the bluebook value is in line with the price.

Question: If there is a little rust here and there but not on the frame, should I buy the truck if everything else checks out ok? I could probably get this truck cleaned up myself for not much if I get some used non-rust parts. I feel like I have a diamond in the rough in my hands, only a 1 previous owner and no accidents with the exact specifications I wanted in a brand new Tacoma. Also, I'm paying cash....no car payments.

Btw, if I end up with this ride, will know by thursday, those gaudy cheap wheels are history. I want to black 18" wheels on it.

 

That also isn't the factory bed bolt. Bed bolts arent something that get removed normally, which raises a red flag to me. The mudflaps are also peculiar, its missing one and another (driver front) has broken tabs, driver passenger also looks oddly situated though the picture isn't clear enough. The airbag light is also on, but that may just be the connection under the seat being lose.

Not trying to ruin this for ya, but it may be best to keep looking, especially since you won't be able to inspect this truck in person before you buy. Perhaps a local TW member could scope it out for you.

Goodluck.

 

The truck appears to be sitting on a slanted curb, which would be the reason for the lean. I'm getting full check at the Toyota Dealership, they should be able to give me a good and thorough inspection. Honestly, I'm tired of looking for an 2nd gen taco 4x4 access cab, double cabs for $20k+ are plentiful but Access cabs in a 4x4 are hard to come by for less than $15k. It's like finding a needle in a haystack.
Here is the car report:

 

Any feedback on the auto check?

 

did you check the other post you made?

Stay away from this truck. If the price is very good they have a reason for.

Mudflap missing, D-ring missin, no front plate, no original rims, muffler is almost rotten, for me all these thing should sound me a allarm. Maybe the record is clean but this truck was not in good shape.

 

I have the same truck only red. You will definitely need new rims as those are hideous. The dealer should be able to give you any details on anything missing. It is a good buy if everything checks out. I have had minimal issue with mine and just went over 100,000 miles, so it is on track.

Don't forget this truck is in NY so their salt use is comparable or even higher than us here in Ohio. Good luck and let us know what the dealership says.

 

I think it is a fair price for the truck... Actually, I'm surprised that the Toyota dealer isn't replacing the mud flap, and a few of the other extras that most of them do. Basically, they have it priced to sell fast cuz they know it will...

Out here in Southern California I've seen AC 4X4's that are older than that with a lot more milage go for a lot more. (There's a white '06 with basically the same package selling for 18k at a local Toyota dealer out here.) If there is any concern, you should have the Toyota dealer give you a copy of their 180-pt inspection that they do and ask if they warranty any of those items that they inspected... Recently my wife and I bought a '09 Camry from a local dealer and shortly after we bought it we got a nasty squeek from the brakes that told me the rotors were warped. We took it into the dealer and basically they ended up giving us all new brakes and rotors on all 4 wheels.

On a side note, that truck is just begging for new wheels and tires. Whatever ones they stuck on there just don't do it justice at all.

 

For reference I bought a 2005, TRD Off Road, 4x4, 6-spd, Access Cab last month. It's white with grey leather interior. It is in PERFECT condition, has 60k on it, and I payed 16k for it.

I only buy used cars and I only buy from private parties. Dealerships can't tell you how the truck was treated and constantly charge to much (and you have to pay taxes on the FULL selling price).

I ended up getting mine from a 21 y/o girl (cute I might add) who got it from her mom back in 2007.

She had everything serviced at the dealership (down to the tires & wipers).

I don't know how long you've been waiting. But I looked for 18 months everyday. When I finally found it it was 4hrs away and but it had EVERYTHING I wanted and I jumped on it.

I didn't wanna buy new and payed cash as well.

Go check it out. But this is a fairly new truck and looks like it had a rough life. This is your biggest purchase ever (besides a house). I would make sure it's EXACTLY what you want, you don't want buyers remorse.

 

Just took a better look at the photos... That thing has A LOT of corrosion on it.

I wouldn't even consider paying cash for that without seeing it in person. If you are willing to get something shipped get it from an area where the weather isn't so rough on a car.

Here is what a 7yr old truck thats been well taken care of should look like (these were the pics of mine that were on craigslist last month).

 

dropping $13K for anything sight unseen is a gamble. not always a bad one necessarily, but risky at best. man i think it would be worth going out there to see it in person first. sounds like you are not short on cash. do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. that way when it lands in your driveway there wont be any unfortunate surprises. my .02

 

airbag light could be a $3oo+ ?...... fix check it out. Other than that, i'd check some of the other red flags prev posts brought up.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah this truck is POS after careful examination.I found another deal and created another link here:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/200598-help-used-tacoma-4x4-access-buy.html