Issues with the 2nd gens

I was out at the dealer today checking out the 08 Tacos and decided I'll look into getting one over just dumping more into my current rig. I'm wanting to know what issues have the 2nd gen owners run into? What can I expect from small things breaking to stuff thats just a pain in the ass to work on. I do most of my own auto work and I would like to keep it that way.

 

transmission is a sealed type tranny....so it may be a pain in the ass to do any work on....especially since its so specific as to how to do any service on it. get the leafspring tsb done if you do any major hauling, get rid of those junk stock tires that come with it....either the bfg rugged trails or the dunlop pos.....either are horrible.......other than that....pretty damned solid truck, and oil changes and normal service stuff on them...even changing rear diff oil is a breeze.

 

By sealed do you mean the tranny pan must be dropped to drain it or can it not be opened up at all? What are a good choice of tires? I like the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor, thats what I've got on the 99.

 

no, on the tranny.....you can drain it, but there is a certain sequence you gotta do in order to refill it. and thats the pain in the ass part.

goodyear wrangler silent armors are awesome tires!! i had a set recently. swapped to bridgestone dueler at revos because i had a couple of tires that were bad from the factory(wouldnt hold a balance). those tires were awesome in the rain, and they rode pretty damned smooth too(well.....when they were balanced anyway). im sure they will be a awesome choice for you. they get great reviews at tirerack.com too!!

 

If you care about cosmetics get a bed mat. I scratched/gouged the bed on it's first trip to the desert. One of the steel shooting targets we had did it. I figure a truck is going to get scratched and dented so I don't intend on getting one. Also, get a second set of d-rings for the back, that's a big help with hauling gear.

 

So, Toyota has not upgraded the leaf springs and shocks on some 08 models? They are expected new customers to beg for warranty work?

 

Admin, why is there an edit button, then permission denied when trying to edit?

can't even fix sp. errors, geez.

 

send a pm to tcbob....he will fix it. just a glitch my friend!!

 

The leaf spring issue has me a bit worried, hopefully ones coming from the plant now don't have it. The thing I'm confused about are the traction control options. I want to get a 4X4 access auto but I can't find any trucks with the downhill assist and the toyota website is confusing as all hell on what trucks can have it.

 

My 08 Access still has the 3 total leafs. Born on date 1/11/08. Still saggin like a dragqueen with only an R6 motorcycle back there. Don't have the "Harsh" ride which is also associated with it, so maybe they band-aided it. Just speculation though.

Don't even get me started on that "interactive" website crap!

 

So the stock has 3 leafs and the fix gives it 4?

 

Correct. I am getting mine done tomorrow so hopefully all goes well. Right now, my tailgate open, sits at 33in off the ground. When wife and I both sit on the tailgate it drops to 30in. Together we barely weigh 300#. We will see how the springs improve that.

As for problems arising, myself and at least one other person I have seen are experiencing "crickets" in the dash when the fan is on low. Perhaps a fan bushing/bearing is going out. Not sure yet, and also not sure if they will cover it.

Tailgate is weak. Rolled a balled and burlapped tree out of the truck last summer and it folder the tailgate like a card. I replaced it at my own cost before I saw the TSB.

Other than that, everything has been pretty good. I would also recommend a bed mat though. The bed scratches and things really slide around.

You made the best first step by joining this forum

 

Regarding the "crickets" in teh dash, i have the same problem. and being very sensitive to noise it drives me crazy. it has been doing it day in and day out nonstop for the past 3 months. so finally i go to the dealer for an oil change and mention it. i told them i read online that the bearings have been going out inthe fan and thats what causes the noise. I get a call later that day saying my truck is ready and they never heard a noticable noise. i was furious. i figured they heard it but assumed it was normal or within spec so they didnt do anything. when i got to the dealer i got the service manager and had him sit in my truck with me. i cranked it up and turned on the fan. No noise. my truck was quiet as a sleeping baby. The manager said that he was aware of the problem and that other people have complained and have gotten new blowers. however, he said all day long they tried to recreate it and even tried driving it thinking that would help but never heard anything. He said unless they can document the noise they cant order new parts. I wasn't happy but i understand that policy, it makes sense. what pissed me off was that my truck has done this non stop for the last 3 months then it stops the day i take it to the dealer. The manager said if it happens again to bring it up right away and if they hear it they will replace my blower. it didnt make the noise for two days straight and now its back. so that means another trip to the dealer whenever i find the time, which wont be for a while. and with my luck it will stop chirping as soon as i hit the lot. But what i'm getting at is that they will fix it if its under warranty and they hear it.

 

What's wrong with the tires? I have the dunlops and they seem to work fine for me.

 

got mine done today........friggin dumbass dealership ordered and installed the wrong damn springs!!! im pissed now!! gonna have a few words with the service manager in the morning!! good thing i had a copy of the tsb with me when i went to pick it up!! even the service advisor couldnt believe it!! the other thing that pisses me the hell off is that after the alignment....now my steering wheel is crooked as hell!! im really starting to hate incompetent people!!

 

No damn good in snow or loose sand!!

 

No to mention that they have week sidewalls. I cut one on a rock about a month after getting the truck. I was not impressed. No to mention ticked that nobody had the same tire for sale yet. I ended up putting the spare tire on that rim and putting the cheapest same size tire I could find on the spare rim.

I'll be so happy when these wear out.

 

As you read here that there a few complaints, so it would be prudent to find what you want in a truck, find the manufacture that offers these options, and test drive all of them. It is a huge amount of money spent that you'll never get back. The tire issue is all over, all the foreign and domestics use cheap tires, they are the quietest and produce the best mpg. We here at Toyota have spring TSB's while Dodge Ford and Chevy have there own issues. Vehicles are made by human beings that are just worried about themselves and when the clock tells them to go home. It's apparent that the 1st gen trucks are better built than the 2nd gen trucks, they are not as refined, so maybe the truck you are looking for is a well maintained 1st gen with miles on it. If something goes south on it your perception is "well I bought it used".

 

So basicaly I need to keep what I already have?

 

Well if you want a new one, there are many good reasons to do so, it's just the 2nd gens have a few snags. But if your 99 is in good shape, I can't see why to go new.