New to Tacoma....love it but a few complaints.

I've had my Tacoma for 4 months now and love it. I got what I wanted and expected. It's solid, rides nice, perfect size IMO, looks good etc etc etc.
Now to the bad....
What is the deal with interior lighting? No illuminated 4x4 switch? No fog light indicator light? no lights for drink holders? no illuminated key ring?
I am amazed that a company like Toyota which is usually on top of the user/owner angles such as use of interior space can do such a piss poor job on the tacoma's interior lighting.
My truck was a 2012 demo and my key area was already all scratched up by somebody searching with the key for the ignition.
I have a light to tell me that my headlights are on but nothing to tell me when my fog lights are on unless I turn them on/off. I can tell when my headlights are on!!
Its real nice to have a couple of cup holders inside that you have to feel around for in the dark because you have no clue where they are. I guess a tiny L.E.D. mounted above the holders was to much to ask for?
And the 4x4 switch not being lit up is just a joke!!
Again...love this truck but these minor issues drive me crazy when it is such an easy fix during production.....not so easy now.

On a side note, I love this forum. It's a wealth of info.

 

I think you were well aware of the lack of lighting when you purchased your truck so I really hope you're not complaining.

In any event, I'm guessing that Toyota did a bunch if market research and decided that those weren't features they wanted to waste money on for the market that they were going after. I think that probably rings true for most of the owners including myself. I leave the foglights on 100% of the time; the 4 years I've owned the truck. The 4WD switch is also not something people use often (especially in the dark). So I'm guessing Toyota thought about this and decided to allocate the money elsewhere in the truck.

 

I couldn't agree more. Several small things on my 2013 annoy the shit out of me. The no auto up on the window I mean come on every other vehicle I've owned has been both ways. Also maybe a map light or a small light for the drink area like you said. No lock for the bed how hard is it to just add a key lock that works off the factory key. Shitty separated key fob from key come on its the 21at century combine that shit. And finally why are the freaking overhead mirror things so thick I cannot even clip my opener to that thing without bending the entire clip out. Enough of my rant I love my truck just a few details I wish they would have paid more attention to.

 

Not complaining, but I agree that a bit of ambient lighting would make it ideal.

 

Welcome to TW from Ferntucky, NV

 

Jesh.. you guys bought a quality built truck not an American made pos that needs all of these little useless features to win a buyer. "AH bright lights all over this is pretty! Ill buy it!!!" I like how simple they are, less stuff to go wrong in them. Give it a couple days..... you'll figure out where your cup holders are and where to put the key......

 

The reason the sun visors are thick is because they have the slide out extender inside them.

 

When I drop nearly $30k on something as important as a vehicle I typically do my homework. Guess not all people do.

And yes, most car shopping is done at night since Saturday is the only non work day that dealerships are open.

And sure, $20 isn't much. But $20 here, 20 there...it adds up. Would I like a little extra lighting? Sure. Do I need lights to let me know I'm in 4wd or that my foglights are on? Nope.

 

The only thing I don't like is, no automatic on headlights. It wouldn't be so bad, if the dash lights weren't always on,if they at least came on with the headlights, I would know my headlights weren't on at night. Oh well guess I'll be getting a lot of careless driving tickets!either that, or I have to leave my lights on all the time!

 

I hear ya Dguy. I was surprised the about all of those items and especially about the window/lock switches not being illuminated, only the driver's window switch is.

BTW, there is a long running thread about "What You DON'T Like About Your Tacoma" floating around here somewhere.

 

the 4x4 switch is a pretty common issue with most people. but think about it, you know generally where it is. so if its dark out, just feel for it. if there is no light on in the gauges (2wd), green drivetrain logo (4wd high), a yellow symbol (4wd low).

 

Dguy - first off, welcome to TW - I'm fairly new here too and agree with your last comment - this forum is great, a wonderful source of info and actually a little addicting.

I understand the spirit of what you're saying - but if you pay attention to how much attention Toyota has actually given the Tacoma in the past couple of years - it's not surprising that these little *annoyances* have gone unaddressed.

Toyoya has a winner with the Tacoma. With Ford and Dodge pulling out of the segment - there's virtually no competition (don't get me started on that ugly-ass Nissan which doesn't hold a candle to the Toyota).

They (Toyota) has probably been back-burnering any changes to the Taco because of the market, economy, etc. All people seem to want nowadays are sedans that get 40+ MPG. That lack of attention means little things go unfixed.

That said, I'm sure they'll change things in future models and resolve stuff like this.

On this particular forum - you're talking to a bunch of guys who LOVE (to put it mildly) everything about the Tacoma. We'll find all sorts of reasons to tell you why your annoyances are unwarranted ... for these things, a lot of us will simply find different solutions to these things ourselves and post what we've done for all to see (and emulate).

You have in the Tacoma an amazing Truck.
I did do my homework before I bought mine - I read everything about it - from the good or bad - for years before I actually made the purchase and I knew about the issues you had posted before making my purchase ... it didn't deter me!

Enjoy it and do some searching to find what others have done to resolve the little things - they're easy to work on!

Nothing is perfect - but what you have in your truck is a better start than you'll be able to find anywhere else!

 

OP, these are all common complaints with our trucks. Fortunately there are a lot of fixes for these that you will find as you get more into this forum.
I've had my '12 for 9months and I have already hacked the wiring harness and had the interior completely stripped to install my stereo.
Start saving for mods now. It's addictive.

 

Most of these things have been covered under the free/cheap mods thread on here. I have auto up and down on both windows, illuminated 4x4 switch and I have seen people custom fitting led's just about everywhere in the truck (cup holders and center console included) it is a pain that all of these didn't come stock on the truck I will agree but you can always add them yourself.

 

First vehicle I have EVER done this on. MULTIPLE TIMES!!! With my fogs always on and the dash lights always on, I have driven around in the city many times without my head (tail) lights on. Oops. Guess I need to get used to looking for that little green lightbulb indicator.

 

I understand that these are all things that I can fix....it just seems that I shouldn't have to.
Again, I love my Tacoma even with all these faults...LOL

 

Only thing that really bothers me about my truck is the rpm hang when shifting gears. I have a 6sp manual and it really bothers me. I'm hoping someone releases a tuner for the 12 that fixes this. I'm really happy with the rest of the truck. It seems like Toyota did some work on the manual gear box for 2012 as I don't experience a lot of the things people bitch about. It is a little noisy but it's a fuckin truck. I never miss gears and compared to my 94 ranger the throw is extremely short. It's a truck, not a sports car.

 

I see you're in a cold climate like myself.
Here's a modification (OEM style heated outside mirrors) that is well worth the few hours it takes to do.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/193528-oem-heated-mirrors-diy-mod.html#post4206444

BTW, don't let it get to ya if folks here suggest you have haven't done your homework on buying your truck because you didn't notice the small items, simply ignore it.

 

Welcome to TW. How do you feel about the frame rust issue? I think that's a much more serious thing to worry about. The rest of that stuff is cosmetic and can be easily be modified.