Debating going from Ford to Toyota

So I assume you still paid less for this "rare" truck than a typical 2005-2006 Tacoma with similar milage?

 

Yes. All the access cabs I could find were about $3000 more and were a couple hundred miles away...if you can find one. The only thing I really have against the 2nd gens is the $$$ I am lacking. I like the body style of the 1st gen better, but a little more room wouldn't be a bad thing. I would have had to go with a regular cab to get close to the price of the one I bought. Grandma wouldn't go for that! Might want to haul a grandkid along.

 

Well, that was interesting. I almost told them to take their Tacoma and drive it where the sun don't shine! When I test drove the truck with him the CEL came on. He said, "We'll make sure that is taken care of." When I got there to deal on it, they had not gotten it in for detail and the CEL. I asked about it again and got the same, we'll take care of it. We had quite a haggle. They came down from their initial $2689 to $1900 and we finally settled one $1500. Again both said they would get the truck in and take care of CEL and detail so I could pick it up at 11:45 tomorrow morning.

After the deal was done and I was back home, I got a call from the salesman. The CEL was the O2 sensor and the shop was going to charge them $400 to replace it. They had put on new CAT back exhaust and reused the O2 sensor. My first thought was, how does this involve me? They were going to back out on the deal...my bad for not getting it in writing before I left the dealership. So the dealership was going to bill itself $400 for replacing a $55 part and expected me to pay that...interesting that that was exactly the amount I had haggled them down.

Anyway, I found an O2 sensor at O'Reilly Auto for $69.99, so I called them back and said just take $70 off my bill and I'd put the darn thing on myself. I thought that was more than fair since it wasn't going to cost them the $400. Sales manager said no. I asked the salesman if they were just stupid or what since they had said they would fix the problem and now they were going to lose a customer over $70. I said why don't you put that sales manager on the phone...of course he was busy with another customer.

Twenty minutes later, the salesman called back and said they'd do the deal but they would have to ask more for my F150. My question, "Why would I give a rat's ass what you ask for the F150?" Well, the manager had told me what he was going to ask for it and now it would be more. I told him take the $70 off and charge $20,000 for the F150 for all I care. So I guess I still am going to be a Tacoma owner...just not as happy about it as I was initially. Fortunately, I do most of my own work on vehicles anyway and have a friend who does the rest, so I don't have to worry too much about them trying to put the screws to me in the future.

I don't know why the morons didn't change the O2 sensor when they did the exhaust anyway.

There, now I have vented. Let's hope things go better tomorrow and in the future with this little, black TuRD!

...and no, I am not buying the Bosch O2 sensor from O'Reilly. I'm going to order a Denso.

 

FWIW in my humble opinion, even with the initial dealer hazing you just got, you give that truck a chance, it will repay you many times over the years, and you'll find yourself having a hell of a time trying to part with it.
They grow on ya these old 1st-gens.
You made a smart move getting that truck.

 

Yeah, I hope so. It's not the truck that ticks me off its the games the dealers like to play when you try to buy one. The only time I bought a vehicle that I wasn't annoyed as hell at the dealer by the end of the transaction was when I bought my FX4. I told him what I had to trade and how much I'd give for boot. He went into his office and shuffled some papers, came out and said, "Okay," I wrote him a check, signed the title and drove home in my new-to-me truck. I was happy. He was happy. No stress. He didn't have to go ask the boss, then come back with another offer, just okay and done. I wish he sold Toyotas!

 

Im confused, did you trade in your truck or are you selling it on consignment? I dont get why they would bring up having to sell your F150 for more unless you are selling it on consignment..

 

Welcome to my world. I couldn't figure it out either. No I traded in the F150. I told the business manager today I thought they were nuts for listing it for what they told me they were going to anyway. He agreed. He couldn't figure out why they told me that either. His question was "Why would you care?" I said, "I don't. Once we trade, it's your truck. You can sell it for whatever you want." I also let him know I was less than happy with how the sale went. He said he was going to bring it up with the owner. Not sure that will make a difference at this point. The owner is a twerp anyway. I went round and round with him when he was the service manager there over work on my wife's car.

I told the business manager, I wasn't sure I would ever buy another vehicle from them and that I hoped the Taco lasted a long time so I didn't have to. I guess they do so much business they can afford to lose customers by backing out on made deals.

Anyway, the Taco is in my driveway now, so at this point I am just going to enjoy it. I ordered a Denso O2 sensor from Amazon. I had points there, so it's costing me $42.58 and the dealer allowed me $70 for the part, so I guess I get something for my labor...not the $400 they claimed it would cost though.

 

Congratulations!

 

I just went from Toyota to Ford. Frame on my '06 was rusted to hell; Toyota told me to screw off

 

Excellent looking truck, I think you'll like it. Take care of her and she'll take care of you. You'll probably get around 19mpg mixed, depending on habits.

 

Nice looking Taco... Ford makes a good product but you will find that this is a good decision.

 

You might regret that when the 2nd gen frame recall comes out .

OP, congrats on your new truck!