what year preference up to 2010

Just finished timing belt. all fluids, brakes and suspension on my sons 2003 PreRunner hoping to keep him in a safe and sound vehicle the next two years while away at college.

Two months later, this weekend in fact. while stopped behind a semi on the freeway he was rear ended at 60 mph by an octogenarian in an SUV.

The Tacoma lost. SO I think we will be in the market for a replacement.

Son and girlfriend suffered whiplash.

Biggest concern airbags failed to deploy

 

I like my 07....

 

Lucky to be alive. Glad they're okay.

 

my vote would be for a first generation replacement 1995.5-2004 years

the beds are made of metal and not all plastic and they don't have a lot of the problems you see with the 2005-2014 trucks.

don't think you can go wrong either way but my vote is for a first gen all the way

the plastic beds are the main reason I decided against buying any Tacoma made after 2004

I want an all metal body truck and not a half plastic truck, but that's just me

in fact I suggest if you buy another first gen truck you have the parts from the wrecked truck to use on it (buy it back from insurance for the scrap value) so you just need to find a good cheap first gen truck with a bad engine and put your engine in it

 

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/new-members/166766-05-tacoma-vs-18-wheeler.html Check this out. Don't get me wrong, I love the 1st gens, but safety wise it lacks a bit. And after seeing this, it made me want a 2nd gen.

 

well sorry to tell you but second gens are even weaker (especially the bumpers) and the beds are now made of plastic not metal.

things happen but if I have to get hit like that I like my chances of surviving a lot better in a first gen then a second gen Tacoma.

if you want something safer to survive a lightning strike accident like that go for a full sized truck but to be honest I don't think a big truck would have fared all that much better, it was just a horrific accident is all.

 

To each his own. I completely understand where you're coming from. Just my preference to have more airbags

 

by the way would you be interested in selling or exchanging plus $$$ for some parts off of the wrecked truck?

im looking for tan interior center console and a driver bucket seat but I think I could make do with a passenger side if the brackets can be swapped for the drivers side (at least I think they can)

I live nearby (laplace) so I can pick them up from you so no need to bother with shipping and if you are concerned about insurance thing I can swap my seats 60/40 buckets without console (from a 1999) for yours so the truck still looks complete.

in my experience the insurance company doesn't care if you want to take stuff out of it before they junk it as long as it is mostly whole but we can check with them first to be sure.

 

Lol, my truck isn't totaled if you are referring to me. Bumper needs to be replaced as well as the right fender needs to be straightened. Will be getting it repaired Monday. And I had to pay out of pocket as I only had liability on it.

 

ok, lol got you mixed up with the OP

not sure where he is located

 

I'd personally recommend getting a first gen after 97. The 95.5-97 (I think) have different shackle locations IIRC... There are more options for the 98+ models if you ever decide to mod. I always liked the hardiness of the first gens. The first gen beds and bumpers are stronger too.

 

I recommend a second gen. I mean the first gen was great but the second gen is better for safety ratings.

 

Well the truck is in Phoenix and we are in SoCXal so can't do much about scrapping truck. Thankful kids are ok. The hunt continues. What dealers want vs blue book is crazy. They hold their resale value

 

Sorry to hear about your son's truck. Glad they're ok. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I wouldn't think the airbags would deploy in a rear end hit. Or did he hit into the Semi too and they didn't go off?

 

Don't understand why people have problems with composite beds. It's tougher than steel, doesn't rust, and it's lighter. My understanding is the only reason other manufacturers don't use them is cost--they're significantly more expensive than a conventional metal bed.

 

Is the 2nd gen really just a plastic bed? I assumed it was a plastic shell bolted on top of a metal bed...

I have only owned mine for 2 months, and have only spent two weekends with it as I'm currently traveling for work.

 

Yup. Look underneath. No metal there.

From the Tacoma brochure:

The fiber-reinforced Sheet-Molded
Composite (SMC) material in the bed of
Tacoma isn’t just a bedliner, it’s the bed
itself. And while it may be handsome,
it’s not there for looks. This rugged
material actually provides better impact
strength than steel.

 

^ this. Plus I wouldn't call it plastic. It's more similar to fiberglass.

 

From a safety standpoint, the 2nd gen is the way to go. From 2009 on, curtain and side became standard, which is a big plus. 2009+ also has some nice little upgrades, like a backup camera and aux input.

 

Newer the better IMO. If you're going for safety the 05+. More air bags and better crash ratings!