Why be afraid of 1st Yr 2016 Model?

Trying to figure out where all the angst, bad mouthing, &/or worry is coming from.

I know back in the day a % of American cars had various issues on 1st MY, but I never really heard or experienced Japanese cars having much 1st yr flaws. Also, it's 2015, overall quality is orders of magnitude better on all cars nowadays compared to cars circa 60s, 70s, 80s, or even 1990s, no?

Are people holding on to some theory/concept that's now, in reality, been rendered an old-wives-tale?

Does Toyota have a history of producing lemon 1st year vehicles? If so, which ones?

I've had a few 1st yr vehicles since the late 80s, never remember much of an issue with any of them. *I'm currently leasing a 2014 Corolla for a work car. Other than the CTT (Continuously Terrible Transmission... Which is 'flawed' by nature of what they all are), I haven't had so much as a rattle in it to bitch about.*

On the flip-side, a long-in-the-tooth vehicle comes with no guarantee it'll be problem free. Case in point: My old '94 Toyota truck with a 22RE is arguably the WORST vehicle I've ever owned from a problem standpoint (it's the only vehicle that's ever left me stranded beside the road). We've also had various recall & non-recall mechanical issues with non-1st year Honda cars (a 99 Accord & a 2011 Pilot).

I'm thinking about a 2016 Tacoma so I need to try & decide if I'm missing something reference 1st Year lemon probability, or if people are being unjustifiably silly. I tend to think if ya need a vehicle & you like or love any particular model (especially from Toyota), you pull the trigger on it & drive on regardless if it's 1st year or 8th year.

 

It won't be anything catastrophic but there will be bugs that will get worked out. Take for instance some of the issues with the 2005's (weak tailgates, head gasket issues, leaf packs, etc.)

 

you mean

$90 2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma With 4L Right Petrol intake air snorkel kit high performance system compatible kit Replacement black Rotational Molding (2005-2015)

2005-2015

 

lol.

 

Most of the hate for the 2016's is people's inherent nature to claim that what they have is best and newer, older, other manufacturers etc are not as good.

Every time there's a tire thread with someone saying Should I get A or B, there's always dozens of people saying I have C, D, E etc and I love them and they are the best and I will use them forever!

If i was in the market for a new truck I'd buy a 2016 instead of the 2015. More power, better MPG's, high quality Toyota engineering, full warranty. I didn't like the new grille on the 2012+ initially. It's a grille. Who cares.

 

failing motor mounts...

 

That wasn't the topic, depending on the pricing and the final numbers on the 2016, I'd consider one as well, OP was asking if there will be any bugs in the first year or two. That sir I guarantee.

 

I think if there are any bugs, it will either be with the new engine or maybe a few of the electronic gizmos.

Maybe these folks who have continuously bashed the 2016 Tacoma before it is even test driven, are trying to justify not liking it because they really do like it!

 

Just take a look at the recolorado...

 

Agreed though a lot of hate for it. I hated the first pics of the limited. But after seeing the interior and gizmos of the off road its starting to grow on me/can deal with that front end which im still having a hard time loving. Interesting to see what the sport will look like.

 

BINGO!

Same here, as I would be interested in a DCSB Sport!

 

I like the new 2016 access cab and would get one except I need to put a shell on it right away.
The cab looks the same but the new bed is taller and longer so Snug Top will have to redesign all it's molds and I doubt the HiLiner Sport I want will be first priority for them.
I plan on starting my search for a 2015 model next week.

 

The biggest issues with the 2005 were the head gaskets and weak engine mounts. Other stuff like leaf springs and tailgates are minor.

 

Exactly! Despite the little things, either truck 2nd or 3rd or 1st gen, they are all great trucks. Just a lot of alpha males in one spot. People are never content. lol.

 

The more I think about this concern, the more it's just hard for me to believe there's a significant probability of something seriously wrong making it to production.

May or may not be some minor issues but then again, there's no guarantee Toyota will agree there are any issues in the 1st place I.e. Some consumers may determine there is, but that doesn't mean Toyota will do anything to change said item(s), so waiting would not help much if you really need or want a new Tacoma.

There's also the chance you'd like something on a vehicle & by waiting for a later year you miss out on something you wanted (didn't they eliminate outside temp feature in the rear view mirror at some point during Gen 2 Tacomas)?

 

I would not hesitate to buy a 2016 if I was in the market for a new truck. It's basically a 2nd gen with improvement to drivetrain. The motor and tranny are not new state of the art designs. They use the 6spd auto and the motor in other Toyota vehicles. Yes the details on the motor have not been released but everyone knows it's basically the same as the 3.5 a cross the Toyota and Lexus lineup. Probably tuned a bit different but the same basic motor.

Don't forget you new truck comes with this really cool thing called a warranty

 

well I am on the books for the first allocation my dealer gets.

to hell with anyone says cause the warden wants it and dam if im not going to keep her happy.

I never did give it any thought to first year issues on a Toyota cause frankly I've never really ran into any from our perspective since buying Toyota's since the 80's.

to her its a vehicle that never leaves her stranded, works without issue and gets the job done for her needs. granted her needs are no where near what the 5-10% here that require a lot more out of the truck.

but as a daily driver mall crawler, it fits the bill.

 

In 1980 my brother bought one of the first GM X Cars. A Buick Skylark FWD with a manual transmission (and GM hadn't built many manual transmissions in the years prior).

The car was so bad that it literally dropped the transmission when after delivery he drove it off the dealer's lot.

I'd like to tell you how it drove but it was never out of the shop for very long.

Mercifully, it was totaled within 90 days when my brother was hit pulling out of the dealer's lot after what seemed like his 10th service.

I say this because today's Toyota is not the 1980's GM. The 2016 is different from the 2nd gen but not so different that I would expect mechanical reliability to be an issue.

 

Good lawd! For sure, some, check that.... A lot of the crap the big 3 produced in the early 'smog car' era was beyond criminal. Of course Japanese car companies such as Toyota would not be what they are today without the rolling self-initiated disaster that was American car industry of that era.

Uncool story: I dated a chick when I was stationed in Michigan who had a dad that worked for GM Flint. Some of the horror stories I heard from him (production faux paus & willful sabotage by disgruntled / non-motivated employees) was enough to make one question his faith in the American worker.

 

Ya but GM's trucks were still pretty good and in 1985 I bought a GMC S15 4x4 which was a pretty good truck.