New purchase of 2007. Good idea?

Hey All,


First post here.



I am looking to buy a 2nd gen (06-08), and found a 06, crew-cab, 4x4, MT, that has just under 100K miles on it. Seems to be in “good” condition. The head gasket was replaced under (an extended) warranty, and so were the hubs/bearings. I was told that it needs new tires, and also has a vibration while driving. I have not seen it in person yet. With this relatively vague info, does this sound like something to consider? Too many problems for such a “young” vehicle? Especially at $17,800?


Thanks!

 

Different markets have different pricing and availabilities, but it wouldn't interest me.

Mileage is fair-ish, but at that level I'd want to see impeccable maintenance records.

Consider it is very rare for a head gasket failure w/o being some root cause like overheating, and then the question is 'why'? I mean we're not talking high performance engines running on the ragged edge here.............

Usually the answer is lousy maintenance.

 

Actually up until early 07 head gasket failures in cylinder 6 are pretty common. Mine did it. The later gaskets fixes it. With 100k both front hubs being done is common too. But a price of $17.8k seems really high to me. Especially needing tires and with a vibration issue. Sounds kind of like the 05 double cab I sold a few years back. OK shape but not mint, tires were 2/3 worn, 142k... Sold it for 12 and it took a while.

 

<100,000 miles, head gasket, hubs/bearings. Sounds like someone shithauled their truck, and ignored maintenance. Could be wrong but that's my 2 cents Canadian.

 

If you really like the truck, tell them you'll give them $15k, but only if they put new tires on it.

Otherwise, keep looking.

 

welcome, maybe take a look around this thread and see if anything you like

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas-sale/

but concerning the price, i'd say it's pretty reasonable, i've def seen a lot of worse prices, i'm not sure bout the head gasket, but i really don't think these trucks require much maintenance other than fluids, serpentine belt, and plugs, so i'm not sure how neglected it could be, just my thoughts, i could be wrong

also, on here, everybody "admits" mods don't add to the price, yet every modded truck you see will def have a good portion of mod prices added into the price

 

Thanks so far to everyone who chimed in. One problem is that the current owner still owes almost $16K on it, so I have little room to go down without him eating into his own funds just to sell it...

I suspect that if I am patient, I will find a better deal...It does have a topper, lift, ARB bumper, and a Warn winch, but those perks are not a big deal to me if there are issues that affect longevity. (this may change the valuation to some extent, and I should have noted them in the original post-sorry).

 

Also, this may be the WRONG forum to ask this question, but is there any solid reason I shouldn't go for a Nissan Frontier, as they are a few thousand cheaper for comparable vehicles.

Can of worms = opened

 

For some reason I thought you were buying this truck from a dealer. Now that I know it's a private seller, I would say that he wants too much for it.

It's his problem that he's upside down on it, not yours.

 

I researched Frontiers for a buddy a few months back. As long as it's a newer Frontier, there is really nothing major wrong with them other than limited aftermarket crap available. Stay clear of any older Frontiers. They're known to have tranny, fuel, and cooling issues. Probably a safer bet to go with a Tacoma.

 

For sure! I suspect this limits my bargaining power, however...

 

Not at all. If he really needs to sell, it will have to be at a market price, not a 'bail me out' price.

If you like the truck, have it professionally inspected with 'up to snuff' estimates. Then figure out the trade and private party values, deduct the needed repair expenses, and make an offer.

Be prepared to walk away, don't argue. Just give him your number, make it clear you have a cash offer (no waiting for a bank, blah blah) and tell him to call if he changes his mind.

I've bought several vehicles that way, at a good value. I've lost some too, but at least I didn't overpay.

Just food for thought. Keep shopping.

 

I like Frontiers. I drove one for a week as a rental while I was looking for a truck, so it allowed me to compare it against the Tacomas that I already knew a lot about. I had a crew cab 5' bed 4x4 V6 SV, which should be about equal to a Tacoma DCSB SR5 4x4.

• Frontier's seating position is better, but the comfort of the seat itself is worse. Kind of a wash there.
• Some of it seemed "cheap"--dash felt plasticy, gauges didn't light at all without headlights on.
• Even though it made more power, the throttle map made it feel weak off the line. Also, it has 3.36 gears and it was a bit of a dog on hills on the highway--needed to downshift often.
• Bed light is great! Why doesn't the Tacoma have one?
• Locking tailgate is also great. Cheap to add one to a Tacoma, but should be standard.
• Like the shift pattern on the Tacoma better. Never liked straight back gearshifts like the Frontier has.
• Not as much aftermarket support, but for what I've done it probably wouldn't have been a problem.
• Like the rear disc brakes, primarily from an ease of service standpoint. But, my Tacoma's rear drum pads still look great at 73k.

Mostly nitpicky stuff. I would not hesitate to buy one and will compare it against the Tacoma again at that point since they will both be in a new generation.