Why shouldn't I trade my 2016 Rubicon for a TRD?

First off, t4daddy is a douchebag and does not have a clue!
I have a Jeep, Tacoma and a Harley. Jeeps(JK's) have a primary purpose(not a mall crawler). You have the top of the line Unlimited Rubicon. I understand your frustration with the dealer. Have you gone to another dealer or called corporate and voiced your concerns? You would have to spend alot of money to make a 16 TRD OR do what a Rubicon straight off the showroom floor can do. (Not knockin the Taco). On the other side, feelin your concerns I understand your mindset and would be hard to overcome. The Taco is a good choice and the problems voiced here are amplified because of the limited audience.
I had a 2008 Unlimited, a 2008 Sahara(wifes), and now a 2014 Sahara. This is my 3rd Tacoma. The Engine/Trans was developed so Toyota can meet the upcoming EPA requirements. It's differnt and a learning curve.

As for $, you should be able to get 37k no problem. Story... The wife got rear-ended in her 2008 by a 73 y/o in a Prius(4am and foggy sitting at a stoplight). I paid 25k for the Sahara(ordered straight from Jeep). Insurance totaled it and after 6 years of use(07-13) they paid 26,500.
As for the Harleys, Mine has water-cooled heads, infotainment system and a stereo to die for! It cost more than eother the TRD OR or a new Jeep Unlimited Rubicon. I enjoy spending my kids inheritance!!!

 

I don't blame you for moving on. We had a brand new 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it was riddled with transmission problems that left us stranded multiple times that the dealer "could not replicate". And look now, the transmissions are killing people lol. It had rattles, was constantly in for recalls, had tire issues, then the poor customer service is what drive us away. Now we have an Audi Q7 lol

But I do suggest waiting for at least a 17 Tacoma.

 

I agree about the Wranglers, especially the Rubicon, having more off road chops than any other manufactured street legal vehicle, with the FJ Cruiser following not very far behind. I also agree about the TJ's being the more bullet proof powertrain, followed by the pre-2012 JK's.

The problem is that in 2012 Chysler went to their Jesus-motor (3.6 Pentastar) that is supposed to save Chrysler, but royally screwed the pooch on cylinder head designs. Google "wrangler cylinder head issues" and settle in for a very long and exhaustive read. What about the 6 speed manual transmissions cause manuals are more reliable/better? Got ya covered there, too. Google Wrangler Rattle. I can only say so much, but my 13 Wrangler did not have a cylinder head issue and it was a 6 speed manual. Even their 6 speed manuals are having severe mechanical issues with both the powertrain and driveline.

OP, the cylinder head problem isnt localized to the 2012 and early production 2013 Wranglers. The cylinder heads changed minor designs from AB heads to AD heads by late 2013. My Rubicon X was a very late 2014 production and my cylinder head (cylinder #2 misfire) crapped out on me at 66k miles...literally just barely shy of 2 years owning it. I have personal relationships with 3 individuals at that dealership. One of them told me that they have seen "quite a few" 2014 - 2016 Wranglers needing cylinder head(s) replaced. It isnt as bad as the 2012-2013's but Chrysler is still having significant cylinder head failures. What is scary is that there is very little to no warning. I had zero indicators mine was about to go out. My uncle hd a 2014 Sahara Unlimited. His cylinder head went out at 52k miles. They had to replace his cylinder head 3 different times. He finally traded in on a full size truck. Btw, I had a close friend that used to work for Chrysler. He sent me a pic when my Rubicon X was in frame and during each stage. He got my Wrangler factory inspected by 3 separate Inspectors. We did all we could to make sure I wouldnt have a repeat of my 13 Wrangler. Ultimatey, it didnt work out. I could have lived with an occasional squeak, hell even a few water drops leaking through the soft top (which it didnt leak at all) would have been something I could have accepted. Ever price cyclinder heads incase they go out after your powertrain warranty?

Whether you have an auto or manual wrangler, you are likely gonna have cylinder head issues. If you have a manual, you may be lucky enough to escape the Wrangler Rattle, but you are still staring down a loaded gun barrel with those cylinder heads. Id get something else, if I were you, even if you buy something other than a Tacoma/Toyota.

 

sounds like your a candidate for the 2017 TRD Pro. More money, but life could be worth it for you in the long run. I don't mind my monthly payments being higher than I wanted as long as I'm happy with what I'm driving (sleep well at night too).

 

Oh I'm no stranger to the rattle lol, that's what my transmission issue is. It rattles like a baby toy. But like I said, they "couldn't replicate it". The dealership was just so sub par it was unreal. But even if that dealer was a rare thing (it's not), the fact remains as you said, head issues. And if the freaking fuel lines are coming apart, what else was put together improperly from the factory? It's just so worrisome to think about. Especially with the amount of driving I do and trips I take.

I believe I could get a clean trade for it, it's just whether or not I want to. We'll see.

Again, I can't stress enough how helpful you guys have been.

 

By way of friendly general advice, not to be misconstrued as legal advice in any way, shape, or form...record. Record, record, record. If your state is a one party consent state, then record when you talk to service advisors, etc. You can bet they are recording you once you make a big stink. Turn everything off in your jeep and video record it in neutral (yes, they will eventually try to claim it is 'neutral rollover' causing that noise/rattle). Video record under your Jeep while it is running. I got in my parents' yard, wrapped my cell phone in a towel, placed it on the front axle area (there is a flat spot where it will fit without flopping around), and I slowly took off in 1st gear. Once up to speed in 1st, I left it in first gear, pressed the clutch to the floor and held it, then switched the engine off and let it coast (coasting on flat smooth green grass lol), then it sounded like metal being shaken around in a metal container. It sounded awful. You will also want to document if yours starts slipping out of gear, grinds going into or out of a gear, etc. They can replace the synchros, gates, etc., but some have not had any relief from even that. Bottom line is to protect yourself, document everything. I wish you the best in whatever decision you pursue!

 

...^^^... Great advice on "documenting your problems" ... and it has saved my azzz more than a few times.
.

 

I'm not understanding why so many people say to wait till the 2017 model. According to Toyota, there are no problems with the 2016. So what would they feel they need to address in the 2017 models?

 

I just bought the truck of my dreams and its a 2015. I had the ability to buy what ever i wanted but choose to stick with the 15 because I was worried about the 3.5 and the 6 speed. I would always be cautious about buying the first year of anything even Toyotas. I'm a true toyota fan and own nothing but Toyotas. My suggestion would be stick with 2015 or wait till the 18's come out. Give it 2 years to prove its self to be as good as the past. By the way I picked mine up with 12,500 miles for 30K out the door.

 

I find it laughable the amount of people giving OP advice not to buy a 16 don't own one or have driven one. OP I've had all gens, the 16 is a better tacoma, hands down. Some people have had a few issues but so did 2nd gens. There are also ALOT of 16s without issues, including myself. I also think its funny people say the 17s will be so much better, a) toyota won't change crap besides some minor things they are flying off dealer lots and toyota is slow to make big changes/additions look at 2nd gens b) if there are true issues they will be addressed with TSBs. Hell the 15's had the same parts and issues as 05s. People here are silly sometimes. I will say be weary of the trade value, again they won't care about a single mod you've done and will want to give you low end of trade in. Good luck OP and don't be weary of a 2016 tacoma if your gonna listen to anybody listen to people that ACTUALLY OWN one.

 

All depends what you plan to do with it....I have lots of friends with 4dr JK's and they work awesome in Baja, Moab etc and are pretty comfy on the street. A stock Rubicon will out wheel anything in the Tacoma line right from the dealer. If your plans don't include stuff like the Rubicon Trail and you need a truck, then the Taco would be a good choice. As others have said, you might want to wait until the 17's come out and Toyota has worked out some of the bugs. My good friend has a 16 TRD OR Taco that ate the crankshaft sensor on his first long trip...got left at a dealer a couple hundred miles from home and took a couple weeks to get fixed due to a nationwide backorder on the part (41 were on back order so it was a bit of an issue for Toyota). If you are happy with the Jeep in general, simply find a better dealer to use. You can get a shit dealer with any make of vehicle. And for those who will slam me for the Jeep vs Taco statement, yes...Toyota makes vehicles that will run with the Rubicon from the dealer, you just can't buy them in the US!



4.0 with an auto and still a straight axle in front...coil sprung with leaves in the rear!

 

Bit of an update:

I went to CarMax to get a rough idea of the value. They said 33k, yeah right. So then I called the manager I know of a local toyota dealership and he said the trade in value is around 38k, and that I would most likely be getting a small amount back were I to trade for a TRD off-road with a short bed double cab manual. He said there was only one quicksand in the vicinity that he could trade for and it was sold. So now he's looking for some other colors. I'll update once I have a better idea of what will happen. Seems like no one drives manuals these days

 

Yeah you should be good as long as you don't get the tech package. Idk if that's a deal breaker or not for you. You could possibly come out lower regardless though depending on the negotiating skills. I'm 24 and was in your spot and this Ram is my 3rd 2015 lol. I lost a bit of money but nothing I couldn't deal with. No point in driving something you don't want if you can afford it.

 

Are you in a hurry to buy? If not, order and wait for the color and options you want. I can't imagine your trade-on value dropping that much in the next six months.

 

Manual xmissions are fine unless you drive in traffic...then they're a pita.

 

I had the complete opposite experience as the OP. I have a 13 taco sport, and just bought a '16 rubicon and a '15 f150 for the dd will be selling the taco and putting every dime of equity, roughly 25k into the jeep. Toyota makes a great truck, but as a base platform the jeep is far superior off road. The jeep suited my personal needs a little more.

 

I've always thought of the Wrangler and the Tacoma as two different vehicles. That being said, it doesn't sound like that matters too much to you (OP). It sounds like having a truck or jeep (SUV type) will function just fine for you. I think if you're regretting your purchase and you see no end to the issues, perhaps a different vehicle is needed. Of the prominent issues I've read with the 2016 Tacoma, nothing sounds major, and that's my opinion. Early checking of fluids and components and test driving will ease much of the issues. For what it's worth, of the people I know have them locally around me, they all love it.

The 2017 Tacoma is right around the corner and if you're thinking of the new Tacoma, I'd wait for it, because you can afford to. The 2017 may not fix any or all of the issues the 2016 encountered, but it could.

I'm waiting for a 2017 Tacoma to arrive later this year and I've worked it out with the dealer that I get to inspect and test drive the vehicle that I intend to buy, before committing.

I've always read the jeeps were less reliable than tacoma's, but that didn't mean I ruled it out when considering my next purchase. For me, it's function. I wanted a bed.

If you love the jeep, keep it and use the warranty, but I don't think you can go wrong either way.

Good luck with your decision.

 

The problem OP has is that the new Wrangler will be coming out soon so he will take a hit if he doesn't sell it before those release

 

How big a hit? That was really the question.

 

I took a bigger hit than I thought I would on my Tacoma when I sold it after the 16's came out.