I need your opinion on a potential purchase

Hello All,

New member here. I actually joined, in part to get all your opinions on potential Tacomas.
I've been driving Xterras since 06 and know them inside and out, but have no idea about Tacomas, so here I am. While I will sing the praises of the venerable,15 mpg Xterra, till the day I die, I've been looking for something with a bed for the last year and it's either a Frontier or Tacoma.

A few things to add context to my questions. I usually do all my own wrench turning, with the exception of transmissions. That said, I am pretty confident in looking for problems, noises and mechanical issues.

So here it goes (I'll post pics from the CL post, if I am able to load them). All details are from the seller's description in the CL post and email reply. I have not yet seen this vehicle.

I found a one owner, 2014 Tacoma, crew cab, 4x4, short bed, limited package, with 210K miles (said to be just about all highway). No accidents, dings, new windshield, new brakes, tires in great condition. Pretty firm asking price $19,800.

Owner is in the automotive business and he has ASE mechanics who work for/with him, that maintain the vehicle. oil changes every 5k. He drives between Colorado and Montana twice a month, which easily explains the miles.
He report no issues at all, no rust, rattles, leaks, smells (as is burning oil, fluids) and that it's in excellent condition. Pictures do indicate this.

Assuming all the seller info is accurate/honest, what is your opinion.
I know what I would look for and check if I was looking at a 2014 Xterra. What would you guys look for, that is Tacoma specific?
While I know Tacos are bullet proof, was there any stand out issues for 2nd Gens or 2014's in particular?
Seem like a fair price, if it really is all highway miles?
I did a KBB calc with the options I figured it had, and came up with $18, 800 for private seller. I may have missed some items.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

Check for frame rust. Particularly on the inside channel by the catalytic converters.
Make sure the 4WD works.
Check for timing cover leaks. It usually appears on the passenger side first.
If at all possible, ask for maintenance records. I’d say if it hasn’t needed a set of front wheel bearings yet, it will before long.

Other than that, do just as you would on the Xterra. Check for the obvious stuff.

 

Thanks Shooter!!
That's the type of info I was looking for.

 

So I’ll say first I bought my truck and it had 235k highway miles and it also had meticulous records. It’s totally night and day difference when you find a babied truck with highway miles compared to someone’s car that was driven hard and around town a lot.

That truck looks absolutely mint and I’m sure it drives great. But me personally I couldn’t spend 20k though with the mileage when a new truck is 30k.

 

Seems expensive for the mileage but everything is nuts in this market so I don’t know any more…

In addition to what’s said above here’s a thread about Toyotas white paint problems:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/consolidated-super-white-040-paint-issue-failure-thread.689940/

Downside is yours isn’t an OffRoad model so no rear locker which isn’t important to everyone. Otherwise 2014 is one of the best years to own for a 2nd gen.

 

The major concern with that truck with that high mileage(30k /yr) would be how much of it was for towing since there's a towing hitch ball in the pic. I doubt you will get an honest answer from any seller on it. I would pay more for a less mileage Tacoma just for peace of mind. Any vehicle with high mileage will nickle/dime you as the miles increase and within a few years of ownership, that motor will reach close to 300k. Personally, I would pass.

 

Spend a bit more and get one with half the milage.

 

I gotta agree with the last couple posts. My truck is nearly identical - 2014 DCSB 4x4, with 88,000 miles I bought it for $26K in October. The used truck market was high at that point too, just takes some patience and LOTS of shopping around, but you can find options if you check often. I looked for about 2 months every day before finding mine. Hope this helps, good luck man!

 

Wait 6 months. Higher interest rates will crush the used car market.

 

Welcome to the Forum! For comparision: Last year in the June/July time frame when I was looking, the same truck (2014) in clean condition, (SR5 trim, V6 DC Auto 4x4 SB) the asking price for a Tacoma with +- 100,000 miles was around $24,000 firm (KBB "very good"). The market at that time was starting to heat up, but used Tacoma's were not yet scarce: just "in demand" like they always are. "Limited" trim on the same truck (4x4 DC SB) added about $2,000 to the price as I recall, but they were very scarce as was anything with the 6' bed.

 

This right here. If you wait a few months used car interest rates will probably hit double digits and prices will come down significantly.

 

Millage is to high for that price plus been towing, Hard Pass for me. But used truck prices are crazy high right now. I would wait for another deal.

 

Thanks for all the great replies.
All of you brought up excellent points, for why I am going to pass on this one.

Many of you brought up considerations, that were on my short list, had I gone to see it...towing history, maintenance (bearings, flushes, seals, suspension, etc).

wi_taco...thanks for bringing up the paint issue. Since I am in the Nissan world most of the time, I didn't know this was an issue for Toyota. That along with the high mileage many of you mentioned was the last nail in the coffin.

I absolutely agree with all of you who said the market will change in the very near future. I am not in a hurry at all...I've been looking for a little over a year. I also am looking for a private seller (won't go near a dealership), so that will take time. For now the Xterra and a trailer will suffice.

Again, thanks for all the inputs. This is really a great forum and resource.

 

I spent several months looking. The first few months were wasted, I learned good Tacoma's get snatched up quickly. That looks like a good one, I'll think about it a couple days, gone. I found one and did my own snatch.

30 k miles a year is a lot.

You could try to find the shop he owns, see what yelp reviews he has. If it sounds like a honest shop, then maybe.

 

Along with real estate.

 

Carvan will start droping used Tacomas in random driveways and write off the loss.

 

Lol hopefully they drop a new lunar rock pro in mine. I wouldn’t complain.