2009 Toyota Tacoma V6 4wd repair worth it?

Hey guys,

My truck has 183k miles and it’s been giving my issues. I actually had just bought it and I got screwed it feels like.

It’s been misfiring and I already replaced the coils & spark plugs. So the mechanic thinks it’s either a fuel leak or coolant leak because it has difficulty starting on cold start because engine gets flooded then shows p0300 code.

It hasn’t overheated or anything , and I was even able to drive it like 300miles when I bought it.

What would you guys do if you were in my situation? Let’s say it is a blown head gasket, for the mileage & it being in good shape interior and exterior should I repair it? Rebuild or engine swap? I’m really hoping it’s not but just trying to think of worst case scenario.

Or should I go the cheap route and try a sealer? I think the previous owner must’ve used one on it before but don’t know yet.

Any advice would be appreciated cause right now I don’t know what to do. Thank you

 

Definitely do the headgasket, the truck still has lots of value.

The sealer tends to cause more issues than it solves. It collects in odd places and when repairs are truly needed later on it complicates things.

The coolant mists into the cylinders over night slowly then causes the start up misfire. But you 100% need to confirm this first. A good borescope is ideal.

 

Are you familiar with how much this repair would cost ? Would you recommend shopping around and getting different quotes ?

 

Separate topic. But maybe important.

If the truck has spent any years in salt country, has the frame had a proper inspection?

Many have bought trucks with rotten frames. Changes the value proposition greatly.

 

The frame actually looks fine.

 

Anyone else got any advice for me ?

 

What year is your truck and where are you located?

 

100% worth doing the head gasket(s).
I’d want to know what type leak it is.
Injector leak or coolant leak.
One cost a lot more than the other to fix

Step one would be doing more diagnostics.

 

I got this one in Tennessee but I’m located in Illinois, it’s a 2009 Tacoma.

 

Yeah my mechanic is gonna let me know on Monday after doing some more tests.

do you know how much a head gasket replacement runs on these trucks for my year ?

 

Labor time according to Mitchell is 22 hrs so that times the labor rate for your shop plus parts should get you in the ballpark.

It wont be cheap any way about it if you have someone do it, even at $100/hr which is the average labor rate for independent shops here your looking at $2200. Many areas of the country have much higher rates.

 

At this point everything is just speculation. Get your truck properly diagnosed by a competent mechanic and go from there. You don’t even know the proper questions to ask until you know what the the actual problems are.