New to Tacoma Shopping - Weekend Test Drive & Need Your Wisdom!

Hey Tacoma community!

I'm completely new to the truck world as an adult (I grew up riding in pickup beds, drove them as a teenager, etc) and currently have a 2021 TRD Off-Road 4x4 Double Cab sitting in my driveway for a weekend test drive. The dealer was cool enough to let me take it home until Monday at 6pm, and I'm trying to make the most informed decision possible.

I have links to the dealer's page for this and the Carfax but wasn't sure if I should post those or not.

The Details:

• 2021 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4x4, Midnight Black with Cement interior
• 77,000 miles
• Negotiated price: $34,342 (Agreed in writing to $36,783 OTD)
• Clean Carfax, but zero service records showing
• Comes with Ford Blue Certified coverage (90 days/4K miles comprehensive + 7yr/100K powertrain)
• Rolling on Mickey Thompson Baja Legend EXP LT305/70/17 tires with what appear to be aftermarket wheels (Method Racing or Fuel maybe?)

What's Got Me Thinking: The truck looks fantastic overall - clean interior/exterior, engine bay looks well-maintained. But the 17K miles/year average has me wondering if this was a highway warrior or if someone actually used it for adventure. The trailer hitch shows some use, but the frame underneath looks solid with no stress cracks or concerning welds.

My Main Questions (Total Newbie Here!):

1. Lift Question: How can I tell if there's a factory lift vs. aftermarket modifications? This TRD sits higher than I expected.
2. Service Records: Clean Carfax but no maintenance history showing - red flag or nah? Truck seems extremely well-cared for based on condition.
3. Headlight Mystery: Driver side headlight looks brand new, passenger side is starting to oxidize. No accidents on Carfax - should this raise suspicions?
4. Tire/Wheel Setup: Those Mickey Thompson Baja Legends look aggressive - are they a good sign that the previous owner knew what they were doing, or overkill for mostly highway miles?
5. Fair Deal Check: Does $34,342 for a '21 Off-Road with 77K and in exceptionally clean condition seem reasonable in today's market? I've seen similar around me with over 100K miles and they're asking about $2K more than this.

The Plan: I'm scheduling a pre-purchase inspection at a local shop before Monday's deadline. Never bought a used truck before, so any advice on what to specifically ask them to check would be huge.

This community seems incredibly knowledgeable, and I'd really appreciate any insights, red flags to watch for, or general "wish I'd known that" advice for a first-time Tacoma buyer. Thanks in advance!

 

welcome! I am new to Taomas as well.

I'm sure your pre-purchase inspection will tell a lot about the vehicles past. Be sure to have them look out for aftermarket parts, lift blocks, etc. Usually you can tell how the prior owner(s) cared for the vehicle if they used reliable/reputable branded aftermarket parts/upgrades. That warranty sounds quite nice and to me, seems like they show great confidence in the truck to offer it.

Those are some large tires, I'd imagine it has some sort of lift kit on it.

As for price, keep comparing to local listings, facebook, etc. Seems pretty fair to me for the mileage, but local pricing can vary.

 

I think I'm in good shape to proceed after the inspection. No codes thrown, and hopefully I can use the front diff gasket leak and shocks as leverage to get the deal done. The manager told me his service tech asked why it was being inspected since it was in such good condition. He also confirmed there are no signs of any kind of repairs on the front end driver side. They suspect that the original owner simply parked in a similar spot frequently that got more sun to the passenger side.

I still welcome any and all thoughts, advice, etc. I thought sharing a redacted version of my inspection report might be helpful for others at some point.
"

 

Welcome to TW..

 

Welcome aboard!

 

It's done, I'm now the thrilled owner of my first Tacoma...wanted one for ~30 years, better late than never!

 

thats a beauty, big congrats on the purchase!

 

Welcome to TW!