7 yr Ownership report

Picked up my 2005 7 yrs ago today. 64,000 miles, only been to dealer once (leaf springs TSB).

Updates/changes:
-Running Pennzoil Platinum in the motor, Full syn oil for 6-spd tranny, transfer and front diff.
-2 changes of 80w-90 Syn blend w/ no fiction modifier in LSD rear diff. Lays two tracks, no chatter.
-TRD exhaust, sounds good, 6 y/o now, still looks and sounds good.
-8th winter on Blizzaks tires on 16x7 steelies for Dec to late Mar. Last season on them?
-Stock H/T's were awful in winter, ok for summer. They lasted 30K, replaced w/ Kumho APT KPL51's.
-Cut a heavy 5/8" thick horse stall mat for the bed
-Homemade bed extender, makes 5ft to 6.6ft
-Added a spacer to shorten clutch pedal travel
-Added front bed D-rings
-Still the original battery
-Undercoat the frame with WD40 or chainsaw bar oil every Nov to minmize frame rust.
-Replaced front discs and pads this summer at 60K. 1 of 4 pistons on both sides was frozen.

4x4 system: Several thousand miles in 4hi and use 4lo a couple times a month. No issues.
Transmission & motor: No problems, 6spd only gets smoother over the years.
Body: Paint is doing fine, wax every 3-4 months.
Interior: Zero electronic issues, seats holding up well.
Composite bed: holding up great.

MPG:
Mostly Rural driving, light city
Avg 19-20 most year
drops to 17 in winter
Octane: Used all grades, but it likes at least 89. Towing 93. Pings on regular.

Issues:
-Bottoming out with a load and leaf spring squeak, but fixed w/ TSB.
-Frame rust, got to keep it coated for winter.
-Weak tailgate, so a plywood plank for weight dist when hauling my enduro moto.
-The TRD sport 17 rims still bubbled on the edges. But really havent worsened over the years.
-Very sensitive ABS, not setup well for winter.

OVerall its a great truck, still looks new. As long as the frame is taken care of should be no problem for years to come.

 

Thanks for posting this. Reports like these really help others out. Yes the Tacoma has its weak spots but so does every other vehicle. Reading these types of reports lets new owners ward off those bad issues easier. I got some great advice from a friend who owned an 05' version. He told me to go ahead and take off the mud flaps as they will break and the one in the back near the exhaust will wrap around it and make a plastic molten mess that has to be cleaned off the tailpipe. I did and sold them on craigslist for $120, they were practically brand new and half price of new ones. I used that $120 and got myself a Scangauge II which BTW is still working just fine and is accurate as it was day one. Let me follow your example and explain my experience:

Updates and Changes: At present 80K miles.

After the Rugged Trail tires wore out at 45K miles I ended up with Hankook AT's, 275/75/16. At 30K miles they are only half worn, great choice of tires.

Run Castrol Syntech 5-30W, factory filter and washer new every 5K miles. DIY

Had to get new battery due to plastic cracking around the posts. Battery was still good, just corroding the posts badly.

Added tailgate hose clamp.

Flipped the spare and has a cable lock on it.

Gas tank locking cap, no sugar please.......

Changed 4x4 diff oil, transfer case oil and rear diff oil at 30K miles. That synthetic gear oil is expensive!

Grease every 5K miles.

Rims damaged by tire installers, got them to repair them to the tune of $480.

Paint overspray from gas station painters, "idiots" I might add. Cost the station owner $250 to get it removed by professional service.

No floormat issues as I have Weathertech liners, my floormat works "back" if it moves at all. Grooves in floormat catch the front mat posts and it doesn't move.

NO CPU flash for brake override CYA braking issues. ALL that crap over runaways and even NASA says it is ALL operator error. I bought a vehicle that would do both at the same time and have threatened my dealer with a lawsuit if that CPU is flashed with that bullshit CYA program. I know where the key is, the brake, the emergency brake, the gearshift knob, etc. Others can try all the want to, to convince me that it is needed but I say bull shit. I have used power and brakes at the same time several times in high speed driving accident almost situations and I need to have both available at the same time with NO lag in power at any time.

Engine: No problems whatsoever, have changed plugs twice now at 30 & 60K.
Transmission: No problems whatsoever.
Body: Wax it ever 6 months, no problems other than overspray.
Bed: No issues.

Problems: Had to get the TSB on rear springs done, bottomed out with heavy loads.
Have windshield whistle, not too bad right now, might get it fixed under extended warranty soon.
Seat wearing some where a spring is pushing out, might get that fixed too soon.
Had to secure glove box opener with a small screw on the dash end.
Tire balance is tricky, tire store used new laser balancer to get it right. Took three trips in there to get it done right. Smooth as glass now at all speeds.
About time to change the front pads, just now hearing wear indicator every so often, 80K miles.
Radio changes stations by itself, I think. Don't do music much, thinking while driving, don't need the distraction.

Overall would I buy another one, yes. It does freak me out how much that driveshaft moves around but hey it all works as intended and we hear others with a 1/4 million miles on some 05's and 06's now so it must work. Hope that helps some.............

 

didn't you had video of your truck doing donuts in the snow ?

 

I'm at 60,000 and only had mine since summer of 08

 

Sounds like you are taking great care of the truck. I missed the TSB on the leaf springs but after 167K miles on my 4.0 2WD Tacoma Double Cab I'm thinking I need to replace the shocks and struts...haven't been getting the tire mileage despite rotation and one suggestions is replacing the shocks/struts might help. The only thing I've replaced out of the ordinary is the cable that controls the tach and fuel guages...weird. If when I open the driver side door I hear what sounds like a clock winding I know the tach guage won't work and the fuel guage will take 30-45 seconds to engage. If I don't hear that sound both guages work fine..its been this way for years. I paid Toyota to have it fixed once but when it went bad again 6 months later I decided I could live with it. I've replace NOTHING else on this truck, so if you continue to take the care you have been you should be able to own your truck relatively problem free for as long as you want to.

 

Great post. I think your experience is what most people have when they take care of the truck like you do. Glad to hear things are well for you and your Taco.

 

Thanks...my first truck...I bought a 4-Runner literally off the boat in 1984. 11 years and 225K miles later I still got $2K for it from Carmax. Might go to the Tundra for the rear leg room when the Taco dies but I don't expect that to be in this decade!