Advice on a used Tacoma

I have had a hard time trying to get the Tacoma I wanted, due to life issues. But, this is not the place to get into all of that. Basically I really wanted an Inferno Sport but things happened and was unable to get one. Now that Inferno has been discontinued I was interested in the 2019 SR with the V6. I got pricing on that and am getting to ready to place an order for one, but I came across this SR5. I had seen it before on Cars.com listed for 27,000, now its at 24,000. The pricing on the SR would be around 30k for a brand new truck, but the SR5 is Inferno and already has some mods. Sorry for the long story, now for the reason of this thread.
What should I look for on this truck? Its a 2016 with over 67k miles, has been modded a little. My thing is, I don't know much about lifts and what to check out. I would like some advice as to what i should look for on the suspension to make sure it is a quality job. The truck is 4wd and I don't really go off roading (I have atv's for that stuff).
Here is a link to the dealers site, but I will put a few pics for those that don't like clicking links.
https://sparksnissan.com/used/Toyota/2016-Toyota-Tacoma-f65479380a0e0ae8470e16fff786e156.htm

 

One thing to keeP in mind. Is has every TBS Been applied to the 2016? You should asked them to show you proof of all the updates the transmission has received. For example the latest update that solved a lot of drivability issues

https://www.tacomaworld.com/attachments/t-sb-0062-18-pdf.2816194/
From my research it seems like the 2016’s had a few bugs here and there that the newer 18’s and 19’s shouldn’t have anymore.

Other then making sure its fully updated. Depending if your buying it with cash or finance. Buying new will get you a lower interest rate thus maybe in the long run being worth it to get new....



Another thing to note is in a modded truck you never know what your going to get. At 67k it a little steep. Does the truck still have warranty?


IMO

1. If your buying in cash the used one doesn’t seem bad. As long as they prove it’s fully updated ETC. and has some Kind of warranty


2.. If your buying finance I would get the new one. Peace at mind warranty

 

Nice looking rig there. To start there's really not much to "look at" when buying one if these great trucks. With a typical used vehicle visual inspection by you and some sort of guarantee from your dealership you should be good to go. And look at everything don't just scan over it. If anything the milage is a bit on the high side even if the original owner bought the first one from his dealership when they were released thats still around 22,000 miles a year. Buuuuut....They are most likely highway miles considering. Do you have any info on the lift and who installed it? Hopefully the owner provided that with the truck apon trade in. Oh and be sure to tell the dealership to remove all that high shine tire and vinyl garbage off of it. Looks like someone hit the tires, plastics and the interior with a fire hose.

 

And take 11bravos advice and make sure the ECU is fully updated. Very important!

 

How long do you plan on keeping the new truck?

In my opinion, if you plan on keeping it for 10 plus years, buy the brand new one, take good care of it and mod at your leisure- could last a really long time.

Those 67k miles on the 16 are a big chunk of life for a truck, even a Tacoma.

If you buy the new truck, it will have the Toyota warranty, and if you are financing any part of the purchase, you can get a better rate on new, making a little dent in the $6k price difference.

If your not in a rush, you might be able to swing a better deal in a few months. I am hearing rumors about a slow down in the economy in the next year or so, fwiw, totally anecdotal but who knows.

Hope you get a good deal and good luck!

 

Good advice so far. To answer some questions, Running the VIN through Toyota it shows the initial service date was October 2015, so it was one of the first ones out. No open recalls are showing up, although I have read some guys have had the diff seepage issue without their truck being in the recall range.
I do not have any info on the lift as of yet, I didnt see the listing until last night and sent in for info, the dealerships are closed on Sunday around here.
As far as all the updates, I have a pretty good relationship with a service writer at my local dealership ( I repaired his outboard motor), so that is not a big deal.
I would say I will keep my next truck a long time, I am currently driving a 2005 Dakota that I bought brand new.
I would be paying cash for the used one, Trade in plus the difference. On new I would finance, with low rates from USAA or Navy Fed.

 

Depending on how close you are to the dealer, I'd run by there today (assuming it's sitting outside) and crawl underneath to a) verify the absence of scrapes from rocks or gumbo traces on the chassis; b) you can bend down and see the front shocks/struts and see whether it is a spacer lift (yuck!) or Bilstein 5100s or ....

I wouldn't be nearly as concerned about highway miles as I would a farm truck or high school kid's truck that had spent time in gumbo/mud.

 

4 maybe 5 weeks ago I bought my 2016 access cab sr5 with 40k miles for $25k and it's a toyota CPO, so toyota warranty till 100k miles.Now it does'nt have a lift and wheels but when I was looking dealers seem to inflate prices on vehicles with a lift or wheels.If you where trading in a truck with a lift dealer would'nt give you anymore $ for the lift.Around here with winter coming 4WD will be more $.

 

That’s a sharp looking truck, check it out real good, and good luck with your decision. Keep us posted.

 

Which means it is out of warranty unless it is Toyota Certified or has an extended warranty. Neither are mentioned in the ad.

Run the VIN on carfax before purchase.

 

It's a hour and a half one way from my house. I will wait until tomorrow when they are open and ask for some more details. I would hate to drive there and find out its not accessible. I doubt the saleman will know what kind of lift it is unless the previous owner left that info, but I will see if they can get some pics of it.

 

Not Toyota CPO, its sitting at a nissan dealership. Not sure on the extended warranty, that will be a question I ask.

 

First off, I don’t care how “well” you know a service writer, it’s still can be a big deal to make sure everything is done or is going to “get done”.

Second, more often it’s much easier to get financed on a new vehicle than on one that is used, especially with 67,000 miles. Just something to think about.

Best of luck and let us know what you end up with.

 

Simple...buy the new truck. I'd never buy a truck that someone else had modded or messed with. Plus 67,000 miles is a bunch even for a Toyota.

 

Easy answer, really a no brainer go NEW!!! You dont have a history of what this truck has been through! Get a new truck and make it your own! Mod it as you would want it done and as you can afford to do! When in doubt just buy NEW! Having a WARRANTY is huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think that price is a little high for a SR5, they are the least desirable as far as resale value from what I’ve seen. I don’t think the mileage is that big of a deal, there are special cases out there but I have over 96k miles with zero issues. It’s a good looking truck, it all depends on how long you’re planning to keep it.

 

One other note on the Mileage. Has the speedo been re-calibrated since the bigger tires went on? It may have a lot more miles on it if it has not been re-calibrated.

 

Wow, I see this thread has attracted the logical side of TW. Not what I am used to seeing.(No offense to anyone here, I was just expecting a lot of "get the SR5", or go with the already modded) I really appreciate the advice, and I think the right choice is order the SR with the V6. Even though I really do like the Inferno, the Barcelona Red SR with the new SX package is pretty nice.
Here is what I believe I am going to do. Tomorrow when I hear back from the dealer, I am going to tell them for 20k I will drive there tomorrow. If they laugh at that(which I am sure they will), I will go to my local dealer and order the SR.

 

Solid plan

 

OP - here is a Carfax I just pulled on the car you posted. Hope it helps with your decision.