Are Gen 3 Tacomas as unreliable as Tacomaworld makes them seem?

The statistics say 4x the Qnty of F150s are sold per year.

It's an exaggeration to say the Tacoma is better. Such a different platform.

 

That is a bad design because Toyota says it's working within spec. In reality the auto cruise control behaves in a way that is not optimal for sure.

 

I miss my little old ranger too
Wish i could have kept it.

 

I'll preface this by saying I have NOT driven a 3rd gen auto on cruise control.

If the cruise maintains the set speed and all the shifting doesn't cause abnormal wear to the trans, then there is nothing wrong with it. It may be different from what you are used to, but different =/= wrong.

One of our work trucks is an F350 crew cab 8ft bed gasser with a 6spd auto. Driving it through hills on cruise it acts much like the Tacoma is described. Yeah it may act silly at times but as long as it gets the job done, who cares?

 

I was pretty sure on getting a new Tacoma at the beginning of this year but I’m in the same boat as you. The more time I spend on Tacomaworld the less confident I am on buying the truck.

It seems a lot of minor stuff, Toyota is calling it normal. It would drive me nuts if I bought one with driveline vibration and noise.

 

900k F150 are sold every year but 35% are corporate sales which most people don't really think about.
I liked my last F150 until the engine block cracked towing a 4k lb trailer through the Rocky Mountains.

 

Seems like a lot of the people who want a Tacoma because of how it “looks” would be much happier with a Ridgeline.

Seriously people, just get the Ridgeline.

Who cares what other people think, right?

 

If you're gonna go there just get an AWD Sienna fully decked out. We put 140k on ours before trading it in for an RX350. Crazy functional, comfy and reliable.

 

I will try to describe my experience.

Lets say I'm going 70mph, and ahead of me someone gets in my lane going 65mph....truck slows down, so far, so good.

Then the vehicle moves out of the lane and the cruise control accelerates to get back to 70mph...it does it with the equivalent of full throttle and without necessity.

Since cruise control is supposed to benefit gas mileage, and the 5mph could be easily and efficiently attained with a much more moderate throttle; this is a design flaw.

It is so much more throttle than any vehicle including cruise control on other Toyota trucks.

 

I had a 2004 Gen 1 Xtra Cab OR - sold it and bought a 2020 TRD Pro. I live in northeast PA and use cruise sometimes on the highway. I have 0/Zero issues with my truck. I recognize that my experience is unique to me - no two people will view any truck the same way. But we do love to lament here on TW.

 

Don't let reading nonsense ruin your experience, not all trucks have those issues. Take an overnight test drive the one you want to make sure it fits your needs. I have owned 4 Tacoma's and none have had any driveline vibrations.

 

I thought you were not supposed to use cruise control in the mountains.

 

I do, but as been stated before, S5 + ECT

 

2nd gen CC was worse than 3rd gen CC. My '13 would launch 5 to 10 mph over the set CC speed after cresting large highway overpasses. Never had that in my 3rd gen. The TSS you're referring to I've not had it go over 4k rpm in similar scenarios.
My father's '11 V8 Tundra also has shitty CC like the 2nd gen.

I've never heard CC is for gas mileage, but it's a blessing for long drives. TSS is also a godsend. I'll never go back.

Accurate

 

same for the 07 Camry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Your one of the lucky ones. Friend had an older 90's something b3000 series that was a real turd.

 

The vulcan 3.0 was very slow and thirsty, but very reliable engine.

4.0 wasnt much quicker though. It was great off the line but sucked at hwy speeds and was pretty bad on gas. It was a beast off road. Small size and good clearance. That little guy never let me down in 7 years of ownership.

 

Has anyone used/considered Pedal Commander to deal with throttle response issues?

 

Pedal commander just spoofs the electronic throttle sensor.

 

I see there are 15 pages here - so you are getting advice - always a good thing (or at least entertaining), what you do with it is the key. I have had countless vehicles - I've had faster vehicles, prettier/cooler vehicles, better handling vehicles, much more expensive, much cheaper, more comfortable, etc...but I do not believe I have ever had a better value in a vehicle. I've put 60K on my truck since buying it new in Jan of 2019. A lot of those miles in 4x4...I have had zero issues ( I believe there was one recall - done during routine service and a recall for fuel pump looming). I love the size of the vehicle - it is easy to maneuver on trails or in city traffic. It handles well in the mud, driving down around our river to load kayaks and it handles well in snow and rain on rural roads. It is comfortable in any situation and I have never felt it was going to let me down. Of all the vehicles I've owned - this is the only one I would say is worth the money (maybe a tie with the Land cruiser). Enjoy and be safe!