back again with questions

[FONT=&quot]Hi all,

I'm not really new as I joined in 2009 when I bought my 01. I really liked it, but it was a bit of a compromise. I really needed 4 doors (for the dogs), but couldn't afford one, so I went with the xtra cab, thinking I would figure something out for the dogs. Well, I got a new job in 2010 that kicked up my daily drive from 10 miles to 56 miles. With gas going up, I sold my Taco and bought a Forester for better gas mileage (27 vs 18).

Flash forward to today. A big raise, a nice bonus and a potential promotion may put me in a place where I can afford the gas. I really want to get a truck and don't want to have to "settle" for a Ranger. I use it for a daily driver, hauling firewood and would like to start surf fishing, so sand running.

Perusing the websites (Auto trader, etc), seems like every 4 door in my price range (~$12,000 or so) has in excess of 150,000 miles on it (I'm looking for a 1st gen 4 door, TRD, V6 or maybe a 05 4 door. I'd love a 5 speed, but I haven't found one yet). Many are in excess of 200,000! I have never bought a vehicle of any kind with that kind of miles on them. I know Toyota's reputation and have heard that Taco's "last forever", but I would really like to know what that means.

I will be driving about 15,000 miles a year, so 200,000 miles will roll around pretty quick when you start at +150,000. What wears out on Tacos? I saw one truck that claimed a "new transmission and rear differential" at 200,000 miles. That sounds pretty pricey. I put new shocks and tires on my 01, but really didn't other issues. Other ads claim "mostly highway miles", but that could also mean that it was driven at 80 mph. Ball joints? Transfer case? Drive shaft? Motor wears out?

Looking for a little truth in advertising. I am not a handy man around vehicles. I can do the simple stuff (oil, man trans fluid, etc), but can't do any complicated stuff. Am I fooling myself? Any and all comments are welcome.
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I can't help with your answers, but I'm sure someone who can, will be right along.

So welcome back.

Frank

 

Bump Bump!

Thanks for the welcome. Anyone else out there?