Best and worst year(s)

Hey all, tries the search bar to no avail. Probably selling my 97 Tacoma and getting the rest of the money via loan for a second gen.
I read somewhere that one year of the 2nd gens was the worst year they made them but can’t remember which year.

Sooooooooo, (I’m sure I’m opening the proverbial can of worms)
What year(s) of the 2nd gen were best reliability/easiest to work on and which year(s) were the worst/always had things breaking??

Thanks!!

 

why are you selling the first gen?

 

Now that I think about it, maybe it was the 3rd gen that had a notoriously bad year?

 

I wanna be able to drive my wife and kids around and shells also tired of me fishing around for parts to figure out how to get the power steering pump to stop whining. Luckily it drives wonderfully now, just whines. It had hit the point where there was no fluid moving whatsoever. Last part I’m gonna put in is a magnefine filter once it gets a little warmer. But wanna at least get the whine to be quieter before I sell it

 

05-06 had head gasket and motor mount issues.

09 started the backup camera

12 Facelift and new instrument cluster

Oh and rusted frames were a big issue

 

Thank you! Yeah I think I remember hearing about the 05-06 head gasket.

 

I would look at 09 and up. In 09 toyota started puting in side curtain air bags as a standard. Plus the back up camera. 05-11 dont have the secondary injection pump that the 12-present have. 12s had a problem with the filter failing on the intake and destroying the pump. Imo i would look at 09-11

 

I have an 05 with 230k. Doesnt leak a drop or burn a drop of oil. Is there a way to see if someone did the heads or what. I just got it about 5k ago. Runs and drives like a dream, and seems to be very well taken care of. Sorry to hijack but maybe this info might help you too.

 

I'd only consider a gen 2.5 Tacoma after owing my 2012. If I had to get a new 2nd gen Tacoma it would be a 2015 assuming that any issues with the 2012 had been addressed along with earlier variants. Additionally, I just like how the gen 2.5 looks. I know that some of the earlier 2nd gen Tacomas have had some serious rusting issues to the frame. Only issue that I've had so far with my 2012 are some bad bushings in my steering rack (will be replacing them with Energy Suspensions polyurethane bushings soon). As @desertrunner24 mentioned regarding the secondary air injector, if you get a gen 2.5 invest in a UNI filter and ditch the sponge that sits in there before it becomes an issue.

 

I think the best year is 2015. Toyota worked out most of the kinks associated with the other model years. Second in my opinion would be 2011.

 

2014-15 didnt have the temp/compass overhead console. You would have to add it from earlier models if you wanted that option

 

Definitely could help me out

 

Although I don't have any evidence of this, I usually figure that the quality generally improves as the generation goes on. In our case, the 15 has the bugs worked out that plagued the 05...generally speaking...no offense to anyone with an 05.

But like I said, I have no evidence of this, it just seems to make sense in my mind...and I'm sure there are always exceptions to everything.

 

Right, forgot about that. Might have to change my answer to 2013 then, to avoid the air pump issues with the 2012's and still get the temp/compass overhead console.

 

2015

At the dealer where I got mine there was only four 2nd gens left.

 

Check out carcomplaints.com they have some good information on pretty much any year/make/model issues and recalls

 

2013-2015 still have air pump issues, just fewer failures due to the fact that the pump runs after shutdown to purge moisture.

2012 are now covered under an enhanced warranty program whereas 2013 and up are not. I wouldn't let the pump stop you from getting a 2012. You are covered for 10 years from the in service date for the most part.

 

You have any info you could link on the enhanced warranty program for the 2012?

 

https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/th...tion-pumps-air-switching-valves-csp-zha.1178/

 

It is tuff to find info on the 05-06 V6 4.0 head gasket change. Parts lists posted here on TW indicate that a head gasket part change was implemented in 11/05. I have seen posting on other forums (4-Runner) stating it was a rolling change on the Tacomas. Hopefully trucks produced after the 11/05 date have the new, updated, better, improved head gasket.

As an aside, my first new Toyota, a 1971 Carolla, had a cracked head recall, paid for by Toyota. 22RE motors had issues and needed timing chain replacement recommended every 70K miles. The first V6 4 Runners had recall issues with cracked heads. So by my count Toyota has been designing motors with some sort of head issue for over 40 years.