Buying from a used car lot

I would pay $4k for the truck IF the frame isn't junk or bent.

Too risky with the emissions failure, multiple accidents, skirting out of the salvage title, etc...

No.

The TOYOTA emblem is the front half of the emblem usually on the front doors:

 

Watch out for rusted frames. In a used car lot there is always a truck with a shot frame were you can poke your fingers through and they still ask $7-8-9K for it. They expect customers to not look underneath. Some deliberately paint over rust to hide issues as well.

I think the structural damage thing may be related to a rusted out frame, especially if it's a truck from the north east where frame rust is a common thing due to the use of winter salt and chemicals. Frame was patched up then resold a little while later to someone who had a few accidents with it. It is disclosed that it hit a sign and both front left and front right were damaged, so I would expect the whole front was taken out and that the grille, fenders, headlights, bumper and maybe hood were replaced (check if radiator radiator core support is crooked and alignment of the straight edge of fenders). Check for a bent frame in the front as well. Then the fact that only a month after, the truck needed to be towed after yet another accident is a bit weird. Usually, if the car can run and move on its own, they don't tow you...

But given it may have had frame rust issues before, CHECK THE FRAME THOROUGHLY.

*EDIT*: What? 12k!? That's what they want due to the low mileage, but still, nope. Truck looks to have been well maintained for the most part of its life, but these reported accidents... they don't make it worth 12k

 

This must be a scam.

https://memphis.craigslist.org/pts/d/memphis-toyota-tacoma-extremely-clean/6894194611.html

 

I thought that looked familiar:
https://houston.craigslist.org/pts/d/houston-2001-toyota-tacoma/6890942909.html

 

Oh yea. No phone # is one giveaway of most of the common ones.

 

I love it when they post those pictures with Florida cabbage palm trees in the background for an ad claiming to be in North Arkansas. Yea right.
Then the story is some distressed person going through an ugly divorce and needs some money to get back home where the title to the vehicle is located.