Buying used truck

Hi all,

I’m looking to buy a 2012-2014 truck this summer. Looking at a F150, Ram 1500, and Chevy 1500. Maybe also a Tacoma. I want 4x4 on all these trucks and 4 doors. Yes, the Tacoma is smaller but would be fine for pulling my quad, boat, snowmachines etc. and would work fine for my grandchild and I to go hunting and fishing so I’m not too worried about it being smaller.

My question is, of the 4 trucks listed, what do you have to say about maintenance costs and reliability. If I keep this truck for 10 years (that’s the plan) which one will be most reliable? Which one will be most cost effective to keep running smoothly? Do any of them have silly designs that require you to rip apart a bunch of stuff to change a lightbulb?

Thanks

 

No responses. Interesting!

 

I bought my used tacoma with higher miles and had to replace some parts. nothing has been hard to replace and I don't have much mechanical experience. As long as the miles are low and the truck is in good mechanical standing (take it to a mechanic) I'd go for the tacoma. It will cost you quite a bit for a used 2012+ but i'm not sure what the resale value is on a Ram or Ford in comparison.

On a side note my neighbor has a Diamond Back on his truck and that thing is super rugged! I've seen them hauling lumber and quad(s) up in VT quiet regularly.

 

This is a tacoma forum....why should we know? Most reliable is toyota, low maintenance I'd go with Toyota. Ripping stuff apart....not sure, I have a toyota. But mine is pretty easy to work on.

Your welcome

 

Is it not entirely possible that you purchased a tacoma based on certain factors that swayed you away from the other brands? I am interested what those factors where (maintenance, resale, reliability, ease of doing own work, lighter weight, mpg etc.). If you bought a tacoma simply because it's a cool truck, that's fine too of course. I'd like to choose based on tangible factors though.

 

Just ripping dirt up! am I right!

 

I'm a relative n00b when it comes to the Tacoma, however was kinda in a similar boat before I purchased my Taco. I was looking at fuel efficient choices. The F150 can be had with the 3.7 V6 which is plenty powerful at 300ish hp but power and torque doesnt come in until later in the RPM band so larger tow items would require a good bit of revs. Ram had the 3.6 Pentastar but I dont believe that came available until late 2013; and similarly the nice (improved) 4.3 Chevy only became available in 2015. Keep that in mind if you are looking at V6 only options.

That being said, the Tacoma 4.0 seems like it'll have a better torque band for towing and hauling. I know the domestic 3 are all pretty good (minus maybe the V6 Ram's transmission woes) but for resale, reliability and overall simplicity I think the Tacoma is a good choice. Have you looked into the Frontier at all? Maybe just another vehicle to consider as its dimensions are similar to the Taco.

 

I got it solely because I like them. My dad had an 89 and it would go anywhere you wanted. I really like them for there offroad ability, with the right tires it's pretty unstoppable. And I like the looks.

 

Tacoma hands down. Due to its reliability, though, resale value is also the highest, so you may find prices too high for your liking.

I think the Ram, due to its fender design.

The Tacoma is generally easy to service and maintain. For example, rear diff fluid change is easy because there's a drain plug, whereas on some of the Big Three trucks you'd need to remove the diff cover.

 

Welcome to TW @whelen fan
I use my 2013 Tacoma Double Cab to pull my enclosed trailer with sleds in VT, NH, ME, PQ no problem.
No special tools needed for all the lights. I upgraded my inside cabin map & dome to @stump jumper LEDs.
As far as reliability, the biggest complaints in those model years are sagging springs, windshield whistle, some vibes.
I would treat the frame with either Fluid Film or some sort of undercoating.
There are still questionable frames for those in salt areas in earlier Model year 2GENs (2005+).
Toyota takes care of it under warranty but just saying, check how the frame was treated if used.
I have driven Toyota trucks since 1987 and prefer the Tacomas size for garage parking, turning around in the woods etc.
It fits me better than full size yet travels well & doesn't need much other than regular maintenance. (Pretty much all of them have been that way).

 

My experience with domestics has been once they're out of warranty they go to crap. Being that you're looking to buy used they would be right near the point of 60-100k miles I would not even think about a domestic. I'm sure there are many stories about a Chevy or a ford driving a few hundred thousand miles but the Tacoma is almost a given. The resale will be there too unlike the domestics. You came to a Tacoma forum so your opinions here are probably jaded but I'm sure you'd be happy with buying a Tacoma.

 

Thanks for the feedback so far. The trucks I would be looking at would all still be close to or have 3/36k warranty. Not interested in a truck with more than 45k miles.

 

I went with a new Tacoma in 2015 because I wanted a smaller truck. Didn't need a full size so I didn't consider domestics. I took a brief look at the Colorado and older model Dodge Dakotas but based on retail/resale value the Taco seemed to be hands down a better investment. My buddy had a Dakota and he said it was pretty good until the warranty expired, then all kinds of stuff started to fail. Don't know if that correlates to the Ram or not. I was considering a 13 or 14 but coughed up the few extra grand to have new.

No experience with full-size domestics so can't speak to that. The Taco has a number of known issues that can all be addressed with input from the friendly (if overly sarcastic) TW community. Other than oil changes my Taco has been bullet proof for almost 20k miles.

 

Tacoma hands down for reliability. Last Ford I bought was a 2004 SPorttrac and it was a great truck. Even better than my Tacoma in several ways but Ford ruined them with IRS. I owned many F150s before that. Some good lie the 1997 some terrible like the 2001. For basic maintenance Tacoma is much easier than the Fords. As long as you are not a real big dude and your trailer weights are around 3500 or less I would choose the Tacoma.