Even Toyota has no love for turd gen

My local Toyota dealer has been painfully honest with me twice now (months apart) about their opinions of the current gen Tacoma. One gentlemen in parts, and just yesterday a guy in SALES.

All I did was call and ask if there was a TRD OR manual on the lot to test drive. Was told they “shifty clunky” and that “Toyota messed up big time with these trucks”.

I appreciate the transparency, but I’m kind of shocked to hear it from the dealer, especially a guy who’s job it is to sell these vehicles.

If 1st gen prices weren’t so batshit and there were more 2nd gens out there used, I wouldn’t have asked at all.

Who knows if the next gen will even have a manual option in the mix....?

 

Keep in mind dealership employees only ever see the broken and shitty ones come back in and spend all day listening to complaints from perpetually unhappy customers.

 

LOL. Uh huh. Sounds legit.

US sales figures of the Toyota Tacoma:

Year
2014 155,041
2015 179,562
2016 191,631
2017 198,124
2018 245,659
2019 248,801
2020 238,805

Note: I included the last couple years of the 2nd gen for ya. ; )

 

Just keep looking for a good 2nd gen.

 

Those 2nd gen years were before instagram

 

I get that they are selling and all, and that the dealer sees mostly just the problems, but still. I’ve heard “nice to look at but don’t buy one” more times than I would think since it’s a Toyota. And to hear “stay away” from Toyota themselves.... can’t be great.

 

I understand your intended joke but... Instagram had 27 million users in 2012.

 

If you are buying a third gen, the manual is the way to go

is it perfect? No but the complaints are pretty easy to fix. Remove the accumulator and the clunky shifting is fixed. You can also add the tune for additional low end power if desired

 

Dealers want to sell you what they have on the lot, which usually doesn't include M/T trucks. If all they had were M/T trucks and you wanted an Auto, they'd probably tell you that the Auto shifts terrible.

 

Just watched a video on 3rd gen accumulator delete. Bummer that component is even in there to begin with. I can’t imagine removing it is good for your warranty status? Planned obsolescence is best left in place, per the dealer. Lol

 

Everybody by the time the 2nd gen ended knew that the Tacoma was reliable. In comes the 3rd gen and everybody wanted a Tacoma. Now you have people trading up and jumping on the Tacoma band wagon. It's real reliability and value test will be in 10-20 years.

 

Exactly. I was about to post the same thought. They just want to steer you to one of the many Autos they have on the lot.

 

Toyota stopped build Tacomas in 2017. Toyota still sells a mid-size truck they call a Tacoma.

Would the 6spd manual work with the 4cyl?

I don't think Toyota would sell as many V6s if a 4cyl 6spd manual was available.

 

K. If you don't like the new Tacoma, don't buy it.

 

Hold me back! Hold me back!!!

 

2020 was an off year due to Covid. Peeps losing jobs, or just not allowed to go anywere might have put a ding in sales for the year. Curious what the rest of the other vehicle manufactures saw for sales in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020?

 

*unhappy TW members you mean lol

 

Most people take it off, dremel out the inside and put it back. Dealer is never gonna know

I pulled mine off and replaced it with a hard line

 

Call them and ask if they have any Tacomas with an AT and see how fast they try and hump your leg. The MTs do not shift clunky, they just don't shift all bat shit crazy like the AT does.