Introduction and a question

This is my first post on TW and it's great to be here. I've learned so much over the last10 months reading hundred of threads about the 3rd gen owners experiences. Thank You to all!


I'd been searching for years for the Tacoma that's right for me and last May I found it:

A 2017 ACLB Silver 4x4 with V6 Auto, excellent condition with low miles and great service record. I'm a young 73 years old and this just could be my last ride since I drive 5-6k miles a year. Wanted a 17 simply because of the fact it it lacks all the advanced electronic gadgetry. Alright, enough introduction and to my question.


I have the chrome cheese grater grille. I don't hate it but I also don't love it. So I've been looking at maybe replacing it with a black grille but after shopping around online, I'm confused.

Toyota parts prices are more than I want to spend. There are many options on eBay and Amazon but there is where the confusion starts. I like the pro style grille but they all seem to have concerns:

Some don't seem to come with the Toyota letters, just an empty slot. Some don't come with a garnish cover. Some have pictures with the letters grayed out and say they come with accessories. Pricing is all over the place from $89 to over $700. I found one on eBay that is claimed to be OEM but said it comes without the garnish panel. Am I making this too hard? I'm looking at spending $260 or less.


Sorry this got long. From now on I'll keep it short.

 

you sound like too nice a guy to be posting in this forum. welcome, regardless.
grills not my thing but recent thread with many grill folks might help.
they may have ideas and are watching that thread by default.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/be-honest-need-your-opinions.854159/

 

Welcome!
There’s lots of posts on this since it’s so popular and the grille swap is so easy. Toyota went on suing spree a while ago so that’s why sellers blur logos/TOYOTA letters or don’t picture them at all.
The garnish can be crazy expensive, and opinions vary widely as to whether or not cheap aftermarket ones work with PCS or not, but sounds like you don’t have to worry about that.
Rather than the “pro” or “heritage”, have you considered one of the other oem grilles that aren’t chrome? These can be had for dirt cheap from someone else who swapped theirs. Pretty easy to find locally if you aren’t too rural, since everyone and the brother wants a bro grill with raptor lights.

 

I thought only the Off Road model came with a chrome grill in 2017??? Wonder if it got swapped out along the way!

Op, I too love that my '17 doesn't have all that safety crap on it.

Good luck, and like @musicisevil mentioned, even an oem black one looks good, and should be found cheap. But like you, I wanted the Heritage grill, and got it.

I absolutely hated my chrome grill

 

Welcome to TW!

 

In 2017, before the aftermarket grilles started showing up I bought an OEM Pro grille from my dealer. Here ie original part number of my grille. My OEM grille came with TOYOTA letters.

Don’t look at your 2017 as your last Tacoma. If you are doing okay financially at 73, you can trade in whenever you want. Keeps life exciting thinking about another Tacoma down the road.

Welcome to TW.

 

but then there's all the tsbs and recalls. i spent 3 years getting my truck where i wanted it and it is real close to stock. happy to not have to deal with dealership again.

 

Greetings and welcome

when my son got his ‘20 CPO SR5 Tacoma he said he liked the Pro grille. He did his own research and came up with if I recall correctly a “Pro” style grille from Taco Garage. He ordered with the sensor garnish. I helped him install and it took maybe less than an hour. Be sure to be careful with all the tabs that hold grille to surround as I feel that is the trickiest part.
I am in no way saying Taco Garage is the best product option, however it’s been installed for 2 years and it looks great. I myself own a ‘23 Pro, the grilles are nearly identical in appearance and quality.

Hope this helps, best of luck, enjoy

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld! The trick to purchasing an aftermarket piece is to take your time and when you are searching the web (Amazon/EBay/aftermarket vendor, etc) for an aftermarket one, scrutinize the buyer reviews and feedback and limit yourself to a seller that has excellent feedback/happy buyers and has been selling for a while. I purchased an aftermarket reproduction Heritage grill insert from an online store that only had excellent reviews. It shipped fast via UPS and was an excellent match with no flaws. It snapped right into place in the surround and has held up fine for almost three years and winters. Good luck and check back and send some pictures of your new addition. We like pics here!

 

I think most if not all aftermarket grilles come with the letters, but they cant post pictures of the toyota letters, or they will cover up some of it due to trademark issues. most dont come with sensor garnish

 

Welcome to the forum

 

I am a couple years younger than the OP. I can afford to buy a new vehicle, just too happy with my 2016 to trade it. I find it exciting to check out new vehicles to see if anything can make me want to trade my 2016.

I hope the OP feels the same way.

 

Welcome.

I’ve got a 2 wheel drive 2016 and 4wd 2022 that is at UMich with my son.

I’m almost your age.

I like the ‘16 more than the ‘22.

You will enjoy this forum.

 

i'm gonna regret posting this...too many ways to take it wrong...only meant in good humor...and it is still technically friday.
money not an issue here either. don't let them see u coming. a salesman's dream.
i found dealing with new truck a hassle due to inherent birthing issues. now that it is straightened out (aside from time bombs like time chain cover and crossover pipe) i am going to take care of it hoping i won't have to go thru that with another new vehicle anytime soon. any new vehicle comes with problems. they are too complicated, or rather complications were pushed out the door too soon.
it would take a miraculous new tech to make me abandon this truck, or at least mothball it, and get another. we be different.
i am same age as OP, young man. you'll figure it out when you get older.
what was this thread about?...wait...where's my keyboard...who is this?

 

Not taken the wrong way and I totally agree. My dealer had my Tacoma for 3 weeks to change out the Combo meter. I was told they would need my truck for about 3 days. I don’t like dealing with sales people. I generally like to go to the Auto Show just to look because I don’t want a high pressure sales pitch.

I may sound overly positive about my 2016. If so that is because after a handful of “first of a new generation” TSBs my truck has been trouble free.

I know everyone’s perspective can be different, but if I were to get another vehicle even with a handful of TSBs but 9 years and 60K trouble free miles, I feel that is exciting to think about.

For now I am keeping my 9 year old truck.

 

AC for the win!!!

edit: WHOA! LB too. (can't find emoji on knees bowing with hands raised)
edit 2: ok...now that was my senior moment. all AC are LB. nice truck anyway. AC rocks.

 

Thank you for all the comments, suggestions and discussion! I think I like this place.

First off I've never been told I'm too nice for anything, my apologies for sounding this way and I'll be working on it.
Musicisevil, you got me thinking in a different way. You're right about the Bro grilles with raptor lights I see all over the place. The pro grilles are everywhere. So I decided to look at used grilles and found one I really like for a good price and pulled the trigger.


I think it will go very well on the truck.


This is my 6th 4x4 truck and have also owned 3 4x4 Jeeps. I must say the Tacoma is the most satisfying of them all. I came from a Grand Cherokee to the Tacoma. The GC was very nice and handled the mountain snow and ice in great comfort but even with all the amenities, to me it was flat boring to drive. I needed to get back to something more seat of the pants. The sport suspension is perfect for me at this point because I can really rip on our mountain roads and thankfully my hardcore wheeling days are over. My 17 is all stock with only a few mods I've done:

Pedal Commander set on Sport +3, controversial I know but this woke up my truck
Replaced the crappy speakers
Hood struts
Paid cash

The truck came with a new set of in my opinion the best all season tires made, Michelin Defender LTX M/S. I've been running this tire on every car my wife and I have had for years and they are amazing on any surface, wet or dry, ice or snow. I knew this was my truck when it had everything I was looking for AND a new set of Defenders.
I will be leaving the suspension alone since a lift would be a waste of time for me and also make everything more reliable. With 40k on the clock it'll take me 12 years to hit 100,000 miles. My Dad had a garage where I learned a lot about maintenance and repair so I do all my own. Have never had anyone do an oil change for me in my life. The only problem this truck has had was a drop of coolant on the floor once a week that a new radiator cap took care of. I say all this because like some of the other posts, it would take something miraculous to to get me out of this 8 year old. I like everything about this rig.

I agree, ACLB


Thanks again for helping me get straight on all this!

 

Nice truck and a great choice on the grill!

 

Glad I could offer a helpful suggestion. Gotta make up for all the thread derailing I do around here some how!
Be careful lurking around here too long, you’ll wind up finding all kinds of things you didn’t know you needed!

Great looking truck! Don’t forget to grab some H9s for your low beams for a much cheaper lighting upgrade than the link above

 

Installed the new grille this morning. It's like going from an electric shaver to cool jazz.
I hope Musicisevil and Williston are looking since evil inspired me away from the pro grille and Williston asked for pictures.

Anyway here is the result:
Electric Shaver



Cool Jazz



The new one came in like new condition and the install was simple. Thank you again for the comments and suggestions.