New Member, First Tacoma

About me: My dad raised me to love cars. He taught me to drive in a ‘52 Ford pickup that he rebuilt and we loved for many years. We found out dad had a brain disease when he totaled his Tacoma in 2021 and got a brain scan to check for a concussion. He passed away last year after moving close to me for care and help selling off his other vehicles. Regrets. I wish I had bought them because they were well taken care of. He was the best and I’m turning to this group for truck care advice now. Thanks in advance.

About our truck: We bought a 2010 Tacoma with 140k miles for $6300 a month ago. I’ve never bought a used vehicle that wasn’t from a car lot. I knew with that price, it would need repairs. I’ve had cars, but needed a truck to pull dad’s fishing boat because that is happening. We took the truck to a shop for tires and a brake sensor $600, another shop for brake light rewiring, brakes, and rotors on the front end $900. I know one boot is blown and the other is leaking on the front end so that’s coming, but it’s in another shop now for rear end rebuild $2500. Question is, how much would you put into a used truck for repairs before you cut bait? When a Tacoma can go another 100k miles, is it because you were the only owner and knew the maintenance? Tell me these repairs are normal and if there’s anything else to expect?

 

Welcome To TW...

 

Welcome aboard! Sorry for your loss!

 

Welcome aboard!

Sorry to hear about your father’s passing.

My 2023 Tacoma is my first 4X4 but not my first Toyota. Toyotas and Hondas are probably the most reliable vehicles on the planet. That said, you’re already $4000 in the hole just in repairs. Looking from another perspective, repairs have cost 64% of what you paid for the truck to begin with. Unless that truck has sentimental value, I’d bail out now.

 

@sublimaze So you wouldn’t look at it as a $10k truck, but as a truck that will more than likely keep needing repairs? Is it better to pay $15k for a truck than to pay $6k for a truck and spend the rest of the $15k getting it up to snuff?

 

There are lots of Tacoma owners who have invested a fraction of what you’ve spent on maintenance and repairs, with way more than 140k miles on their trucks. I am not trying to discourage you, but your truck is 14 years old and will inevitably require more attention ($$$) down the road. You already said “one boot is blown and the other is leaking on the front end so that’s coming”. What’s next after that?

 

Welcome!