opinions and experiences wanted for buying my first Taco

Looking for input on years and options. Finally decided to get the truck I always have wanted but never seemed to buy... Narrowed it down to a 07-15 trd or, access cab. I think the 09 was the first year of the a trac though so that could be a factor. Hear 05-06 may have head gasket issues is why I filtered those out.

Will be a daily driver, no plans to lift but could buy better tires. Drive in Michigan snow on occasion. Weekend uses will be hunting/fishing/camping trips. Will tow 14' fishing boat occasionally and haul a canoe on top sometimes. Plan to get shell/top with rack as first accessory.

Feedback on the newer radio setup (touchscreen) vs older - should that factor in or not? Is the a trac worth getting or no big deal? I do offroad but only to get to the good hunting or fishing spots, no longer trail ride just to see how far I can go. Any other considerations i need to take?

 

I'd say focus on a 2013-2015. I like the redesigned front grill Toyota did in 2012 over my 2006 truck (basically the same as 2009). They did make subtle changes in the Grill between 09-11.
Also the 13 OR has a compass, temp mirror that I really use a lot. They changed that in 14. The 2014+ does have the back up cam in the radio screen. I have it in my mirror. Love the backup camera especially in the woods tagging trees lol.
Whatever one you pick check the frame. My 13 has been pretty much gas & go but had my frame treated since day 1.

 

yea, I have the 15 and grabbed it after the known factor of a 3rd gen looming. I will be honest I wish I had the temp/ compass feature they phased out on the last of the 2 gen's.... back up camera on the head unit is awesome though. Good luck!

 

check for rust do it again. have somebody check it for you have them re-verify with somebody else. you dont want to buy a paper weight

 

Avoid 12 like the plague any year 07-11,13-15 you’ll be pleased with. There is a thread just about the 12 mainly having issues with the air pump. An rust as mentioned maybe you’ll luck out an find one with new frame an post tsb leafs.

 

mines for sell haha

 

Is frame rust an ongoing issue on all 2nd Gen trucks? I thought the disappearing frame issue was only in older units? Not trying to argue, just trying to gather info to fuel my decision.

There is a certified preowned 15 near me with just under 50k miles I was going to test drive Saturday. I will definitely crawl underneath to see if there are any issues.

 

I live on the coast and didn't and don't have rust on my 08 or my 15...clean as a whistle...my 08 had over 266k miles of coast life. my 15 has almost 50k miles of coast life and neither have rust. but I do also clean under the truck like I clean the body of the truck. once a week. maybe sometimes every other week.

 

my 05 just got a new frame

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I will definitely keep an eye out for rust. That is a common issue here in the "salt belt" state of Michigan. I had heard about the smog pump issue but wasn't sure exactly which years it affected, sounds like 2012 is out. I may have to spend a bit more and go newer to avoid the rust unless I travel a few states away to purchase a truck.