Poll: Problem or Problem Free?

2002,access cab,200,000.mi.,no problems. Sold. 2015, access cab,totaled at 65,000.mi. No problems,truck totaled. 2018, access cab, 5000.mi., I hope I have a good one.

 

I’m just curious what all these second gen lovers are gonna do when it’s time for them to depart with their trucks. Will they bite the bullet and get a “Turd Gen”, Staying loyal to the brand? Will they go with a different Toyota model? Or will they hop completely to something else. Guess the guys in the northeast will have the shortest time with their trucks on average lol

 

Having married into a "Ford family", I feel like the general consensus is that "anything that Ford makes is the best there is because Ford.

It's possible that this is what Ford believes as well, and their customer base just serves to confirm that. Why spend millions in retooling and marketing when you can rest on your laurels?

 

How should I vote if I've had a few problems but still think it's a decent enough truck and don't regret buying it?

 

And the people interpreting it. This is why I trust my experiences specifically. The dreaded “anecdotal”

 

I hear you brother!!! I think it’s time to delete TW from my phone for awhile !
And unwatch everything. To many emails and talk about a bunch of whiners !
And that was my whine lol

 

@jayrobot please don't forget that Toyota and Ford are businesses first and foremost. Their job is to make a profit, pure and simple.
Also don't forget who truly designed the Tacoma, (hint: we customers did) and the reason Ford is bring back the Ranger is because there is a demand from Ford-loyal customers.
The Pro is also customer driven. The simple reason why the Pro has the options it has? Because that is what the target demographic wanted, from price point to exhaust. Even the wheel design is what the customer wanted lol.
Toyota and Ford are going to build what is going to sell, and they find that out through marketing, surveys and focus groups. Both companies can tell you typically how old you are, what field you work in (generally) what your income level is, how many kids you have, whether you are married and what hobbies you enjoy. And, they can do it with each model of Tacoma!
Do you guys think Toyota engineers just sit around and design stuff in a vaccuum, hoping people will like it? Ford is the same way. Both companies have proven formulas for success.
Now, trust me... Toyota already has a counter product designed sitting in their drawers waiting to be built, depending on how successful the Ranger and Raptor are. They had the same thing for the GM twins but didn't need it.
Just never forget that this truck was designed by you and people like you.

 

For the record, they never consulted me.

 

Maybe not you specifically (because if it were up to you the shifter would be mounted to the rear view mirror, the truck would have only three doors and all the tires would be different sizes lol) but you generally speaking. 20 years or so ago I was part of the Toyota Truck focus group. I was in my early 30's and bought a lot to Toyotas. Had two children, wife, house, etc. I was an anomaly though because of engineering. In 2002 I was also part of a Honda focus group.
Nowadays, at 55 with grown children I am not their target demographic lol. I expect Buick or Cadillac will be contacting me shortly...

 

I had no part in the reverse gear ratio in my M/T. Because I'm not a nutjob.

Also, I'd like to see what Toyota's answer to a 2.7 Ecoboost Ranger Raptor would be. Probably a snorkel - oh wait lol.

 

Yeah they failed on that little item didn't they. Thank goodness I can back up a trailer like a mofo. High speed!

 

Hate to break your bubble but I’ll bet you most of the demographic of Tacoma buyers is older men. Most of the Tacoma drivers in my area are all 50-65 years old. A lot of the users on here are within that age range as well. That group along with some young men starting off with their first truck are probably their biggest buyers. Then you have the middle aged off-road guys. Also toyota didn’t have a design for the twins. This was their design. Even mike sweers said when designing this truck they designed it to try and be best in class not now, but 5 years from now. He also specifically mentioned Colorado. He didn’t have a clue ranger and more mid size trucks were coming back. A few years ago Ford said it wasn’t going to bring back the ranger. Now the market shifted and everything is moving back to SUVs crossovers and trucks again.

 

I am part of the focus group and I'm solely responsible for the PRO snorkel option. You are welcome.

 

I say no problems.
Leaf springs have been a bit of a issue, but Toyota has upgraded / replaced them.
Original 3 pack replaced under TSB at 900 miles with 4pack, 4 Pack replaced at about 48K due to recall.

 

You just keep thinking that lol. You think Toyota is going to release any competitive information publically? Right.

 

Oh believe me brother I hear you, that span of time when the 3rd Gen first came out on here was a complete shitshow - the "turd" era. It's obviously calmed down a lot, and I bet if I was to do a little detective work and check the trolls doing it, I'd find a LOT of them now own 3rd gens lol. Also, Toyota sorted out a bunch of the early annoyances with this truck over time (but not all of them).

I suspect the majority of ppl realize that forums are often a great resource for information - but not so much when it comes to unbiased opinions on either side of an argument. It should be clear to them if they take the time to read through certain threads that there are a few that will bash/troll incessantly, and it's obvious they have an agenda. Fortunately the mods will cull that small subset if it gets bad enough.

Lol, do you guys remember 'ol BlueT? Good lord, that guy never owned a 3rd gen but did nothing but talk shit and offer his theories as to how bad the truck is. He even did a "calculation" as to piston speed and how much more wear there would be over a given number of miles in the 3.5 as compared to the 4.0 to buttress his argument that our engines are over stressed. Wow, eh?

Anyway glad that stuff is in the past.

 

It took them 11 years to change the body style. They had little intention to do anything with the segment for a long time. There wasn’t much competition and sales weren’t big enough to warrant a body change every 5 years like a normal vehicle. They may draft a few designs but they aren’t sitting here making full production prototypes ready to deploy just Incase a competitor releases something that’s going to blow them out of the segment. Toyota rarely ever designs prototypes and concept vehicles and when they do it’s usually been with cars, and future technology like hydrogen, and electric platforms. There hasn’t been some top secret 4th gen prototype plans for the past 3 years just sitting in a desk drawer or sitting in a factory somewhere. Sometimes they decide to test different things in current models and drive them around testing stuff and collecting data (test mules).

Perhaps next year if toyota decides to stick to a 5 year model change they will start designing a 4th gen with a target of a ‘21 model year. My guess is that will happen because of the demand currently for trucks and all the competition in the segment. If Toyota thinks they can keep this generation Tacoma for 11 years then I will gaurentee they will not continue to own the segment much longer.

 

Toyota Engineering or marketing will never read these forums as part of their job. They have much better sources that are realistic, not places where people pretend to own a truck and get as much attention as a guy who actually owns a truck.

 

Let the record show that because hiPSI rubbed elbows with Toyota Corp he spoke for me and every other peasant, and opted out of the different size wheels and rear view performance shifter assembly. You have him to thank for that.