Quality between Tacoma & the competition

I ran across an interesting thread on ColoradoFans that addresses the quality complaints that folks have been having.

http://coloradofans.com/forums/114-...14569-some-thoughts-twins-quality-issues.html

Bottom line, while Motor Trend may have thought it was truck of the year, a lot of GM owners are already experiencing quality issues. The author then disses his Gen 2 Tacoma for the few items that the Tacoma is known for - frame rust, weak leaf springs, vibration, and wheel bearings. He's at 110K miles.

I'm curious what percentage of the Tacomas have had issues versus the percentage of the twins. I know that GM's quality issues are at a much higher percentage on the new truck strickly because there are only a few thousand of the 2015s delivered so far.

I'm sticking with Toyota because of the quality of my last 7 Toyotas, and don't expect the 2016 to be any different. Even though there have been a few issues with the older Tacomas, I'd take them any day over the issues GM is having. Thoughts?

 

"I've had ZERO issues with my Canyon, now with 1,100 miles."

"No problems with mine either at 515 miles and 17 days."

LOL

 

They all have their problems. Theres plenty of threads on here with people having ridiculous problems. New engines, low transmission fluid from the factory, driveline vibes, headlights melting, wheel bearing failures, ticking blower motors, rotting frames.... to name a few.

I am no GM fan, but the Colorado hasn't been out long enough to slam its longevity.

I personally have had more problems with my Tacoma than any other car Ive ever owned....and the problems I have had have been documented by many on here so I am hardly an anomaly.

*shrug*

 

I see the new tacoma having just as problems as the new colorado. They are getting unbelievably cheap and lazy these days.

 

I think it's a perspective thing.

Toyota's past has been generally good. The most significant issue they have had (frames) they addressed.

GM's has not. The contraption that was the last Colorado/Canyon was weaker and less capable than the competition and had major reliability issues. Add to that the reluctance to issue recalls and you have a consumer that will be a little concerned about purchasing the product.

GM now has to prove to the consumer that they can indeed make a midsize truck that lasts and competes. It would be the same deal if Dodge came out with a new Dakota.

Time will tell, but I still haven't seen a single new Colorado/Canyon driving around while I have seen plenty of new Tacomas.

It honestly surprises me that the Frontier isn't more popular. The quality and reliability seems to be good and it's a pretty nice truck. I bought the Tacoma because there were a few things I preferred that pushed my decision in that direction and the aftermarket support is better, but the Frontier is not a bad truck by any means.

 

There have been a lot of assembly-related problems reported. A significant percentage are being caught in QA hold before they hit the trains, but too many are getting through. How can you miss installation of firewall and hood insulation? I can understand not realizing the door/window seals were installed wrong until it rains, but visible stuff is a no-brainer.

 

Because it rides like an empty cargo van when there's nothing in the bed. My next-door neighbor has a 2010, and he complains all the time about the rear bounce. My test drive of a 2015 showed the same thing.

 

I had a 2014 4x4 crew cab as a rental for a week while I was looking for my Tacoma and I didn't mind the handling, though I do tend to like a stiffer ride.

The turning radius was awful, though. My long bed turns tighter than that short bed did. And the driver's seat was torture if you drove for more than about 45 minutes in one shot. Other than a few other minor things, I had an overall positive opinion of it.

 

I expect that the first few months of Colorado/Canyon will have gremlins - the minor electrical issues and windshield issues fit into that category. It's an all new vehicle. The question is whether or not GM has those sorted quickly.

I actually expect that the GM twins will get very reliable. The Sierra/Silverado are at the top of the class (above the Tundra) because GM knows that truck buyers put a huge emphasis on reliability. The last Colorado was a crap pile made to be cheap, but I think that GM is putting that era behind them. I see them finally investing in the long term at this point.

That said, I also expect the new Tacoma to be quite reliable, because it is basically an improved Gen 2. I would expect very few first year teething issues.

 

Sample bias. I wouldn't put much stock in an anecdotal information from internet forum (be it Toyota or Chevy) to determine which is more problem-prone. You need large enough pool of data from a random sample of vehicles/owners to draw any meaningful conclusions.

still I wouldn't dismiss the entertainment value

 

who has driven a vehicle with the new engine to see if problems arise? everything i have seen has said that it is a brand new engine designed specifically for the truck line. I almost assumed u meant the new engine for the twins but since its not new (camaro engine right?) i can only perceive that u mean the new 3.5 atkinson (or what ever)

 

I think he was being sarcastic. It is very hard to tell sometimes. In general if someone posts something that would be funny as sarcasm and remarkably stupid if serious then I usually just assume they are being funny and sarcastic...

 

The reason why Toyota customers are so brand loyal is because a lot of them owned used Toyotas (including myself) that were of high quality. I was 26 when I bought my 02 Tacoma (in 2008). I had owned 9 domestic cars beforehand. 9! Everyone had issues and none of them had more than 150,000 miles on them.
After being constantly used to car problems and getting one that zero made a BIG impression on me. Could it be luck? Maybe. But as a human being my intuition is to stick with another Toyota because of my record with my current Toyota.
I am genuinely concerned about the longevity of the Colorado. I want to keep my next pickup for 10+ years. Toyota earned my respect with my Tacoma. Logical step is for me to get another one.

 

My 4runner is night and day with ride quality and responsiveness from my old 2nd gen. It's super quiet, extremely comfortable, rides like a cloud, and has all the gadgets I could ever use. The exact opposite of the taco. I loved my tacoma but it was a reliable capable truck before it was anything else

 

The problem with the Colorado is - it's still made by GM. Don't get me wrong, all brands have had their problems, some more than others. Regardless of what you think of the Tacoma's or Toyota in general, GM has one of the worst quality reputations in the auto industry. Designs are not well thought out, response to customer complaints is terrible, and quality in general is not good. Toyota is hardly flawless, but it's a damn sight better than GM in my experience.

 

Not to mention the 300+ deaths that GM tried to hide under the rug.....

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/us-gm-recall-casualties-idUSBREA2D02U20140314

I would love to buy "North American" but when they pull stuff like this, I have a long memory.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/business/19autos.html?_r=0

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/toyota-pay-12b-hiding-deadly-unintended-acceleration/story?id=22972214

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/toyota-unintended-acceleration-has-killed-89/


Not to mention the hundreds of deaths Toyota tried to hide under the rug with out of court settlements too.

I would love to buy Japanese, American or Mexican made Toyotas but when they pull stuff like this I have a long memory.

 

I owned nothing but Chevy trucks until two years ago when I bought my Tacoma. The deceiding factor on that purchase was my 05 Colorado, biggest pile of crap I have ever owned and the worst electrical system I have ever seen in my life. Gm will have a lot to prove with the new Colorado, you wont catch me dropping my hard earned money for one. All of my buddies who own Tacoma's have had great luck with them, I don't live in a big area for salt usage so I cant speak on the rust issues.

 

The Tacoma is pretty good quality considering it is 10 years old now. Also all cars are being made as cheap as possible.

 

I guess my biggest issue with Toyota is, what takes so effing long for updates and improvements????

I bought my truck in 2011. 7 full model years into the redesign. I needed a new blower motor, a problem since 2005. I needed the driveline vibe TSB (x2), problem since 2005. I needed the rear brake TSB. Problem since 2005. Im going to need the headlight melting TSB to be done. Problem since 2005.

All of these issues should've been resolved by 2008 at the LATEST, and I'm dealing with it in 2011.

On top of that, no improvements have been made to the wheel bearings, front diff, shitty aux volume levels, uncomfortable seats, excessively loud wiper motor, etc.

I just don't know why they can't make improvements.