Serious use 3rd gen issues

As I search I find Threads asking about problems with 3rd gens. I then read through pages of people with no problems, and folks with posts like “7000 miles no problems“.

so if you have had no problems with your third gen, I understand that there are lots of trucks chugging right along out there, and don’t need to hear from you.

My questions then are to those who have had problems. Other than recall stuff, what issues have you had with your third gens? Is there anybody out there with 100k+ who can say “pretty much no issues”. Can anybody make a reliability comparison between a 3rd gen, and any previous generations. And let’s hear from people who take these trucks off the highway in any capacity as to the issues they’ve had.

as I seriously consider finally getting rid of my second gen for a 4 door third gen, all I envision is the video of the third gen that spun the drive line/rear axle out from under his truck.

thanks.

 

I have nothing to add except......

Right or wrong, that picture is pretty impressive.

 

Link to the video!?!?!?! That's impressive!

 

Looks like normal axle wrap to me

 

Id vote that pic for a spot on the tacomaworld calendar any day lol

 

Last I heard 3rd gens are so unreliable they give all of their owners autism.

Trust me.

 

60k and no issues.

Didn't they pull that guy out by his axel or something dumb that caused that?

Call your local pest control companies or pool boys and see how their reliability has been.

 

Dealer said.... “under certain circumstances, this maybe normal” ​

 

Looks like a shade tree DIY'r lift gone wrong. Can't hold that against Toyota.

 

I'd say that's axle wrap on steroids. Or normal for the third gen!

 

There is a big thread on here about that incident. That was a recovery gone bad (real bad) because both the driver of the Tacoma and the guys winching him had no idea what they were doing. IIRC he left the truck in park and/or had the brakes engaged while they winched him and the u-bolts gave out. There was also talk about him not torquing the u-bolts down properly after his lift install.

I wouldn't reference that particular incident as a blemish on 3rd gens as a whole there's plenty of other material out there for that

 

I'm on my second 3rd gen. The first was a 2018 manual that blew 2 piston heads. Had to have those, valve cover gaskets, and head gaskets replaced. V6 engine....I think it was just a lemon

 

Here's the whole story.

https://youtu.be/dM-gm6QCe-g

It's from @Rob Daman's s video channel.

 

I had the radar go out on my 2018 at 34,000 miles. Replaced under warranty.

 

I've had 6 Tacomas since 1998. As a field geologist, I went through them pretty fast driving from California to field sites all over the Southwest and northwest Mexico. This is fieldwork often in very rough conditions, so while I didn't look for trouble, it sometimes found me. That said, of the six trucks, I broke one rear spring in Baja (they were made in Mexico), and the radio died in another. Both under warranty. And yes, some were driven well over 100,000 before trade-in. My current 2018 I'll keep for much longer since I'm retired and don't put the miles on it. I did have the low pressure fuel pump replaced under recall on the '18, and it was hesitating before that. That's my story.

 

@Joe23 and @Norilsk care to chime in about steering rack issues?

 

Lots of dumbasses drive 2nd gens also.

 

I suppose having a 2017 5 speed 2.7 doesn't count for much, BuT im at 60k and have done quite a lot of offroading, wheeling, "overlanding" and mild crawling since the day after I bought the truck new. Id say I've been pretty tough on what was an essentially stock vehicle the entire time. Before this I always had lifted jeeps that I abused.
I've had no problems at all and its held up very well! With the exception of some of the brackets that hold the enormous peice of plastic that toyota calls the front end of the truck.