Should i leave my tacoma in a coma?

Bloody Shark Mechanics! They lie and take all your money! Aleast from my experience in the past(multi-cars). Hint-im a girly female.
SOo,i have foundmyself, for once, kinda trusting a new mechanic. I’ve never even had work donehere-except for a free new customer oil change. I go in and wait…and wait. Thenwalks in the mechanic who drove my truck (99’Tacoma prerunner V6/110k- rwd)….
Here is what he saidregarding to my Tacoma ,is ‘his’recommend service:
-Noise from timingbelt area. ( Guess needs replacing after 100k -noise is true )
-RF brake caliperbad &leaking. Replace both ( brake oil light has been on for some time)
-Serpentine belt-3cracked
-Transmission fluidflush overdue-black in color
Estimated-around1500.oo
Recently, I had tobuy new battery. Car then stop starting few days later (no sound till triedjump start-crank but turn over)guessing alternator or starter. Now, have to getthe car towed to shop.

Should I trust themechanic and pay the repair price almost 2k?

Or should I justpay for tow and the min. repair to just get my truck outa coma?

 

Sounds like that truck needs some serious work done. Welcome to TW.

 

A good chunk of that is maintenance that should have been done in the first place, and budgeted accordingly.

Accessory belts age and crack.

Timing belts are called out for replacement every 90k miles (used to be 60k)
(the noise there may be the belt, but more likely the tensioner - those wear out too) If needed, replace the tensioner. Otherwise, if it fails, you'll be right back in there again. And while in there, it's good practice to replace the water pump and thermostat.

If the transmission fluid is black, that's bad. If it smells burnt, that's even worse. I would not flush it. I would drain the pan, replace the missing amount, and repeat that every 60 days until you run through 10-15 quarts of transmission fluid. Flushing on a poorly maintained automatic transmission is asking for failure.

Leaking calipers happen. Seals go bad with age, it's just an expensive fact of life. That would be on the top of my list, as it's a major safety issue.

Not sure what is going on with your battery. A simple test can tell if the alternator is good or bad. If the alternator is good, I would say the starter may be on its last legs.

2k to keep an otherwise good truck going is not a bad deal, IMO. Around here a timing belt change alone would run you in the $1200-$1500 range.

 

Your mechanics list of problems seems legitimate. if you are having doubts though, get a second opinion from another mechanic!

 

what leaks on a front caliper? hose connection or from the piston?

man..at this point..pay the $2k. that truck sounds like a menace.

and what is "truck coma"?