SOON TO BE TACOMA OWNER .... LOOKING FOR ADVICE

2017 made in Texas, 22.5K. Never had a recall or the rear diff leak. Some people didn't get so luck but the majority of people are just like me.

 

And many more have been found to be leaking that WERE NOT even on the recall list.

 

OP - my 2 cents. I'm not going to say you should buy or not buy a 3rd gen, but can say with my 2nd gen (bought brand new), I've never had so many issues (albeit relatively minor) on a vehicle I've owned. I've had Fords, GM's, Honda's and Nissan's.

Most things got fixed on warranty but for those things that were not, I went to the TW forums and found an answer / fix to pretty much everything my truck had issues with. From clutch barn door squeaks to a broken latch on the center console. If it was not for these forums, and the great members on it posting how to's and their advice, I probably would have got rid of my truck a long time ago.

I'm not sure what TW's funding model is, but if Toyota does not give them a no obligation donation every once and awhile then it's a crying shame.

 

I'll sell you mine for $31k

 

most of guys saying get offroad don't go off-road and have running boards not sliders..

they just wanna feel cool that something about the truck is offroadish.. get some.

 

Difference between leaking and seeping. I just took my truck to our Toyota store because the oil change this time is free. Figured I should check the diff before hand but figured it should be ok. Keep in mind my vehicle isn't part of the recall. Last time I check 3-4 months ago I had around 6-7k on it. After they did the maintance I took it over to the store I work at pulled it in and looked underneath. I have seeping on both sides of the diff.

So to me two things stand out. 1) there are lots of trucks not on recall that have seeping/leaks. 2) techs aren't checking these when they are working on them. One of the team leaders did my oil change and not any of the line techs we hire with little to no experience. So the real question, how many tacomas really have a rear diff seep/leak

 

every time I pass an off road, or anything with MT tires I'm like, I wonder if I should ask them how it performs off road.

Then I think to myself they will probably say she's a mall crawler.

 

Just bought my first truck 3 weeks ago and love it. Im in Canada and went with the OR DCSB over the sport DCLB (only 2 options over here) because I hated the hood scoop on the sport (hard to see over) and it felt more stiff when test driving. I only have 1100km on it and don't do much off roading, but the feel of the ride and $250 extra to have the option to go off roading was a no brainer for me.

 

What he said.

Not too many malls left around here, but my Off road goes to Sonic or Dairy Queen much more often than it goes off road. It drives great and there is no law that says you have to be an avid off-road enthusiast to drive one. And I don't care much for the hood scoop either.

 

Ok. I agree about recalls being a fact of ownership. But unavailable parts and the inconsistency between dealers is really surprising to me.

 

I have only had my 2017 for about 4000Km or 2500Miles for the Americans out there . So far I love it. It's my first time owning a Toyota and overall its been a good experience (plus I enjoy lurking these forums all day; my new hobby).

I went with the sport because in Canada I couldn't find a longbox in anything but the sport (not sure if its the same everywhere). Plus being 100% honest the rear locker isn't something I see myself using a lot. My intention is to start offroading now that I have a vehicle that is set up for it. Ill just upgrade as I get the money. However, I drive a lot as I travel up and down the coast of USA and Canada and need the box space for my equipment. It was a no brainer for me, plus I do like the look of the Sport (I get to be girly sometimes hahah).

I also want to chime in on the issues. While mine may eventually have issues (only time will tell) I do love the truck. As a counter argument, I have a GMC Savana van 2012 that I have put on 60 000km in the last two years. In that 60 000km I have replaced the transfer case seal 3 times. it doesn't just sweat, it straight up leaks all over my garage pad. That being said it is the AWD version. I honestly think that as we move forward and vehicles are pumped out of factories and made "techy"/ fancy, more and more problems will occur. No truck was as reliable as my 95' ford ranger with +170 000km. That thing took less upkeep and turned over in -40 weather better than any vehicle I have owned but it was as basic as a vehicle can come. My Subaru Impreza had seals leaking in the first 50 000km. I have yet to own a vehicle that didn't have some Achilles heel (well besides my Mazda 3 but wasn't as fun to own as my Tacoma.)

Just my two cents.

 

Test drive, test drive, test drive. If you have the opportunity, find a 2014 - 2015 to compare it to. I went with a sport due to wanting a 6ft bed in a 4 door. Never needed lockers in my Wrangler I had before. The second gen's were closer to my price range too which gave me more funds each month to save for upgrades, all my other hobbies, and trips. With only 27,000 miles, there is still more than enough time with it before I trade up again. No issues with it yet, though because of this site there are plenty of things to keep an eye on. Ignorance is bliss...

 

OP - i went through this same process from March to July of this year. A few recommendations from my experience:
1) This IS a great site, but just like any fan site, you will get a mix of posters. No doubt there are a Tacos being purchased that have had some issues. This is true of absolutely any product manufactured. I am an admitted Toyota fan and have owned several Toyota vehicles (but I have also owned Chevys, Jeeps, Mitsubishis, Nissans and a Ford)...I am a Toyota fan because overall, I have experienced FAR less issues with my Toyotas than with any other make. I believe research bears out that Toyota is normally at or near top of the list in short and long term satisfaction with excellent results in long term cost of ownership and resale value. Tacos are historically famous for their resale value. This site, like most, have a few VERY vocal members who are negative due to their personal bad experience...often of their own making (i.e. not doing due diligence prior to purchase and/or not doing a thorough test drive.) Of course, there are valid issues with this truck, like with any product...but good research and test driving will give you the power of setting expectations.
2) My personal experience in 3,800 miles (I have a 2017 TRD Off Road with 6 speed manual) is excellent, no issues, no real complaints other than I would like 1-2 more USB ports and a bit more interior storage). I did multiple extensive test drives of both auto and manual Tacos and Sport vs. Off Road. Clearly, I preferred the 6-speed manual and the Off Road.
3) Why did I prefer Off Road over Sport? Sport's suspension was too tight for my liking, particularly on any rough roads, sand, pot holes, dirt roads, gravel roads, etc. Another factor for me was I am not a fan of non-functional cosmetics...I am not a fan of non-functional hood scoops. I also found that the hood scoop created some glare from the sun and interfered with max visibility. I would have loved to have the color matched components, but again, cosmetics are less important to me. Finally, I "perceived" that the Off Road would hold greater long term value since many buyers do want all the off road bells and whistles whether they use them or not (i.e. MTS, Crawl, etc.) The Off Road suspension is significantly different than the Sport...softer ride both on and off road. Both are very capable vehicles, in my opinion. By the way, I ended up "ordering" mine which really isn't an order...since what I wanted is relatively rare (i.e. Off Road with manual trans and with virtually no options...I only got tow package, all weather mats/sill protectors, mud guards and bed mat)...I highly recommend the OEM bed mat.
4) The MSRP of Off Road vs. Sport is exactly the same. Negotiated price may be different though.
5) Inferno for the win (at least that is what I have, so I must say that.)

Bottom line...test drive THOROUGHLY and get what you want and can afford. Enjoy and welcome to team Taco.

 

I'm a function over form guy and bought the Off Road. While I have to admit I haven't had any issues with the truck, I'm already looking to trade it in and get something bigger. I already have a dedicated trail rig ('01 Wrangler) and my better half bought a 4runner immediately after I bought my taco. I now feel like I have too many vehicles that serve a very similar purpose. Also, I can't get over how small the cab is. I have every intention of trading up to full size truck (1-ton) that I can use to tow my Jeep around (cause I will never take that on another road trip), and I'll still have access to a 4runner for local camping.

I guess the moral of the story is to test drive, test drive, test drive. They're fantastic trucks if you're ok with having a small truck or this is your first offroading vehicle. It just sadly doesn't fit my needs and desires.

Enjoy your new truck!!

 

Random thoughts:

I have the (3rd gen) 2016 OR4X4. Bought it the end of 2015, so I'm coming up on two years with a bit over 26,000 miles. It was in high demand in my area and had to wait almost two months for them to find the truck that matched my demands. No dealership would come down on the price. I paid sticker for the first time in my life. I wish I could have got a deal, but I was buying at the exact wrong time. I don't regret a thing. It's a great truck.

Recalls are totally normal. I've owned more than a few new cars in my life, and that shit just happens. They send you a letter, you make an appointment, they fix it. I've gotten fewer recalls for this truck than I did for my prior one (Nissan Frontier), and WAY FEWER than for my old Jetta. So perspective is important.

I'm not a hardcore offroader, but I bought her for running trails and camping, and put her through the paces: old Mojave Road, Anza Borrego, Eastern Sierras, local hills. Desert and mountains, ice and snow. Still haven't used the crawl control outside of playing with it to see if it works, but it's a neat gimmick to have. Hasn't failed me yet.

Outside of one recall (a sensor replaced, sorry but I can't remember what for), I've had two significant problems, but neither left me at the side of the road, and both were fixed under warranty without any argument (one was the trip meter resetting problem -- annoying, but not critical. The other was the front needle bearing noise. Dealer fixed it under warranty, and if it comes back I'll just go with the aftermarket ECGS bushing. And the dealer didn't even hassle me for the aftermarket lift/suspension).

I think it's important to remember that people come to these forums because they're either fanboys or because they're having problems and looking for solutions. So instantly you got these two polarizing extremes. So keep that in mind as people pitch their horror stories. It's a biased crowd.

I didn't buy the truck to tow my toys (there are better options). It's mostly my 4X4 toy and it has to be small enough to get into small places, so a Raptor or full size just wouldn't work. And it's my daily driver, so fuel efficiency is a concern.

If you want to modify your truck, there's hardly a better choice. I've put new suspension on my girl, along with sliders, skid plates, etc. And everything is available and easy to find.

SO yeah, there are risks with buying a new vehicle. Your risks with Toyota are less than with other brands. Buy the truck. And get the OR.

 

OP,
I've had my 2016 TRD Sport dcsb since July 2016 and love it. The Trans shifting issue was corrected with a software update. At times I think I should have went for the Off Road instead of the Sport but I really never plan to take it off roaring or on the beach so the crawl control and locking differential wouldn't get used much at all. The sport in my opinion rides as smooth as any car or SUV I've owned, in fact I thing it rides and drives better then most high end vehicles on the market today. I like the hood scoop and the painted gender fairs.
I had a 1st Gen tacoma with 177000 miles on it and never leaked a drop of oil, that one was one of the Tacoma that Toyota bought back due to frame rot. Any company that buys a 10 year old truck with a 177000 miles on it for 150% of retail value is a company I want to do business with.
Since the purchase of the Sport I have added running boards, bed-rug, chrome tailgate letters, chrome glove box letters seat heaters, a locking hard one piece Tonnea cover and the best up grade, Clazzio leather seat covers. These seat covers look like the seats came from the factory.
Bottom line, if you like all the cool off rode options to with the Off rode, if you] don't think you'll use them and like the looks of the sport get the sport, just remember most owners who post comments to a forum are unhappy with their purchase which is understandable, however if a person is happy and satisfied with their purchase they are less likely to spend time on the forU.N. and more time driving, cleaning or working on their truck.
In the long run it's up to you which model fits you lifestyle and current needs, just don't let anyone talk you out or a purchase you've been looking forward to for a long run.
Just my 2 cents.
Good luck.
SGM Moose

 

Unless you think the sport just looks way better then get the off-road. I think the off-road looks better so the decision was easy.

 

By now you would think Toyota would have perfected the Taco