The mudrider but not offroaded or mistreated my truck is garbage superthread

It is interesting to read some of the posts here. I recall one post asking "what do you wish Toyota had done different" or some such. Reading through that post, most were asking for L.E.D.s in their cupholders, electric door locks as standard, heated seats, vibrating butt wipers and other such items. Few were asking for more ruggedness or reliabilty. I have a feeling Toyota has listened to the "Vibrating, heated butt wiper" crowd asking for more doodads and thimbobs (Money).

 

i had an 86 pickup with SAS. i beat it up hard. it was great. now doing it with my 06 tacoma..

 

1st gen ftmfw!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u15HmEMp2Qc

The 2nd Gens can survive a dragon too

 

This pretty much sums up my opinion too. I've owned an '83 hilux, an '84 hilux, currently have the '06 tacoma, and the better half has an '01 Corolla. I'm convinced the denso electrics are far superior to the delpi (GM), the HVAC fan in our trucks is a prime example. The more north american toyota becomes, the more they turn into north american vehicles. I think it has something to do with the differences in culture, ie taking pride in ones work vs. just putting in one's eight hours and going home. This is a generalization of course, and just my opinion.

Hey OP, could it be the windsheild seal howling at 50 mph, rather than the diff? It sounds like there is some serious mis-diagnosis going on, or piss poor workmanship (like not cleaning out the axle housing?) if you're on your 3rd diff and not doing brakestands, burnouts, or donuts as a career.

 

So you wanna play that game eh? The extended warranty was the best money I ever spent. Sit back and have a read...

2005 Tacoma TRD Off Road with 110,000 miles.

PAST WOES:

- Rear leaf TSB (replaced leaf pack due to excessive bottoming)
- Torn front mud flaps replaced (design flaw with '05 flaps)
- Air Conditioning compressor replaced (bit the bullet)
- Front bumper TSB (new aluminum cross member due to design flaw)
- Exhaust Manifold TSB (new manifolds due to exhaust ticking)
- Two oxygen sensors (facked during exhaust manifold TSB)
- Rear actuator replaced for the locking diff (locker wouldn't engage)
- Rear locking actuator position transfer switch replaced on two separate occasions (located on rear axle)
- Four new Aluminum rims (peeling, bubbling finish)
- Blown out front Bilstein shock (replaced with Bilstein 5100's on my dime)
- Two rear side axle seals replaced (leaked gear oil in rear drums)
- Rear brake shoes and drums replaced due to contamination from leaking side axle seals
- Two rear mud flaps torn (replaced on my dime)
- Rack and pinion replaced (worn internal bushings - clunking noise)
- Lower control arms and ball joints replaced (worn)
- New alignment cams installed due to seizure
- Replaced rear shocks due to bad seals / leaking fluid.
- Front left caliper replaced (seizure)
- Front brake pads replaced due to seized caliper
- New hinges on drivers door (worn pins/bushings)
- Heater / AC control box replaced
- Replaced front sway bar bushings (worn and knocking)
- Replaced inner/outer CV joint boots (torn)
- Broke a rear leaf on the drivers side (replaced on my dime).
- Fabricate my own leaf spring clamps to keep my leafs from moving laterally from each other and causing a massive clunking noise (clunk is back again)
- Front right wheel bearing replaced
- Front right brake caliper replaced (seizure)
- Front brake pads replaced again due to seized caliper
- Another aluminum rim replaced under warranty (this is the 5th one).
- Replaced all 24 aluminum caped OEM lug nuts with solid steel (chrome) OEM Toyota lug nuts (aluminum caps were falling off and disfigured).
- Front left wheel bearing replaced.
- Neutral position switch on auto transmission failed.
- Control arms and ball joints replaced for second time.
- New gasket to repair leaking transfer case.
- Front right wheel bearing replaced again after just 11 months of use.
- Replaced another broken rear leaf spring.
- Drive belt broke due to seized idler pulley, replaced three idler pulleys and the drive belt.
- Front main engine oil seal (crankshaft seal) leaking engine oil – replaced.
- Air conditioning line corroded beneath rubber bracket. Replaced AC line and recharged system.
- U joint in steering intermediate shaft developed significant amount of play. Replaced intermediate shaft.
- Had the dreaded 2005 engine mount failure in August 2011. Toyota rebuilt the truck on a brand new frame. Got my truck back Jan 21, 2012.
- Another new rear locker actuator.
- Replaced spiral cable in steering wheel
- Replaced another broken leaf spring last weekend.

CURRENT WOES:

- Upper control arm bushings work out and has excessive play. New pair of control arms ready to install.
- Bushings inside the rack and pinion are shot. Have a new steering rack that will be installed ASAP.

 

103K miles here on my '07.

-I replaced the battery at 45k miles
-Changed the brakes at 60k miles

I had a squeaky blower motor at one point but eventually went away and hasn't been back.
I had some rear vibrations after doing my lift but they've gone away as the suspension has settled over the last year.
My throwout bearing chips/squeaks..but it's been doing that since I bought the truck at 42k miles. I'm not really worried about it.

Sounds like some of you guys have had bad luck

...or you're overly sensitive to the smallest noises that are probably inconsequential and the dealer is just replacing them under warranty to appease you and make you go away.

 

same model truck 07 with 30 something thousand miles and only changed the battery.

 

Wow. 70,000 and so far so good. Maybe you got a lemon and dude with the 2005...that sucks. At least now I know what to look for and plan on lol.

 

Oh and mine is an 07 as well. Still love it!

 

I've looked at all these replies and its hard for me to compare. All the computer and electronic crap on these new trucks are great, but will it last? Is it nessary? backup cams, phone stuff, sensors here and there. I like saftey features but come on. I feel newer Toyota's are built great but arn't as strong or bullit proof as the older trucks. This is just the rising of vehicals built today, manufactures won't build a vehical that will last forever (like the old 70's and 80's Toyotas) because there would be no money in it for them. Cars and trucks these days are all about sensor and safety things that the average person can't work on, in turn makes the owners HAVE to take them to the dealerships to get fixed. Like I said I love both old school and the new school, I have them both. I vote older trucks were built Stronger. Not sure about better. I'd much rather get in a crash in my 08' and have my wife and kid protected better with airbags etc than my old school with those thin doors and a dash or steering wheel to smash their heads on. This is a tuff one........

Brett

 

My Mule has 323,658 miles 4 cylinder turbo 22RE and i am working the heck out of it . It has 33/10.50/16's BF goodrich KM2's not very good mileage but clims like a goat and hauls like a mule. about 12 mi to the gal.

 

i didn't read all 4 pages so i don't know if anyone already pointed this out - toyota was limited by an import quota. To build product image, they only imported their fully optioned and quite literally "hand picked" vehicles. China will be doing the same in the next 2~5 years. If anyone else saw today's Top Gear episode(the REAL, Original UK not the aweful American copy) they would know what i'm talking about.

 

YES, with out a doubt.
I've owned 5 different Tacoma trucks.

1996 Single Cab. 4x4 Auto.
1998 Extended Cab 4x4 SR5
1999 Extended Cab 4x4 SR5
2005 PreRunner 2.4L Manual.
And currently a 2007 Access-Cab V6 TRD Off-Road.

I can honestly say that the Gen. 2 trucks are no where near the quality as the older Gen 1 and Pre-Tacaom trucks. The only thing I see that is on par with the older trucks are the Engines. The 2.7 and 4.0 seem to be just as good as the 22R-E and the 3.4. The transmissions on the other hand need some improvements. They shift to much and to hard if it's an Auto.
The manuals are ok, but they chatter some when starting out. This is Normal according to Toyota, as is every other problem.

 

Couldn't have said it any better! Aside from most trucks, all cars look identical anymore, they are designed by computer nerds and not gear heads like they used to be. There was a time when even the most novice car owners could point out a Dodge, Chevy, or Ford without looking at the badge on the grille. Sadly I don't think those days are ever coming back. Most people nowadays don't care what a car looks like, as long as it runs and gets them to work each day, they want functionality over style.

OP I have never owned or ridden in a older Yota pickup, but my friend has a 89 Mazda B2600 and we have put that thing through the extreme, I am amazed it has lasted this long, but she refuses to quit! I have yet to have any problems with my truck's drive train. You might have just gotten a bad batch of parts is all. I know there is a thread somewhere about a guy with a V6 Taco that recently turned the clock at 250k miles with hardly any problems and his truck is still running strong.

 

Agreed, my dad was so intent on me getting a automatic 2.7 for resale value, but after test driving one, I said "fuck that shit!" And went with the 5 speed, I love driving stick and could not imagine how boring it would be driving a Tacoma without one!

 

I just traded a 93 Hilux, and yes it was built MUCH better than the Tacoma I just purchased. The Tacoma is more comfortable, the Hilux a much better truck.

 

07 4x4, stays in the mud, 192,000 miles and have only changed the oil and wipers.

 

*prays my not-yet-built taco will be problem free*

 

2007 dbl cab long Bad 50K miles
Problems- 0
What changed:
Suspension TSB - did not have a problem with suspension but I could not resist free suspension

Front wheel bearings replaced - In retrospect I should have just tightened bearings but I realized that ...AFTER I took my bearings out.


So I have only two items ...
So far that thing had turned to be best vehicle ever...