Thoughts about Preventative Maintenance at 215k Miles

I have a 2007 DCLB 4x4 with 215,000 miles.

The truck is completely stock. No lift. It does not get off-roaded and I pull a very light trailer (500 lbs) once in a while.

I have changed belts, hoses, brakes, fluids, filters and spark plugs over the years. Also changed out the front struts and sway bar links last summer. Everything else up front is original.

I will passing this truck onto to my daughter this coming summer. I was going to swap out the front wheel bearing/hub assemblies as a preventive measure.

Everything seems tight up front with no weird noises.

Any thoughts whether I should swap out the CV axles, needle bearings, ball joints or control arm bushings while I am in there ?

 

At that mileage it really depends on how it was driven. I've seen Toyotas ready for the crusher at 100,000mi. And I've seen Toyotas with stock suspension in good shape at 300,000mi.

The problem that's become common now is quality of aftermarket parts. You have to be very diligent to get parts that will last. Wheel bearings especially. Even parts from auto parts stores can be absolute garbage and only last a few thousand miles where the stock ones lasted 150k.

If I was in your position and she was nearby and I could fix things as they went bad I would leave it mostly alone. If she is going many states away then that would be a different animal. When you get over 200k it's a lot more difficult to gauge what needs replaced.

 

Dont touch your lightly used Toyota parts with whats avalible anymore unless they really need it!

 

At that age and mileage consider anything rubber suspect

Body mounts, motor and transmission mounts will all be in poor shape, replacing them would be a good idea
Brake lines break down and can collapse
Coolant hoses, at least the upper and lower radiator hose replacement is a good idea

 

I second this. I'm closing in on 200k now, and you can tell that the hoses and everything mentioned above by "545" are getting worn out or starting to break down. For me, this kind of maintenance is preventative, but larger components stay unless they are visibly or audibly suspect. I do weekly checks, though.

 

It's overkill to replace things that arent noisy or have play. Just have it inspected 2 times a year for issues.

It's probably time to replace the ball joints/control arms but again check them first.

Your steering rack is probably leaking now, the timing cover is probably seeping. The ebrake is probably broken going into the rear hub housing.

But those are all reactive items.

The biggest common breakdowns we see on 2nd Tacoma's are the following:

1. Batteries
2. Air injection on models with it.(if your 2007 is a v6 it doesnt have it)

Thats it. It's not a BMW lol.