Toyota Frustration

Have to admit being seriously tempted by the Highlander Hybrid & the prospect of getting 35 MPG. Couldn't take the chance with the 4-cyl in its first year.

 

Highlander is Unibody Construction. Which is waaaay cheaper and way less robust. I suspect Ford is going to do what BMW does with their GS1250s. "Starting at $15,995" But good luck every finding one at that price. They only actually make five examples of the bike at that price. Every other one is built up and is closer to $25,000.

 

Ridgeline is great if you never plan to go off road. If it looked a bit better, had better clearance and came with MT, i would ve considered it.

 

Dealer gave me a Highlander as a loaner one weekend. It took me 30 seconds of driving to realize that it's just a Sienna minus the sliding door.

 

Yeah I found them to be sorta strange. Like it wanted to be a mini van but never committed haha. Very nice interior I must admit. Dealership screwed up ordering in a warranty part that left me without a vehicle without notice so the sales manager handed me the keys to his Highlander Limited to use for the day while they took care of my truck.

 

IDGAS about the latest and greatest gadgets or brand. The one thing I want that trumps every other feature by far when I look for a new truck, is that it starts, and gets me there and back every time. So far that’s been Toyota in my experience.

I’ve been buying Toyotas the majority of my adult life but if one of the other manufacturers ever makes a better, more capable, off road vehicle I’m all in as long as the reliability is there also.

 

I paid $38.6K for my 2019 ORP with KDSS.

Your comparison to the Highlander still doesn't matter because they are not in the same class. A Highlander is basically an AWD station wagon. The 4runner is much more stout.

I optioned out a Bronco with similar features to my 4runner and it came to $44K+. I think that's a fair price as well.

 

^^^^^^Can I get this on a bumper sticker?

 

I actually love that Toyota doesn’t change to much. That’s why they are so reliable. If it’s not broken don’t fix it. I have a 2019 off road and I could care less about 1/2 of the gadgets in the truck that I have right now. If I’m lucky I use cruise control once a year. I believe the more gadgets you have the more problems you could have . For me that’s why I buy Toyota trucks . They get the job done with not too much fuss.

 

My wife's ride is a 4Runner and I really like it and probably more so then my Tacoma. To this day I can see why Toyota is still selling a lot of them, although yes the prices are a bit high. (We didn't pay MSPR either.)

 

I love my Tacoma but I think it’s funny that members will call out Ford, FCA, GM ect.

What about:
CPS sensors
Fuel pumps
Leaky 3rd break lights
Rusty frames
Whiny gears
Fluttery hoods with bad adhesive
Auto trannys that come 3/4 qt low
Shutter feeling when decelerating at low speed due to bad pinion angle
I’m sure there are more..


All semi common issues in our trucks. Many of them have been fixed. None of them have to do with sophisticated options. I’m not sure Toyota has the edge they once had when it comes to reliability. Some of you may debate this but I’ve been following this site and owned a 3rd gen from the beginning.

Not to mention billing it as an “all new” Tacoma when it’s essentially a 2nd gen when a new engine and tranny that’s a down grade from the previous gen. I know I’ll get some push back but deep down you all know it’s true. Too many fan boys on this site. I’ll keep my Tacoma for awhile but it has its down sides like every other vehicle on the market.

I think the 3rd gen Tacoma was a cash grab by Toyota as they knew it would sell well.

 

It all comes down to opinion and probably some luck.
This is my 3 rd Tacoma and (1 )4 runner,
and with out putting a jinx on my self. I had one power steering pump go bad that I bought a repair kit for and rebuilt my self . And the 4 runner had the moon roof it came off the track.
My first Tacoma I traded with 155 k miles and the second one 235 k miles . I did do some maintenance stuff /shocks /brakes etc . But every one of them were stellar. My 19 off road knock wood has been the same so far. So yes I am a Toyota fan. No reason not to be .

 

Man you dropped your beloved Ranger fast....

 

agreed +
engine failures
paint issues on new trucks
warped drums/rotors
howling
leaking rear diff.
crazy brittle windshields
and I'm sure there's more I haven't seen as well

 

this is my 5th new Toyota Pickup, first one was a 1987 4x4 turbo, this truck is the 7th new Toyota product. This truck has also been in the shop more than any of my new vehicles combined, including a 1992 Mercury Capri, which had a horrible rating & 2013 Jeep JKUR. On one visit the dealer pulled 7 codes, errors include; truck not locking, power outlets always hot (usb, etc), dash telling me to turn the truck off when off or when running, a constant 0.5-1 amp draw on battery with vehicle turned off.

I believe that Toyota will correct the problem and the only reason I haven’t gone the Lemon Law route, but how long will it take and how many more visits and my time. Plus my Tacoma is not the only one having this problem, it’s a known problem, see picture. I would also estimate that there are a lot more Tacoma with this problem, but owners don’t know it yet, it starts with the “elapsed time” in the ECO screen not working.

 

I get it OP, when I was a kid they said we would have flying cars.
Well it’s 2020, wtf happened TOYOTA?

 

What I've been impressed with is how many of these issues Toyota has addressed through various recalls, etc. A lot of this stuff would be considered "normal wear" from GM, Ford, or FCA. I live in Michigan. There's no chance in hell that any of the big 3 are even going to touch rust issues once you're outside the normal warranty period.

 

The discussion here is surely stimulating. But it actually shows that there are still some folks that buy a particular brand for its reputation for being an all-round good value.
Others buy a name for what it once was - but seem blind to more recent trends, in favor of the past or what dad use to buy.
I began buying only Toyotas back in the ‘90s strictly for their rep of reliability and no-frills trusted performance.
I really liked the T-100 over the Taco, being a larger truck, howbeit a bit underpowered. A supercharger and supporting mods stepped it up but then it was dropped in favor of stretching the Taco and introducing the Tundra. I now have the ‘17 Taco and our second Avalon LTD for my wife to drive and provide a smooth cruiser for hwy rides.
The Camry has surely been a great car, even challenging the Avalon at times, being so similar. But they both maintain their excellent reps and command top dollar.
I dont feel the same about the Tacoma. It has not the rep of the original small 4 cyl truck. Those were king of their niche, maintaining a strong following even today. The new Taco looks damn good - nothing is as sexy or as bad-ass LOOKING. However, despite its more HP V6 power plant, torque decreased from its former 4.0L engine, UNLESS IT IS TUNED. The tuning (OVT or otherwise) makes it a 300 HP tiger - also evident in the fact that the Avalon and other models also carry the same 3.5L motor with upgraded tuning and orher bennies. But the recent history of frames rusting, despicable auto tranny shifting, questionable premiums to get accessory packages that competitors throw in as std....
Put Tacoma on a slippery slope so far as continuing the former rep for trustworthy reliability. Notice JD Powers has side stepped the Gen 3 now for years while taking notice of the Colorado and its diesel offerings. Will Tacoma survive? Ha. Absolutely. Its momentum (reaching back even from the 1980’s) is HUGE. AND the current stumbling the model is going through is not only minor compared to its stardom, current sales numbers remain as block busting .....and will only improve as the needed adjustments are made by Toyota. However - times are very different now - AND I feel like Toyota should be embarassed for the dip in quality. Quality, reliability, and value built Toyota - and they better get back to their roots.

 

It's always been this way with Jeep. You either get a great one, or a POS. No in between. Quality control has always been iffy at Jeep.

 

Idk man, I still cant find the front e-locker on my tacoma...or the convertible roof, or transmission temp screen