Who actually likes their 3rd gen?

I'm enjoying mine. The tune, accumulator delete, and going back to stock tires were necessary changes for me in my mind, I really did not enjoy the way it drove stock. Other than those though, I really enjoy it. It has been a blast to drive lately. When I finally gear it that will be the icing on the cake for performance.

It is not the perfect truck, but none of them are. I am mainly glad I could get a manual more than anything. I like that the aftermarket is huge so I can deck it out with my favorite improvements easily without needing cobbled together solutions I manufactured myself.

 

I wonder if those could somehow be connected.

 

All good. Wife & I love the truck. Best Truck we have ever had. Meets our needs very nicely. Go get one.

 

So far I really like mine. The build is coming along really nicely and it has the potential to take us around the world. I do wish they didn't use such a wimpy engine, but I'm able to get over 20 MPG on the highway so I guess that's a plus. It will make us happy until I can import a 1999 or newer 79 series troopy. And, they look damn good too.

 

I also wish the aftermarket would catch up and price things better. I came from a TJ Rubicon and everything was so cheap to modify compared to the tacoma. But, we do get to sleep on a queen foam mattress in the back of the Tacoma lol

 

By the 2021 models, Toyota got the shifting a lot more dialed in. It took them a few years tho. I think if Toyota had the trans programming they have now back in 2016, the issue wouldn’t have blown up like it did. Just my opinion. I also think a lot of people who hate their trans (especially 2020-22 owners) hate it because of the power of suggestion from reading it on here. Again, just my opinion. But when you’re told about a problem, you tend to look for it, and a lot of people will overanalyze something that they may have never even noticed if they were never told about it. I know at one point while looking at my shifting under the microscope from reading TW, I realized every auto trans vehicle I’ve ever had in my life shifted wonky or unexpected at one time or another. Is my ‘21 any worse? Nope. It’s good 99%+ of the time. In fact I like the way it shifts more than my wife’s 2017 4Runner Limited. Sometimes if I want to casually pass someone on the freeway at like 65-70 MPH, I’ll give the 4runner about 15% more gas and it’ll drop 2 gears as if I completely floored it, and go from about 2000 RPM to almost redline. It’s ridiculous, I’v had other people in the car look at me like, “WTF turbo?” and I’m like “dude this thing just does that”. We learned to minimize it, but what a weird quirk. That’s way worse than anything my Tacoma does.

I have a friend with a 2017 Tacoma who isn’t on here or any facebook pages about tacomas or anything like that. I asked him a while back if he likes the way his truck drives and shifts and all that, and he said it’s the best vehicle he’s ever had. No complaints at all. I drove his truck home from a questionable night out sometime after that conversation, and I felt his ‘17 shifting at different points and going back and forth between gears a few times on a familiar highway that I drive almost everyday. My ‘21 doesn’t behave that way on that road. I didn’t say a word because why make him look for a problem he doesn’t even know he has? I think that is honestly how the vast majority of Tacoma owners out there are. They don’t give a shit or ever think about that stuff.

 

Had a 2011 Tacoma Access Cab with the 4cyl and it was a awesome truck. Simple, durable AF and it came with a 2” lift on it. At 150K mileage I traded it in for a 2021 TRD Off Road DCSB with 12 miles on the odometer. Currently have 24K and I still absolutely love it. Despite wishing it had a couple features found on other manufacturers vehicles I still think overall it’s the best option mid size pickup out there.

 

The Comanche is cool, but Jeep pickups have been around since the 40's or 50's.

 

It is not a Land Cruiser in terms of quality’s- but I neither wanted to pay for that, or expect it to be an LC.

Tacomas are nice ‘Little’ trucks.

I’m really enjoying the suspension on it, the MT (likely my last before going electric) and enjoying camping and a bit of off roading…

I also like the fact that if needed, I could sell for a pretty penny.

 

All in all I really like the truck. This forum and other pages have occasionally had me thinking my 3rd gen is an over hyped
Piece of crap ready to fall apart any second. The reality is that it’s a well built Toyota truck and while it has some quirks I believe it to be of better quality
and reliability than any other mid size truck on the market. I’ve gotten better at tuning out the white noise and focusing on MY opinion of the truck.

 

ARB

 

I'll go against the general grain of praise here for the truck. I do not like my truck. Simply because I don't trust it anymore. It's motor longevity is questionable for me.

Early on (20K) CEL's and limp mode episodes. Towed to dealer. Fuel pump recall addressed that first issue.

Then more CEL's and limp mode.

I was one of those unlucky owners that has the ACIS actuator door shaft within the plenum break off, burning out three coils. After two more trips to the dealer which I ultimately diagnosed for the dealer because they did not have a clue, it was finally replaced.

More CEL's and limp mode..
Another trip to the dealer for a loose spark plug in cylinder three.

Truck still frequently idles rough when warmed up. I suspect an intake valve is damaged/bent from debris resulting from the snapped actuator door shaft previously.

I have no idea when the next CEL/limp mode episodes are going to appear again, but I am grudgingly expectant that it will not be long from now.

I have put thousands of dollars into my truck with upgrades. I should've waited until the truck was broken in before I elected to do such.

I hope many of you here don't have to experience what I did with my truck. I am disappointed in my 3rd Gen Tacoma. I got a lemon.

 

I think a lot of the complaints you see on the 3rd Gen forum are from 2nd Gen people who for some reason find it necessary to come over and tell us what pieces of shit our trucks are. The other big group are the ones who want this truck to be something it's not. It won't do the quarter mile in 3 seconds, it won't haul your 12,000 lb trailer, and bashing it because it won't do stuff it was never meant to do in the first place means they are probably pissed because they bought the wrong vehicle. What we have is a very good, very capable as-is, reliable mid-sized pickup that if properly maintained will last you for a good long time. And, if you choose, there are things you can do to make it yours. Lots of very, very expensive things that you never you knew needed till you came here

 

I love my 2017 and plan to have it till it dies.

 

What replaced the taco?

 

When 4th arrives the 3rd = The Good Old Days...

 

Pictures !

 

I love mine. The only quirk is it tends to get stolen.

 

Love mine! ❤

 

I have a 3rd gen and a 2nd gen. Like them both but I prefer the 2nd gen.