Owners' Stories

Bought this truck used in 2006 with 92,000 miles. Has the 3.4 and is 4x4. Been the best truck I've ever owned. Had the head gasket blow 2 weeks ago at 198,000 miles thanks to the crappy design of toyota and not honoring the recall issue. All replaced and done my self and back on the road. Other than have had no problems at all. Best part is pulling out the big trucks when they get stuck. HAHA! To bad toyota quit making the 3.4. It blows away the newer trucks!!

Gas mileage sucks! Stock 17.5 mpg hwy I added K/N filter and cold intake with minor difficulty for a whopping 20mpg! My friends have Dodge diesel 4x4s that get 21. Front wheel wells on this model have openings that collect leaves and has to be cleaned regularly to prevent rust. Paint job chips, scratches and stains very easily. I keep teflon wax on it but the paint is bad. A/C is only fair and I have had it checked by pros. Stock brakes sucked (dealer did them twice before 30k) so I went proactive and installed drilled and slotted front discs along with ceramic pads to great effect! Electronic tranny button is worthless, nobody can figure out what its use or need is. Complained to the factory about these problems and they told me I was the only person to do so. Was told by the dealer that only auto trans was avail in my model. My next truck will be a manual even if I have to buy used. Door lights would be great as my friends tell me they cannot see my open doors at night. Other than that it is a great truck and I expect to have it for at least 5 more years before I move up to a cab over for camping.

The problem with my 2003 Toyota Tacoma misfiring after a preventative maintenance timing belt replacement was solved. It turned out to be a broken/missing sensor tooth on the crankshaft position-timing belt wheel. How it happened?...don't know, probably done on belt removal or installation. The P/U has been running fine since bought new in 2003 and 97000 miles on the odometer. The ignigter and ECM were ok as were the coils. Very nice, dependable truck and the A/C works fine , even here in hot, dry Arizona.

bought my 1st toyota pickup 5 yrs ago loved the truck took alot 2 get her running paid $2000 for it had sum major issues for a 91 took it to the toyota place and they told me theyd give me $3500 for it on a new 08 tacoma so i did it shure glad i did ive got 60,000 miles on her now getn 28mpg compaired to the 15mpg on the 91 . been upgradeing this 1 since i got it afe cold air intake,tornado,fuel miser,dual catback exhaust,bed cover,,side steps. soon to come body armor front bumper and a chip from gforce.im going to drive this truck till theres nothing left then fix it and drive some more

At 97000 miles I took the P/U to a local garage to have timing belt and all other belts replaced as preventative maintenance. The mechanical part went well but the engine was missing when started. Diagnosis resulted in that coil for cyls 1-4 was not firing. Test showed that signal from the ignighter on fired once, the other two coils fired ok. Subtitution with a known good igniter resulted in the same misfire. That leave the EMC in question. The p/u was running perfect when it entered the garage. The head head mechanic and help are all scratching their heads and I'm without a P/u. Sounds to me as rule #1...disconnect the battery ground when doing work on the engine was not done. What say you?

bought an o6 4x4 in 2008 had 26000 miles on it I have replaced rearend U joints condensor wheelbearing need to replace balljoint leafsprings on driver side which are broken and needs torque convertor. The truck now has 130000.This is my 2nd taco and the first one didnt give me any problem.I am really dissapointed in my truck.To bad they wont let you keep them for a 2 month test drive!

Its an OK truck. This is my 2nd Tacoma (1st was a '98, Toyota bought back due to severe frame rot). Had the frame replaced on this 1, took over 3 months to complete (in the middle of winter of course!) Replace timimg belt, water pump and trans-axle seals at same time. Rear brakes need a major repair ($1200) due to what sounds like a design flaw. Check engine light is always on, needs O2 sensor, same as my old one. Now the heat is stuck on in the middle of summer. What next? This will be my last Toyota, unless Toyota can figure out how to make a truck last like they used to!

Good truck over all. Just bad on gas milage. And I have the 4 cyl.

Having problems with the accelerator. Has full gas pedal sometimes, other times I have to push it down half way to get any response from the engine. Had the codes checked, nothing showed up.

Bought new one in 1997 V-6 Automatic 4WD. Owned it for 12 years Replaced tires, front brakes, and battery. Did recommended maintenance. 2 years ago Toyota made me an offer I couldn't refuse on rusted frame recall ! Big mistake! MISS THIS TRUCK DAILY! This was the finest , most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.!! Been looking for another ever since ! Someone help!!

I have owned this 4wd 2.7L truck from new. It has 237000 miles and I have only replaced the belts once. I will drive this until it dies....

great truck to drive. not good in gas

I love my truck. 2.7L 4wd Manual Trans. The only problems I have encountered were saggy rear leafs after about 150k and a catalytic converter that had to be replaced at around 125K. Other than that I dare any other truck to go where this truck goes STOCK! The sag in the suspension was totally due to my use of the truck. I use my truck as a 1 ton when it is clearly not. Also I do tend to take this puppy off the road at just about every turn off.

I bought my truck used with 87k miles and am now up to 145k, haven't had any problems. I use it for city commute as well as road trips (longest being 4500 miles in 6 days) without any significant complaints. One minor annoyance is the driver side door lock which gets stuck in the locked position occasionally. By far the most reliable and durable vehicle I have ever owned.

Reliable TOYOTA!!

I see others had a problem with the air conditioner. At 65K miles, my compressor went. $2400 to fix it. My guess is that this is a common problem and I'd like to see Toyota step up. This is my third Toyota and first major problem. Other than that, it has been excellent purchase but the "bullet proof reputation for reliability" mentioned in advertisements is suspect at this point!

I bought this about 11 years from a dealer in Texas. It had 35,000 miles when I bought it and now it has 348,000 miles. That's right. I love this truck!!! My wife and kids always ask when I'm going to buy a "big" truck. I just say "when the wheels fall off from driving it." I might start thinking about it when I get 500,000 miles on it. I keep all the normal maintenance up on it - oil, tires, spark plug wires, spark plugs, shocks, brakes, etc. It's been a great truck. I hit a deer a few years ago. I thought the insurance was going to total it, so I started looking and found another 1998 Tacoma that I was ready to buy. I didn't have to. Just wanted to share some good news about these very reliable trucks.

This has been an outstanding truck ! Purchased new in 99,..Love it never any problems

@33K on a 2004 the check engine light came on. This caused me to look at the air filter that was packed with maple seeds by a chipmunk. Cleaned it all up and and reset the computer & still have CEL. Took it to the dealer and for $96 was told the rear O2 sensor was NG. Replaced it with a $56 Denso. Now the AC cannot overcome a 95 outside temp. 85 yes 95 no this will be my next automotive project. RWCD

40,000 miles with only 3 short seasons of air conditioning and the air conditioner no longer works. Cost $200 at Toyota to tell me this. Then another $2,800 to repair!!

Good truck for the price. The only problems I've ever had were: about 2 years into ownership, the paint on the front bumper started to peel right off. Obviously a factory defect - poor paint adhesion and not covered under warranty. That sucked. Bumper replaced at $395. Also at 115k miles the famous "check engine" light came on. Never had that happen before - ever on any of my Toyotas, (this was my third.) Turns out that this year they had bad air/fuel ratio sensors and that cost me almost $500. So much for the extended emissions warranty for 100K miles huh?

This has been an outstanding truck for the most part. I have had some very minor issues. I had one with the air conditioning, one with the paint, one with a amber parking / drive light. I presently have just under 60,000 miles on it and still have the original everything except for the windshield wipers. I get just over 20 MPG combined driving with the V-6 engine. I have towed a 4500# travel trailer roundtrip to Alaska and round-trip to Pernnsylvania and back

My check engine light just came on as I'm about to sell my truck for top dollar being that it is in great shape. Does this usually indicate a expensive repair or a easy fix.

This has been a great truck with very little problems other than usual wear & tear. I have over 206,000 miles. The ride is stiff but it is a Pre-runner on a 4 wd chassis. the seats are uncomfortable for drives over an hour. The engine is a little underpowered for a 4 cylinder. Great gas milage with a/c on. Avg. 22mpg on hwy. Transmission will jump into neutral if if floor it on take off. Never have changed the timing chain. Change oil between 7500-10000 miles, using Castrol Synethic. Overall a great truck.

I LOVE THIS TRUCK! I bought mine 2 yrs ago with 90k on it, and it is still seems new! i've put about 50k on it so far, driving across the country at least 3 times! the stereo wiring is tempermental, but i think that was done at home by the previous owner. it has a supercharger in it, and is SO FUN!

Purchased new in 02. Replaced timing belt at 120,000 miles, replaced auto tran just short of 100,000. Very reliable, never had any real problems until today. Runaway accelerator problem blew my mind. NOT a stuck brake pedal. Got towed to a Toyota specialist for inspection....not a dealership. Will see what happens. The outcome may change my opinion of Toyota quality. Kinda of weird that it happened out of the blue but you should have seen the RPMs!

Third Tacoma... I have never had a more reliable vehicle...

Best Truck Ever..Love it never any problems

Great truck so far. I'm still waiting for the "runaway engine syndrome" to kick in...

Own this truck sense 2000. Has not broke down. Drives well, beside the check engine light does not turn off. Brake great. Paint still good.

2009 TRUCK OF THE YEAR. FUEL EFFICIENT. AFFORDABLE. GREAT QUALITY FOR REASONABLE PRICE!

Great truck. Never had a problem.

My 1999 Tacoma is still the best looking truck wherever I park it. Its 2.7 liter, 4-cylinder engine, with manual transmission, delivers robust high and low-end performance. And, in 4WD, it's sure footed in rain and snow. Having to manually lock the front end to go into 4WD is a minor inconvenience. Its only maintenance has been what Toyota recommends.

I have a 1997 Tacoma with over 260,000 miles and is still running strong. The engine (3.4L) is big enough to handle a fully loaded 12' trailer or small boat and on the highway, I', getting about 22 miles to the gallon. No complaints, great truck with minimal mechanical issues!

Since day 1 my Tacoma has been a work truck. I fitted a rack on the roof, a camper shell, wench, etc and have used this truck day in and day out for hauling. The engine is still pulling strong with over 176k miles on it. The clutch is going but it's held up until now. The suspension squeaks but I have the original shocks. I'll probably drive this Tacoma until it has 200k miles on it then get myself another. Definitely recommend Toyota trucks!

I've had my 2003 Tacoma since it was new and I've put 112,000 miles on it. I set up the back like a little camper and drive it all over the states and it hasn't ever left me stranded. It struggles up hill sometime, so I wish it had more power, but otherwise it's great. I wish the seats were better, and I wish I could see the clock!

I spent several months looking for a great deal on a Toyota Tacoma. These trucks have great resale value compared to Ford or Chevy. I got the 2.4 liter four cylinder, 5 speed, 2WD. With gas prices being a concern I routinely get 26 miles to the gallon. The truck has been exceptionally reliable. I would certainly recommend Toyota trucks. I would strongly recommend the extra cab, it is so handy to have somewhere to safely store your belongings without leaving them in the bed of your truck. The only real criticism I have is the engine is a little under powered (but fine for my purposes), and the turning radius is awful. I have 162,000 trouble free miles. The 4 cylinder engine uses a timing chain resulting in low over all maintenance costs. I’ve driven the 4WD and unless you need 4WD the ride is a little rough for my liking.

This truck has been great! I bought it used with 8k miles and never had any problems. The interior is a bit tight, but it's high quality all around. Highly recommended. If you don't need a diesel engine, I can't imagine buying anything other than a Japanese truck. They're the best!

This Tacoma has been an exceptionally reliable truck. Comfortable and quiet inside (still after 100K), nice factory Toyota sound system. Consistent good gas mileage for a truck (24MPG). Manual trans started to make a whine noise around 90K, other than that this Tacoma has been absolutely flawless. Considering how I beat up the things I drive this truck has taken it and asked for more. Great job Toyota! I would certainly purchase another one.