Hello I've been seriously considering getting an 07 Tacoma access cab, 4x4, v-6, off road package but having reading quite a few posts about problems with these trucks.... Engine ticking, shuddering/vibrating on downshifts, handling problems, wind noise, gas mileage issues....... But the weird part is some of your aren't experiencing any of these issues and some are..... Not sure what do to....
You guys are scaring me....
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Just a couple of thoughts...
Whenever you research a product on the Internet you will always see more comments from people that are having problems. I think that with the Tacoma you have a "silent majority" that you won't hear from.
The Tacoma isn't perfect. Nor is any other man-made device. I do believe that Toyotas in general have fewer problems than most other vehicles.
I have 42k now and the only thing I have had to have repaired was a squeeky clutch pedal.
Would I get another Tacoma? Absolutely! Would I expect it to be perfect? Not really...
If you like the way it looks and drives and performs then it's easier to put up with it when something doesn't work right.
Expect to have fun!
Expect to have problems.
Don't be scared - get one if it's what you want!
In may case, so far, the fun has exceeded the problems.
Whenever you research a product on the Internet you will always see more comments from people that are having problems. I think that with the Tacoma you have a "silent majority" that you won't hear from.
The Tacoma isn't perfect. Nor is any other man-made device. I do believe that Toyotas in general have fewer problems than most other vehicles.
I have 42k now and the only thing I have had to have repaired was a squeeky clutch pedal.
Would I get another Tacoma? Absolutely! Would I expect it to be perfect? Not really...
If you like the way it looks and drives and performs then it's easier to put up with it when something doesn't work right.
Expect to have fun!
Expect to have problems.
Don't be scared - get one if it's what you want!
In may case, so far, the fun has exceeded the problems.
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id say go ahead and get the tacoma!! i love my 06 prerunner!! like the other guy said.....you'll have a problem or two with anything you buy once in a while.......you'll just have less with the tacoma!! my biggest complaint was tires......(rugged trails still suck!!)......but the truck is awesome!! gas mileage is pretty good for a v6 in my opinion....as i get round 19/20 per gallon! if you havent test driven 1....do it! you'll see how nice these trucks are!!
Yeah, I probably worry too much. I guess I should add I owned an SR5 4x4 extended cab which I bought new in 1986. I ran it for 18 years and put over 300,000 miles on it. I beat the holy living crap out of it, tipped it over once, played bumper cars with a semi once, flew through the air with the greatest of ease quite a few times. I traded it for an 02 Dakota, what was I thinking....well my thinking was to try and keep the business in my home town. A couple of the local dealers have gave me the run around so I got pissed off and thats why I want to go back to Toyota....
Feel free to vent man...what probs ya havin'?
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yeah, id also like to hear man!! collectively......we may can figure some stuff out for ya!!
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Keep in mind that in the wonderful world of forums, there's always a certain small percentage of sh*t stirrers who will complain long, loudly and bitterly that the sun is too bright, and the night too dark.
I'll soon be getting my third Tacoma. Like most have said, a couple minor problems, but by in large, it is beyond reliable. It's built to last and that it does. Tell me another vehicle that you can put 100,000kms on and not do brakes? and even then, you are only doing pads and shoes. There's no Dodge, Ford or GM that come close to the long term reliability of these trucks. If you need to see proof, do a search on youtube for the Hilux distruction video that Top Gear put together. If that doesn't show you how tough these trucks are, nothing will.
and yes, I'd buy another Tacoma, just traded in my 2005 Access Cab for a 2007 Double Cab, need the extra room!
and yes, I'd buy another Tacoma, just traded in my 2005 Access Cab for a 2007 Double Cab, need the extra room!
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Ditto. Some people just aren't happy unless they are complaining. Never has that been more evidenced than by either having a wife or reading at this forum.
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447 Posts
I'm afraid I'm with Raimann. First I think that I need to say that I am a big Toyota fan having had a 92 stripped model pickup that my biggest complaint was that the turn signal wouldn't cancel on right hand turns. I used it for commuting, camping, dozens of firewood hauls and it never let me down. Ten years and 90k miles later I sold it for a little less than I paid for it.
I now have an 05 PreRunner V6 MT Access Cab with TRD Off Road package that I have several issues with - many from day one. Really my biggest problem is with my local dealership's service department. I will speak with the service dept manager one more time before going to Toyota directly. Here's a short list of the problems my truck has...I know the solution for many of them, but I want Toyota to correct them for me (without $$$ leaving my pocket).
MAJOR clutch chatter - have not yet duplicated at the service dept with service person. Left it there overnight, tried cold the next day. Some chatter, but not extreme - service guy said it was nothing and he told me to never apply the excellerator when engaging the clutch! I am going to mount my video camera on the dash to capture just how violent the clutch chatter is. There may be a youtube video of this soon!
MAJOR CONSTANT squeek - can be heard loud and clear with the rear cab window open. This sound makes the truck embarrassing to drive and it happens constantly while moving - worse on bumpy roads. I'm pretty sure it's the rear leaf springs or the cab to frame mounts. Service dept first asked me to bring it back on a day when the weather was nicer!!! (after I took the day off work!) After I balked they later said that the sound was caused by normal rear differential movement. There's a TSB out on this noise but it only applies to some of the 05 models.
Front wheel balance - bad from factory. Dealership wasted 2 hours of my time while they unsuccessfully attempted to rebalance the tires. I know that I need to take it to a shop capable of the lug-centric balancing, but I'd really like Toyota to fix it - but I'm pretty sure they're not capable of it.
Center wheel caps - they just fall off and they're expensive! ($70+)
Loud clutch pedal creak - will address on my next visit.
Screaching/squeeling sound just after a cold start - a few seconds after a cold start a terrible sound occurs - doesn't sound mechanically healthy. Will address on my next visit.
Loud ticking at idle - I think they all do it.
Downshifting to 1st - major clunk/grind. Need to be at a COMPLETE stop to downshift to first. I have adjusted my driving habit and I'm now ok with it.
Mileage - Usually around 15 +/- 1 with combined city/hwy. Never got above 18 - even on a long road trip (flat terrain).
I'm very much disappointed with the manual transmission version of this truck, and I probably wouldn't be whining so much if I had opted for the auto or if I had a local dealer service dept that was interested in customer satisfaction. Seems like all they want to do is change your oil every 4 months. I have less than 5k miles on the odometer after 16 months, partly because I'm a bicycle commuter and partly because I really don't enjoy driving it. I recommend to take your time, do your research, and do plenty of test driving before your purchase.
I have a similar story. My '86 reg cab 4 x 4 took me everywhere for 18 years. 347K miles. I did everything that I shouldn't have done to it and it never said uncle. I wasn't using it much in the last few years, so I sold it. Got $3500 fot it! Lots of people were interested. Even though I used it as a truck, I really kept it in top shape.
Now the sad part. I bought an '03 TRD Off Road X tra cab. Nice truck, but it had a few issues. Harsh shifting tranny and it pinged. What I found out quickly was that Toyota wasn't the same company that I remembered. I was stonewalled. They wouldn't fix it when the promised they would. Came to find out that this happens alot. Read the newsgroups and you'll find very legitimate complaints where Toyota shamelessly denies service. They deny there's a problem. Everything's normal.
I sold that truck upside down. I took a bath. Bought an '05. Mostly very good. But now I have a problem. Serious actually. The regional technical rep is denying a proper fix, in my opinion. This is sight unseen. Same rep that I dealt with in '03 as a matter of fact.
Toyota's hired alot of domestic help. Management from American companies. I think that's a bad thing. It shows in how they treat their loyal customers. My entire family owns Toyotas based soley on my former entusiasm. I may have to change that, and I can. For me, I was about to buy a new Tundra. I think that's out now. I'm steaming.
So, buy a Tacoma if you like. Nice truck. But if something goes wrong, don't be shocked if you get the run around. It's rather common nowadays with Toyota. Too bad.
P.S. There's really no point in anyone chiming in to say how well they've been treated by Toyota corporate. That's how it *supposed* to be. Sorry if that makes me sound like a wanker.
To the few of you that might feel I have come here to complain, not the case.
I have owned 4 Toyota's, all trucks or SUV's. Currently I own a 2003 Land cruiser, had a 98' 4Runner and a 95' 4Runner. Zero trouble with these. All made in Japan......Hmmmmm.
Tacoma made in USA.....Hmmmmm
This 2007 Tacoma is pale in comparrison with regards to quality control.
My problems are as follows:
30-20 mph Vibration
50-60 mph vibration
Under acceleration a numbing tingling feel is felt in steering wheel and gas pedal.
Loud engine ticking from drivers side.
Strange knock sound in underside rear of truck over certain bumps.
All this in first week of ownership with 250 miles.
Toyota say's this is ALL NORMAL.
Lets see what arbitration says. If I lose I lose. I'll selll the POS and never look back.
I have owned 4 Toyota's, all trucks or SUV's. Currently I own a 2003 Land cruiser, had a 98' 4Runner and a 95' 4Runner. Zero trouble with these. All made in Japan......Hmmmmm.
Tacoma made in USA.....Hmmmmm
This 2007 Tacoma is pale in comparrison with regards to quality control.
My problems are as follows:
30-20 mph Vibration
50-60 mph vibration
Under acceleration a numbing tingling feel is felt in steering wheel and gas pedal.
Loud engine ticking from drivers side.
Strange knock sound in underside rear of truck over certain bumps.
All this in first week of ownership with 250 miles.
Toyota say's this is ALL NORMAL.
Lets see what arbitration says. If I lose I lose. I'll selll the POS and never look back.
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71 Posts
On my third Toyota now, had a 91' with 140,000, 00' with 110,000, and now my 06' with 12,000. Have never turned the key and not heard the truck start. Couple small problems here and there, overall I love these trucks. I also worry about quality control and excellence in manufacturing these trucks here in the States. I still credit my 91 for saving my life as I did a serious Dukes of Hazard jump over an interstate State Trooper turn around, that was before rumble strips! That said, I still feel they are superior to any of their competition. Love my 06', just wish it got a little better gas mileage. But I'm sure they did some studies that proved people want Horse Power over mileage. Too bad you cant get a TRD 4 door with a 4 banger, would I have left the availiable horsepower of the V6?? hmmmm, doubtful. 
I had a 90 4runner with almost 240,000 miles and it ran great with very little problem. I will also say I drove it pretty hard because the power of the 3.0 V6 was pretty low and needed to be driven hard to keep up with traffic. I hear a lot of these stories about people that are so unhappy with their new Tacoma on these forums. I think for the most part it is the same people complaining over and over again. True a lot of people come hear to ask questions with little things that bother them and I am one of them. I would bet that 95% of Tacoma owners are very happy with their truck. Every one will have their complaints and again I am one of them, but I am very convinced I would be complainig a lot more with any other mid sized truck. Even with Nissan, it may be made in Japan but if you pick up a Consumer Reports Nissan's reliability is very low for a Japanese manufacture.
I am 100% convinced the current generation of Tacoma's (2005.5 +) that are now assembled in Mexico & CA are not quite up to Japanese fit and finish standards. I understand the 25% tariff on imported pickup's would price the Tacoma out of the market here in the USA. My 2006 Tacoma had a misaligned drivers door that was so obvious I wondered how it got by QC at the factory. Other than that I LOVE my Tacoma. The door was promptly aligned by my local Toyota dealer and I have zero issues to write about.
I had actually ordered a 2007 FJ Cruiser before purchasing my Tacoma DC. The fact that it's a Toyota and still assembled in Japan was a major factor, but the lack of a practical truck bed and awful blind spots swayed my decision after it arrived 8 weeks later.
I had actually ordered a 2007 FJ Cruiser before purchasing my Tacoma DC. The fact that it's a Toyota and still assembled in Japan was a major factor, but the lack of a practical truck bed and awful blind spots swayed my decision after it arrived 8 weeks later.
Hate to add to the list but has anyone ever experienced being pushed by the wind? I had to experience this a couple times before I figured out what it was. During strong winds (about 40mph) I would feel the truck being buffeted to the side a bit. No big deal, you can feel this in most any vehicle. But occasionally there'd be this odd screech/scuffing sound. At first I thought the wind was getting in to some particluar nook or cranny. Then after a couple more experiences...hey wait a minute, that my tires scuffing as the truck is being pushed sideways!
Man, I need new tires. But wait, if the pavement is dry and the tires aren't worn (can't see all of Lincoln's head yet) there should be adequate adhesion to the road.
They are the original Dunlops 17" with 42k miles and 29psi. cold.
But don't let this scare you.
Man, I need new tires. But wait, if the pavement is dry and the tires aren't worn (can't see all of Lincoln's head yet) there should be adequate adhesion to the road.
They are the original Dunlops 17" with 42k miles and 29psi. cold.
But don't let this scare you.
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