1998 Toyota Tacoma SR5 2.4 Litre

Summary:

Great truck nice driver, but hate that frame rot!!!

Faults:

Nuts keep coming off the O2 sensor. Had to wire it on. No biggy.

Seat slider cable on passenger side seat broke.

Frame totally rotted out on both sides from cab back to the end. So far cost is up to $600. and the welding shop is not done yet. This is a PA truck. Anyone else have this problem?

General Comments:

Nice truck body wise. It has the TRD kit and goes super in the snow even in 2 wheel drive. I've driven in 9 inches of snow without kicking it in to 4X4. I did use the locking rear-end button once to get me out of a serious ice jam situation so kudos to Toyota for that little feature.

The 4 cylinder engine is a bit under powered especially for towing. It's hard to keep up highway speeds unless kept in 4th gear with the hammer down.

The frame leaves a lot to be desired. Even though it is boxed it is very prone to rust through. I did not know mine was bad until a trip to the car wash blew holes in it. Has Toyota cured this problem in later years?

I've hauled a lot of heavy stuff in and with this truck and the suspension never left me dragging my tail in the dirt.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th March, 2008

27th Mar 2008, 20:47

Yeah I live in Northwestern PA and I had the same problem. Talk to a local Toyota dealer... they are recalling all 1995-2001 Toyota Tacomas because the frames are rusting out, but they have not sent letters out yet.

14th Jun 2008, 07:51

I never got a letter either, but Toyota has already bought my truck back, and treated me more than fairly to say the least.

The whole deal went off without a hitch. I paid 12,500 in early '05 for my '98 Tacoma with 29,000 miles on it, and I sold it back to Toyota for over $14,000 two weeks ago with almost 90,000 miles on it, and bought a brand new car. Can't really beat that. Drove it for three years, put over 60,000 miles on it, and MADE money on it in the end.

Take yours in. The worst you can do is, you'll find out your truck is actually good and they'll give you 15 more years warranty on corrosion.

1998 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4X4 2.7

Summary:

This truck is for LIFE, a one time purchase

Faults:

A/C system replaced at 150000.

TPS sensor replaced at 220000.

General Comments:

I took my first Toyota truck over 300,000 and plan taking this one way over that. What dependability!

I would really recommend a V6, slightly underpowered.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th January, 2008

17th Jan 2008, 16:50

Your headline says it all.

I own one and wouldn't give it up for anything made before or since. I play in the mud in it, HARD, overload it occasionally, and then take it halfway across the country and it's perfect. Never a repair. I enjoy driving it more every day, and every day it proves to me that it can handle anything within reason that I can throw at it, and some unreasonable things too.

Not to mention, I live in an area where they salt the winter roads, and still not a speck of rust.

I have the V-6, and it's as rock solid as any engine ever built by anybody. It regularly sees 4000 rpms continuously while off roading, the 4 wheel drive system is absolutely perfect; hell, the whole truck is perfect. I wouldn't change a detail.

For on or off road purposes, for a truck this size, no one has ever built a better one.

1998 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Extend Cab 2.4

Summary:

The truck drives like a car yet works like a truck

Faults:

I needed to replace all four shocks at 75,000 miles. A handling problem was immediately corrected.

General Comments:

The truck travels on the highway like a car, quiet and low engine revs, however the low seat comfort is terrible. This small truck, even with extra cab has the largest bed space of any small truck. I tow a 19 foot bass boat in fourth gear without any problems, but braking can sometimes be lacking.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th December, 2007