Faults:
I bought this truck as a "certified" used car from a Toyota dealership. My 97 RAV4 was about finished, and I needed more cargo space, so I figured this truck would be a great buy, based on my last Toyota.
I was pretty impressed with the truck and the way it handled, until problems started to occur.
At about 10000 km, the clutch became stiff, and shifting started to make occasional grinding noises.
Brought it back to Toyota, they were no help; they tried to tell me I couldn't drive manual right!
At about 12000 km, noticeable loud noises coming from the front end suspension. Dealership once again is of no help, refuses to assume responsibility.
At about 15000 km, check engine light comes on.
Repaired, partially covered by warranty.
2 days later, check engine light comes back on!
This time I needed it for work so just kept driving it. Eventually bring it back to Toyota, something about O2 sensors, mass airflow, etc.. either way, another $800 out of my pocket.
One month later, the check engine light is back on!!
At this point I am getting really frustrated since I paid extra for this truck for Toyota dependability, since I don't have time to hang around at the dealership all the time! What a waste of time..
19000 km - stereo speakers sound like they are shot. I rarely even used the stereo!
20000 km - front end suspension sounds like it's going to fall apart over speed bumps, etc.
20000 km - transmission shifting rough, delay between 2nd/3rd gear and lots of shifting noise.
20000 km - drivers side seatbelt latch won't hold the belt in... cheap, cheap, cheap.
22000 km - Tired of driving this piece of junk and having to worry about being stranded on the side of the road. I traded it in at a loss, just to get rid of it, one of the worst investments I have made..
General Comments:
I bought this truck since my RAV4 had served me very well.
I am very disappointed in Toyota and their customer service. Every time they tried to pin the problem on me when it was clearly their fault.
It seems like their build quality and materials have gone way down in quality, they are selling cars based on their reputation in the 80's/90's when they made a quality product.
They have really ripped me off this time, and I will never buy any of their products again.
I have absolutely no faith left in Toyota, I'm going back to domestics since my coworkers all have older domestic pickups that have none of the problems my Tacoma had.
I lost a lot of money with this truck, as it deteriorated very quickly.
I want to let everyone know, stay away from this truck unless you like hanging out at Toyota dealerships on a regular basis!
3rd Aug 2012, 23:56
I also had a Tacoma, a 2009. I was very disappointed with the quality.
The first issue I encountered was the Tacoma Tick from the engine. As I would accelerate, I would hear the engine ticking. Took it in for service, and it was deemed "normal".
Second problem was an annoying creak from the front suspension, when slowly going over speed bump... again... "normal".
Next was the A/C barely blowing cold and the driver's seat making a creaking noise over a bump. Seat was "normal" per Toyota, and they replaced the A/C compressor, which did nothing.
I sold this truck ASAP.