I've been thinking about buying a truck to haul some crap and save miles on my TL. Anyway I saw a 95 Tacoma on the cheap and decided to check out the reliability on it, this is not what I expected.

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Re...coma&trimid=-1

 

I wouldn't recommend you follow ratings done by MSN.
This is not accurate.

 

Any recommendations?

 

^ There's a video of a Tacoma inside a building that was being leveled, and the thing survived. That > MSN rating.

 

From those ratings, looks like the later ones are much improved. Maybe look for a later model Tacoma?

 

@ MSN car ratings

 

Not all Acuras are bullet proof either...



but i guess you're talking about the other kind of "bulletproof".

 

:ibIbulletproofmyacura:

 

I had a 4x4 of that era (a '91, pre-Tacoma) that had the head gasket issue mentioned in the article. My truck did not have any problems, but Toyota issued a recall and the gasket was replaced under that recall.

Other than that, I had no problems with the truck, and, in fact, loved it. It was rock solid out to 160,000 miles when the truck was totalled in an accident. I drove it everywhere, hauling dirt bikes, camping gear, etc.

Very well-made vehicle, and I'd have zero qualms about recommending one from that gen to a family member. In fact, I did. If the truck you're looking at is clean and has a good history, I say grab it.

 

Those issues were with the V6 only... I can't recall if they still had the 22R motor back in 1995 (might have been the last year), but that 4 cly engine was pretty much bulletproof....

Have you seen the top gear hilux (what the pickup is called in other countries) video ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD0UVI99R8Q

I've always a 4x4 toyota "pickup"... the pre-tacoma pickups didn't have a name... they were just the called the toyota pickup... 79-83 or so were the best looking one IMHO...

 

wasnt 95 the first yr of the tacoma? thats probably why

 

i had a 78 or 79 toyota truck...B-some# or something it was called. It was like one of those mini-trucks way back in the day. I learned to drive stick on it and hauled rocks and stuff for landscaping with it. It had well over 200k on it and still ran pretty well. Man i miss that truck.

 

95 was the first year for the tacoma in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Truck#Pickup

The B-series was the mazda truck (I had a Ford Courier - rebadged mazda before the ranger existed)...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_B-Series

The Toyota was just called the "pickup" in the US and the Hi-lux in the ROW...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Hi-Lux#1975

Altho' you could get the SR5 package so some people would call them a Toyota Sr5, but offically they were known as just a "Toyota Pickup".

 

it wasn't a mazda, so i may be wrong about the "b-something' name. it was faded yellow, like the yellow of generic brand post-it notes (not tan...definitely yellow).

don't know why it was sold.

 

 

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/car/265170144.html





I never knew Toyota made a jeep

 

that's what it looked like except it had much smaller rims/tires and a much lower suspension. i'd say it is about as high up as a subara baja. But yes, that's basically it.

 

You didn't realize that the new FJ cruiser was based on the old landcruisers (FJ40/FJ70, etc) ??

Do a google or ebay search for FJ40 and you'll find alot of interesting stuff...

 

The one I linked is probably lifted over stock, and it's a 4x4...

We had an old 2x4 toy with the 22r engine in it as a delivery truck for my uncles auto parts store that was indestructable. He actually got it for nothing. It was abandoned, and he put a claim on it, filed the paperwork, and got it running. Everyone who drove it beat the heck out of it, but it just keep on going... I think it rusted away before the drivetrain died so my uncle junked it

 

my dads friend has a stock (though beat up) yellow one just like that picture above. still ran great til he traded it in last yr for a 4 runner.

and uncle has an 84 that he bought new. never had any problems with it still his daily driver today

 

If that toyota is thought of as being unreliable, you're going to be very disappointed with an S10 or a Ford Ranger.

 

Heres my 95' Taco.... I recommend it, its been stout!

 

All I know is Toyota auto trannies are . At least on the recent Camrys.

My brother used to have a 1985 4Runner with a 22RE. It looked like a POS and drove like a POS, and most definitely smelled like a POS but he liked it for some reason. Anyway, when I did a tune-up on his car it was very clear that the car wasn't maintained at all. There was even rust in the radiator overflow tank.... which is plastic. Dumped out the fluid and it was just water, maybe a little bit a coolant. Nonetheless it had 235,000+ miles and was still running. Running strong... I wouldn't quite say that.

I liked that car though because every time you started it you had to use a spoon... connect it between these two thingies that dangled out from underneath the dash. Everyone who saw it for the first time laughed.

I've also heard that the 3VZ engine is bulletproof. I believe it is used in the SR5 model 4Runners and Trucks/Tacomas

 

The 3VZ-E V6 had a lifespan from '88 to '95. My '94 4Runner never had issues with the headgaskets but I had the dealer replace them at 50k under the recall warranty. Truck has since been sold but is still running strong at 193k miles.

 

If you want reliable ratings on any vehicle you should check consumer reports.

 

No you should check out an owner's forum. That's where all the harshest critics hang out.