What to look out for when buying a 2003?

I’m about to take a look at a semi clean 2003 taco v6 trd 4x4 xtra cab manual w/200k miles soon. I know to look for frame rust, check the car fax to see if the odometer has been messed with, test 4H, 4L, locker, shifting, and to find out about when the timing belt was last changed.

Is there a list of other things I should watch out for?

also, what would you consider a decent price? I assume with 200k miles I will have to replace a lot of things, and potentially will have to deal with head gasket or other major problems as time goes by. (It seems like a lot of people sell at the 200k mark)

 

Beware even the best of us can be overcome With Tacoma Lust and miss very obvious problems .

To me I just start at the tires and work my way up we all have different areas we tend to look at myself drive train including suspension steering and brakes.

The Cab and bed if most of it is there .

Some people tend to sell after getting a price to get the timing belt done around 200,000 miles or so or orders from the higher power your not spending another cent .

There is always going to be areas of maintenance neglected it can get expensive if your paying for all the work.

 

Frame over rear tires, get under and look at inside of frame- check leaf spring mounts. Pop hood and look at fender bolts to see if they’ve been wrenched on. Look for vin tags on the fenders in the engine bay- this will show evidence of a crash. Check oil with a white rag, look under for fluid leaks or evidence of it, run hand over the top of the under engine skid plate to see if there’s hidden fluid leaks. Check coolant reservoir and look for pink fluid. If it’s not pink they’ve used the wrong fluid. Look down at water pump for wetness. Push and shake headlights and markers to see if they’re solid or shaky indicating damage. Many times if the inside of the truck is really nice then the owner cared for it. If it’s a dump then they probably didn’t care about the truck. This is not 100% but I see this all the time in the service department. Often when the inside of the car is treated well and cared for people will do the fluid services and things they need to. It means they value their vehicle. Look for oil change decal on windshield. Check exhaust- with the car running, take a rag in your hand and block the tail pipe. Listen for exhaust leaks. Look at differentials and see if they are seeping or wet. Open gas door and look for overspray- common to see it there if the bed was repaired. Listen for noises in the engine area. Try ALL functions of the vehicle- in my research I found many off-road models where the rear differential would not engage. If you push the button in the rear diff lock light will flash a few times and then turn solid. The ones I looked at just kept flashing which meant it did not engage. Try the four-wheel-drive functions. Make sure it engages. Pull the trans dipstick and check the color of the fluid and smell it. If it’s dark or smells burnt then they haven’t done it. Drive it. Check steering. Realize you may need some tie rods and such. Make sure you go over bumps to reveal noises and function and try the brakes. Feel for wobbles, pulsation, sounds, etc. you can take a look at the rotors through the rims and see if they are all rusted or corroded, pitted, scored, etc. I can also run the VIN for you through Toyota when I’m at work- toyota service writer. Try the ebrake- I had two that I snapped the cables on when trying them. The owners were oblivious about it. They freeze up if not used/ lubed. Look for check engine light. Try the tailgate- a couple I tried wouldn’t close properly. Measure tire tread- I recommend a tire depth gauge. Every little thing you find, make sure you point them out to the owner because they might think their truck is perfect and worth a ton but as you’re pointing things out they start to realize that it’s not as perfect as they thought. This gives you room to maneuver on pricing. When I walk around a vehicle with the owner following me I run my hand over things that I see without saying a word. Everything I touch devalues the car in their mind and gives me ammunition to negotiate.

 

19 years old

2/3 of reasonable life gone

How Much $$$$$$. ????

what would be the amount o $$$$ U would consider

toooooo much over the nxt 2-3 years n repairs

from prev owners & neglect

 

Try to get a feel of the overall "vibe" of the trucks previous owners.

Is it an overly shined up exterior to overlook chassis or drive train problems?
Does it have a good set of tires that the previous owner neglected to get an alignment done so now they are worn unevenly?

Was the frame replaced? Yes? great, but was is done properly or put back together with zip ties and self-tapping screws.
These trucks are pretty solid. I would rather buy a "dirty" stock truck than one that someone else has been modifying or repairing.

Get a cold start on the engine. these 3.4s should run quiet, all you should hear is the fan.

Check items other than the frame for rust. like the gas tank, front engine accessories, brake lines, rear axle housings.

Does your state require emissions or inspections?
If so, don't take any "easy" CEL for granted. That "MAF needs cleaned" could be a $1,500 repair to clear the light.

 

+1 on the CEL. Make sure you get a code reader and check the OBDII. Even if no light. its easy to clear a light right before you come and look at the truck. A CEL could be a huge hassle to get rid of in order to get an inspection sticker. If there are EVAP and emissions codes, it could very likely be the reason the seller is trying to get rid of the truck. This could potentially be a huge piece of leverage when negotiating the price.

 

along the lines of the OBDII code reader. You are looking for a P1000 code, this is the code that informs the tech that the PCM has been reset recently.

 

Interesting do you need a high end scanner to show that PO1000 code??

Then maybe I don`t know what you mean by the ECM being reset ??

I have never seen that code during the ordeal of going through 3 ECM units on my 98 3.4 .

Maybe a code not available till 2001 plus??

 

it will be listed at 1 "pending" code.
In my experience, it will not throw a CEL.
My $100 scan gauge catches it.

 

rust on the frames.. look under neeth any rust runnnnnnn frame off is the only way to solve this.. check it shifts ok up and down.. check stops ok no vibrations when stopping.. check if its manual clutch etc etc its not that hard to look things over if it has original parts just expect within 2 years of owning it your replaceing battery alternator radiator hoses etc etc... check for leaks from the head aka head gasket oil and coolant yotas are broken in at 200k wil llast to 500 k if taken caer of

 

Thanks everyone for the awesome advice. I feel like this is helpful knowledge for pretty much any truck. Now let’s hope the truck is in decent shape because I’m pretty burnt out on searching! It has been a lot harder than I expected to find a nice used tacoma.

one person even tried to scam me with a fake odometer. Luckily the car fax showed me the truth (almost triple the miles the odometer said).