I have always been a fan of the toyota pickups of any year, but have never purchased one. Now I am seriously looking for a commuter truck that is great on gas and as dependable as all yota owners seem to be. I have narrowed my search to the 22re older 4x4 models if I can find one that is in BC Canada with a reasonable amount on the odometer.

I need to hear from experienced Toyota pickup owners for any advice they can give me for the top 10, or less, things to look for when purchacing a Toyota pickup. Every truck has the things to look for if you know where to look.

1. So far I have heard to check the frame for leftover mud and rust from offroading.

2. Any repainting may have been over old rust and may come back.

3. I am more concerned about where to look for common leaks or fault areas...

 

Timing chain is a good one. I they don't have receipts for doing it dont believe them. The chain guide will wear out and slap the timing chain cover wearing a whole in it. Then you need a new chain and chain cover at minimum. And if you run a motor with antifreeze in the crankcase it mixes with the oil and will begin to wear out the crank bearings very quickly. You can inspect the timing chain guide by pulling the valve cover. But that is not something for a first timer. It's not hard but it requires at least a little visual experience with these motors. Hope this helps and welcome.

 

Thanks for the info... How upon first inspection of a potential vehicle can I see if there is antifreeze in the crankcase? What specifically do I look for if the truck already has high miles and the owner is unknowledgeable about its history? Are there physical signs of wear I may be able to notice? I am viewing a 1999 v6 4x4 Tacoma rtd with 187000 miles on it... It's all decked out and looks sharp but I don't need one that will be sitting on side of the road in a month. The owner got it from an auction and doesn't know much of the trucks history. Is $8000 too much for this truck? Could I recoup my money in a few years if I take care of it? Is that a great deal? What things should I look for that I can physically see before buying?

 

Well as far as mixed oil and water. You can pull the oil filler cap and make sure there is not a white milkshake residue on it. Also when the truck is still cold pop the radiator cap and make sure there is no signs of oil in the antifreeze. Being the fact that your looking at a Tacoma now and not a 22re and older truck I am kinda out of my knowledge area. But google for a Tacoma recall. Toyota had a recall for a lot of 1 generation Tacoma's. not sure of the exact years included in it. But it was for the frame that did not receive the proper anti rust coating. Some of these trucks were rusting through the frames. Toyota has since stopped this recall but I am sure there are still some trucks out there with problems. If you search on here for Tacoma recall I am sure you will find more detailed information. Also if you can't find what you are looking for with yotatech's search engine the use google and put what your looking for and "on yotatech" in the search engine box. That normally finds it. Hope this helps

 

Super advice, used it to look around today. Saw all the rust old toy frames are known for if not taken care of. Sad really, beautiful trucks otherwise. Saw a couple gems tho, a blue '93 Tacoma v6... Want a 22re but they are just to hard to find in decent shape around here and I don't want to deal with inspections and the border if I buy in the US. So the yota I liked today has 203,000miles on it and starting my time with a truck so late in its life doesn't sit we'll with me. I haven't written it off yet but I have to go see one more 3 hours away from me before I make a decision on how I plan on joining the Toyota family. What I need to know for a bargaining tool is the cost of parts and labor to replace CV joints and and e brake cable?

 

How lame is this???????😡. I talk to a friend of mine who has a 1999 taco and he tells me to avoid all v6 3.0 before 94 or 95 because of major head gasket issues and recalls... Is that true? I've narrowed my search to a 94 and two 93 tacos and now this... FML. And he said they don't have CV's the have full axels that have to be replaced so its $450 per side FFS. He told me to stick to the 22re 4cyl but the are far and few between. I don't know if a toy is the smartest choice for me anymore... Any advice for me out there?

 

Ok. So 95 and earlier PICKUPS, not tacomas, have the 3.0L 3VZE, that may have some issues with head gaskets. 96 and later TACOMAS, have a 3.4L 5VZE(?) that does not have head gasket issues. The 22RE and 3VZE died in 96, and were replaced by the 2/3RZ and 5VZE. All pickups before 86 had a "live" front axle. All 86 and later had IFS. (If they were not JDM or AU/EU market) All toyotas that saw any serious mileage in salt climates will have rust. If you're goin into a long term relationship with one, why not spend the time to come south, find some rust free stuff? All that said, I think you have some model/engine confusion. There's some 3.0s out there with a veritable butt-load of miles on them, that, with proper maintenance, will go forever. There's some 22R/Es out there that are flogged to death 2.5k after rebuild. You roll the dice. Take it for a drive, and have the $ on hand for a mech to inspect it, get somebody who knows vehicles to hook you up with advice. Not bashing, but you're spinning off in 3 directions at once.

 

Pull up any floor carpet or rubber floor in the cab to inspect the floor.
Also check the cab around the windshield frame for rust..bad past repairs can lead to leaks and more issues.

Inspect any suspension components etc

 

That is exactly the info I needed, all compact and in one small paragraph... Not spread out over the internet or half assed teachings of ppl with partial information. Thank you combatcarl for setting me up with proper info on my 3 directions. I know where to go from here... I shall begin with looking up about a dozen abbreviations and deciphering a bit of Greek in your reply but I got the gist of your advice and I appreciate it greatly. 😊

 

I am now the proud owner of a 1993 Toyota SR5 V6 3L. Thanks for all your help!