Friend of mine lost his ball joint in his driveway a few years ago. Thought I had a picture. I fixed it where it sat, it was blocking everything and in the teens that day with high winds. Pretty miserable but was able to fix it where it was easier than getting it moved. He hadn't noticed any of the usual symptoms of a bad ball joint. Luckily it happened at less than ten mph rather than on the 3 hour drive he was making the following day to hunt. 31 inch tires on a factory truck. Probably had 130-140k on it. Thinking it an early 2000's truck.
Another friend went a state away and purchased a mid 90's taco. About two months later he was putting a new motor in it.
They are good trucks, but they aren't bullet proof. Seems some people think they only ever need gas and oil. They still take regular maintenance, things still wear out on them. Certain advantages to birfield joints and cv's. They really don't make much power, and are lightweight, all that lends itself to not breaking as much stuff.
Only you can determine if they are really worth the cost. What's the price of breaking down? They are likely the best for reliability on the small truck/suv market. However you can get something for 1/3 the money that isn't much less reliable.
It's like green paint on a tractor, some pay a lot of money for it.