Truck Buying Help

[Mojave]

Call Dave Smith in Kellog Idaho. They had some 2022's for sale last I looked. Some were less than $40,000 new.

 

[30338]

Saw 2 different Nissan Frontiers today. They actually don't look bad.

If looking used, take a look at Cars.com and do some national searches. Might find a clean used one that way.

 

[Idaboy]

The f150 I'd too tall? Huh, depends on yr and model....mine sits lower than most.

 

[GunsAreFun]

The f150 I'd too tall? Huh, depends on yr and model....mine sits lower than most.

Ya. It’s like 78” for at least 2020 and up whereas Tundras (not the new ones) and GMs are 76.4” or lower. I have 76.75” off clearance in my garage currently and can maybe get to 77.5” with modification.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

I drive an 03 silverado and plan on keeping for a few more years before I’m looking to upgrade. I was talking with a buddy of mine that is a 35 year mechanic at our local Chevy dealership about replacing my truck. He says he wouldn’t buy any of the newer GM trucks. He says the 2015 - 18 were solid years though for what it’s worth.

I have a 2010 Silverado and the only thing I had to replace was the ball joints at 90k.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

No offense but those are a car with the trunk taken off.

That is true. Among mid-sized trucks the Honda Ridgline does have 50 inches between the wheel wells so can carry 2 48" wide large dog boxes side by side, or a sheet of plywood or sheetrock.

 

[5MilesBack]

SLT has some more comfort features but coming from a 2010 Tundra, anything is an upgrade.

What exactly are "comfort features"? All I can think of is "an adjustable seat, leg room, head room, heat, and AC". What else is a comfort feature?

 

[Hun10-freak]

My manager had to have the transmission replaced in his 2016 GM (under 75,000 miles)
My coworker was just complaining about 5k in repairs for his 2020 chevy 1500. I have never trusted Chevy personally. I still have a 07 Tundra with 130k miles with no issues yet, just routine maintenance. Fuel economy sucks of course...

 

[Thinkingman]

Do you know what caused the dif, axle seal and ebrake to go out?

Ball joints are a wear item. At 127K, you should be knocking on the door of set number 2.

What is causing the bed to rust?

Unless you got a complete lemon, which is a possibility, that tundra should get another 70k before anything major.

Tundras have a recall for poor design and cheap materials leading to bed rust issues.
same circ as the Tacomas with frames failing due to rust and poor design.
do your homework.

 

[Thinkingman]

Turn in your man card.View attachment 565758

Death Valley Torture Test: 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E vs. 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road | Edmunds

Our trip to Death Valley in a 2017 Honda Ridgeline and a 2016 Toyota Tacoma did not go as planned and still has us shaking our heads.

www.edmunds.com

 

[Ucsdryder]

Death Valley Torture Test: 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E vs. 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road | Edmunds

Our trip to Death Valley in a 2017 Honda Ridgeline and a 2016 Toyota Tacoma did not go as planned and still has us shaking our heads.

www.edmunds.com

You would like a ridgeline!

 

[Thinkingman]

You would like a ridgeline!

Didn’t say I like them, just pointing out Ridgeline is superior to Tacoma in basic off-road adventure.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Didn’t say I like them, just pointing out Ridgeline is superior to Tacoma in basic off-road adventure.

Don’t lie!

I’ve never owned a Tacoma or ridgeline. I drove in a lifted Toyota, gen 2 and a buddy took it up a road that I wouldn’t have dreamed it would go. A guy in a lifted decked wrangler passed us the other direction and said he was impressed to see a truck up there. My insides giggled around for a week after that though!

I also drove in a stock ridgeline and I felt like I was driving in an accord.

Not a fair comparison, but my only way to personally compare the too.

 

[Thinkingman]

Don’t lie!

I’ve never owned a Tacoma or ridgeline. I drove in a lifted Toyota, gen 2 and a buddy took it up a road that I wouldn’t have dreamed it would go. A guy in a lifted decked wrangler passed us the other direction and said he was impressed to see a truck up there. My insides giggled around for a week after that though!

I also drove in a stock ridgeline and I felt like I was driving in an accord.

Not a fair comparison, but my only way to personally compare the too.

Big difference in circumstances. Toyota is better at engineering fog lights and TRD stickers than frames and suspension.
Those TOYOTA RACING DIVISION shocks and springs are a joke.

 

[CorbLand]

Tundras have a recall for poor design and cheap materials leading to bed rust issues.
same circ as the Tacomas with frames failing due to rust and poor design.
do your homework.

Asks if he knows why something rusts…gets told to do your homework. That’s generally why you ask questions.

 

[CorbLand]

The rust issue is very common and documented through at least 2014 and I’ve seen some 2015s as well. I can’t find any clear info on whether or not Toyota fixed the problem in later years or if the need trucks just aren’t old enough to have started rusting in significant enough numbers to show up on forums.

Didn’t know that. My 2001 has a little rust in the bed but nothing horrible. Considering that it’s never lived in a garage and spent its 22 years in Idaho and Utah, I will take that as a win.

What caused the other issues you had?

 

[hunterjmj]

I had rust starting in the rear wheel wells a couple years ago on my 09' Silverado. Got some quotes and had it fixed last year for $4000. The rust started from not cleaning the Montana mud out. I take out the rear lights and spray out the mud now. Ball joints, brakes, tie rods, etc are just common parts that need replaced.

 

[jimh406]

My tundra has 127k miles and has needed front differential, axle seal, e-brake, and ball joint replaced and has bed rust so it’s not a beacon of reliability to me anymore.

I've gone down your route before as well. That is, I was just frustrated and traded. Unfortunately, every vehicle that you can buy can have issues. You'll probably lose more money on the "new to you" truck by driving it off the lot or on your trade than it will cost to repair the Tundra by a lot. 127K isn't a lot of miles for a Toyota v8.

Unless you can't swing the repair costs, you will come way ahead getting work done on your Tundra. You would even have money to improve it compared to the money you will lose on a trade even if the newer vehicle is reliable. Used vehicles are very high priced at the moment.

However, if you are totally convinced that you have to change vehicles, do a super broad search when you are looking. Also, look for vehicles that have service records. Carfax and similar don't show what wasn't recorded, but you can find out a lot of good information like service records, where the vehicle was from, and how many owners to project the life it lived.

When you think you settling on a model/brand, do a search for years to avoid, common issues etc. Also, pay attention to the region you will buy from. For instance, Washington state vehicles usually don't have very much rust at all, and you'll find that some regions tend to have better or worse rental markets.

Finally, do consider if you really still need a truck or full-size truck. If you are for sure trading, now would be a good idea to look for other possible options. For instance, if you rarely use the bed, would a SUV or smaller pickup be a better option.

 

[GunsAreFun]

I've gone down your route before as well. That is, I was just frustrated and traded. Unfortunately, every vehicle that you can buy can have issues. You'll probably lose more money on the "new to you" truck by driving it off the lot or on your trade than it will cost to repair the Tundra by a lot. 127K isn't a lot of miles for a Toyota v8.

Unless you can't swing the repair costs, you will come way ahead getting work done on your Tundra. You would even have money to improve it compared to the money you will lose on a trade even if the newer vehicle is reliable. Used vehicles are very high priced at the moment.

However, if you are totally convinced that you have to change vehicles, do a super broad search when you are looking. Also, look for vehicles that have service records. Carfax and similar don't show what wasn't recorded, but you can find out a lot of good information like service records, where the vehicle was from, and how many owners to project the life it lived.

When you think you settling on a model/brand, do a search for years to avoid, common issues etc. Also, pay attention to the region you will buy from. For instance, Washington state vehicles usually don't have very much rust at all, and you'll find that some regions tend to have better or worse rental markets.

Finally, do consider if you really still need a truck or full-size truck. If you are for sure trading, now would be a good idea to look for other possible options. For instance, if you rarely use the bed, would a SUV or smaller pickup be a better option.

Appreciate the thoughtful post. And you’re right about the math and all the other stuff.

There is one hiccup with the repair option in that no great fix for this issue exists. If it was the transmission, and I knew for $X,XXX I’d have a truck as good or better than before, I’d just suck it up. However, I’ve spoken to several body shops and my options are basically:
1) Spend $2,000-2,500 to cut out and replace the metal and then $1,200-1,300 to Line-X both sides. None of them are sure how long this will last.

2. Find a bed from a salvage yard that spent its life in Texas or somewhere that doesn’t salt their roads, paint match it, and then Line-X both sides. That’s like $5-7k, and we haven’t been able to find one yet. And I may just have the issue again in a few years.

It’s just a lot of money for a truck that is worth maybe $17-18k if I get it fixed.

I do have other reasons for wanting something different. The range with the 26 gallon (effectively 20 gal. due to needing 6 to cool the pump) is abysmal on trips, especially heading to Colorado doing 80 on I-70 westbound loaded with gear (uphill, high speed, and into the wind kills the mpg). It doesn’t have any of the crash avoidance features of new vehicles, which is more important with kids both to keep them safe and because they are a distraction lol. I am also free of a $315/week daycare bill for the first time in 5 years (can I get an AMEN!).

All that said, you gave me a lot to think about. I always said that I wanted to wait to buy a new truck until at least highway self-driving modes were available in the low-to-mid trim packages, which last I read may be just 2-4 years away.

 

[Idaboy]

Ya. It’s like 78” for at least 2020 and up whereas Tundras (not the new ones) and GMs are 76.4” or lower. I have 76.75” off clearance in my garage currently and can maybe get to 77.5” with modification.

Interesting. I have a 2015, not lifted but leveled and on 35s and no problems ever