2002 Toyota Tacoma SR5 2.7

Summary:

Very reliable and decent gas mileage

Faults:

External door handle loose.

Brake cable broke.

Neutral safety switch went bad.

General Comments:

Nice truck.

Can't read the clock, and the safety belt doesn't retract back, so it hangs down and gets caught when you close the door.

I'm getting about 16 around town and 20 on the highway using regular gas.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th January, 2016

9th Jan 2016, 15:02

Update: I tightened the door handle. It's very easy to take apart the door assembly.

2002 Toyota Tacoma 4x2 Double-cab PreRunner V6 3.4-liter V6

Summary:

Great all around truck with the double cab

Faults:

Driver's seat belt occasionally doesn't go up or down very easy.

Squeak in the tailgate from the shell.

Randomly didn't start once, but haven't had a problem with it since.

General Comments:

Overall I've been very pleased with my Tacoma so far. The truck seems a little underpowered, but I don't tow anything bigger than a small trailer, so hasn't been a problem yet.

Clock placement in the cabin doesn't make any sense though. You have to move your hand or look around the steering wheel to just check the time. They could have put it in the CD player, but that's just me.

Also a smaller thing, but a light on the back of the truck over the truck bed would be nice to have for outdoor activities. Just a convenience feature though.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th February, 2011

2002 Toyota Tacoma XtraCab 4x4 3.4L DOHC V6

Summary:

Be good to it, and it'll be great to you

Faults:

Headlight burnt out. It was a $25 fix. Easiest lightbulb replacement ever. Don't even have to take out the headlamp assembly. Enough room under the hood to get two hands down there. Very pleased.

Front right (passenger side) wheel bearing has blown. $600 fix from the dealer or $250 do-it-yourself.

There was a major recall on this vehicle. Some were effected, some weren't. Mine was. The recall was: frame rot. Toyota fixed it with care though. According to them, it was about $2000 worth of work per truck. They sandblasted the entire undercarriage, sealed and rubberized the frame. So if you buy one with a rubber coating on it, it has been done.

General Comments:

Very solid truck. Perfect for those who want a smaller truck with lots of ground clearance, great fuel economy, amazing offroad capability without any modifications. Pulls 5000 pounds.

With the automatic 4 speed with OD, you can turn off the overdrive and activate the ECT, which changes gears at higher rpms.

Toyota thought of everything for this little truck. Lots of power from the V6. No passing lag. Front brakes are 4 piston calipers - great for towing.

With good maintenance, these trucks will go for 500 000kms, if not more.

Great stock stereo too! 6x9 speakers front and back in case you're wondering.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th October, 2010

2002 Toyota Tacoma SR5 2.7

Summary:

Toyota Tacoma = Crap

Faults:

At 37,000 miles, the factory tires crapped out.

At 37,800 miles, the check engine light came on and stayed on.

At 41,000 miles, the factory exhaust rotted off.

At 38,000 miles, the rear chrome bumper rotted ugly.

At 40,000 miles, it started developing bad axle noises.

At 36,560 miles, the factory brakes gave out.

At 56,000 miles, the frame rotted through.

At 42,000 miles, the engine started leaking oil.

General Comments:

I paid extra over and above a better equipped Ranger, strictly for Toyota's then stellar reputation.

The hype over Toyota quality mystifies me.

There's a very good reason why Toyota only warranties its vehicles for 3 years/36,000 miles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th October, 2010

14th Oct 2010, 16:27

"At 37,000 miles, the factory tires crapped out."

That's actually not too bad for "factory tires" as they usually put 30K mile tires on new vehicles.

"At 37,800 miles, the check engine light came on and stayed on."

Did you get it checked out or just leave it? This might be causing some of your additional problems! Check engine lights are there for a reason, so ignoring them is like playing Russian roulette.

"At 41,000 miles, the factory exhaust rotted off."

"At 38,000 miles, the rear chrome bumper rotted ugly."

Comments about "rotting" parts lead me to believe you never washed it or took care of it. Trucks need washing just like cars so they won't degrade over time and with winter driving.

"At 40,000 miles, it started developing bad axle noises."

"At 36,560 miles, the factory brakes gave out."

What were you using this truck for? Did you tow with it? Did you work with it? Usage will have major consequences to how things will last especially if you do no maintenance on your vehicle.

"At 56,000 miles, the frame rotted through."

Okay, rotted through? Even without cleaning, this shouldn't have happened. I would have to see proof of this one... sorry.

"At 42,000 miles, the engine started leaking oil."

Gee, maybe you won't ignore the check engine light the next time telling you something is up with your engine. Maybe something related to the light being on is what could have caused your leak.

This list is a bit on the suspicious side, especially if you have maintained this truck properly and cleaned it regularly. If this is a work truck that was abused from day one and never taken care of, then I could see most of these issues occurring on any truck.