2006 Toyota Tacoma SR5 from North America - Comments

To 21:47; my current vehicle is my eighth one. My point about the '69 Chevelle is that in it's day, it was a high quality, excellent vehicle that made good use of the current technology. Today's GM's certainly do not make good use of current technology, such as Toyota does. Today's GM's are not high quality, reliable vehicles that are reflective of TODAY'S current technology. GM has been slipping ever since then. It's a matter of build quality, and of their vehicles being state of the art. Toyota, Honda, possibly even Hyundai, are progressive, state of the art auto makers. GM is trailing behind, just happy to churn out as much crap as they can in order to try and keep their heads above water. It's not working.

In response to comment 22:07, I'd have to recommend the Silverado, Dodge Ram or another Ford. In reading all these comments I have become totally convinced that the domestic owners make a far better case. They are knowledgeable, articulate, well founded and generally based on actual ownership of the vehicles. Consumer Reports now rates Ford and Toyota equal in reliability, and after driving a large truck I doubt you would be satisfied with something as small and rough riding as a Tacoma. Toyota has also been rife with recent recalls dealing with some very major safety issues. That, plus the fact that Japanese dealers only issue recalls when absolutely forced to, and a domestic can be purchased at well below list make domestics an all around better choice. My family has owned a total of over a dozen Ford, GM and Dodge trucks. Not ONE has ever had a single problem. Pay no attention to the "domestics are not reliable" rants from the Toyota salesman who posts comments. That is definitely NOT based on facts or experience. My family has owned a Toyota, and it was no more reliable than a domestic, plus the repairs generally cost more on Japanese vehicles.

Please go down to the nearest GM dealer tonight if possible and test drive any new SS and report back and thororoughly test the technology prevalent especially with my favorite new option the GM Onstar system... then drive the new Toyota trucks which I did and did not leave favorably impressed. I did search heavily for the latest technology. If they are slipping why did I leave imports and buy 2 new GM's. I bought a Silverado and then shortly returned and bought a Trailblazer. Both are very loaded. I would have kept my Acura which had very nice technology...VTEC, Bose 6 CD soundsystem, front rear discs, ABS, heated leather seats, Front Side airbags nice performance and handling, but multiple transmission failures, GM had the nice technology and performance in both the truck and SUV I picked. I am picky, but always based my decision on a test drive not by someone elses viewpoint. I think you should physically actually drive them my suggestion... and then you will see where I am coming from. It might not be the cheapest route to go this direction and believe cost and price is the prime modivator here which shouldn't totally be the case.

I would love to know what these mysterious new advanced technologies are that Toyota uses that GM doesn't. Maybe you mean Onstar, which sends help in an emergency? Cause last time I checked, Toyota didn't utilize that, so exactly what are these awesome technologies Toyota uses? I would really like to know!

In reply to 28th Nov 2006, 16:38:

I monitor comments posting patterns closely, and have no evidence of a Toyota salesman posting on the site. Please stop stating as a fact something that you cannot know for certain.

Email me if you want to discuss this further, rather than posting here.

As a more general comment, can people please show show more respect to each other's views, or I will start blocking comments on affected reviews.

There are good and bad American and Japanese cars, and the difference between models and individual dealers is usually more significant than on which stock market a multinational car manufacturer is listed.

Steven Jackson

steven@carsurvey.

Toyota's as a whole are far more reliable than Ford. When Consumer reports said that Toyota and Honda were on top, which they really still do if you read closely, all of you Big 3 guys claimed that they were "biased" because you didn't want to accept the truth of the matter.

Now that they claim that "Ford is as reliable as Toyota", which is completely incorrect, you guys think that Consumer Reports are the best thing around.

Don't be so hypocritical. Toyota has historically issued their VERY few recalls very early on, and without hesitation. Chevrolet has mostly done just the opposite, issuing them only when they feel that it will do them damage financially NOT to issue the recall. And whether I am articulate or not, or not soft spoken enough for some people, does not change the fact that Toyota makes a better product than GM, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Hyundai, Volkswagon, etc. There has been no case made by "domestic" owners to prove and fact. Just a lot of ranting and raving because pride won't allow them to accept the facts.

I posted the actual number of recalls by Ford, GM, and Toyota somewhere above. Even though the past year was by FAR Toyota's worst as far as recalls, they are still doing far, far better than the rest. And remember that they normally have far less recalls than this. Toyota, in it's worst year, runs rings around the rest. If you want the best, buy Toyota; if not, buy anything else.

To the November 28th poster, 16:58.

OnStar is a great idea in concept, but its execution leaves much to be desired. I made lunch reservations via OnStar and was quite specific as to location and town. When I arrived at the restaurant we discovered the OnStar person had made reservations in a town 30 miles away. Similar incidents have occurred, like when the OnStar person told me a restaurant I had been to the previous week did not exist.

As for your going to buy GM vehicles, that's your prerogative, but you really need to explain if GM is so superior to Toyota why is Toyota's market capitalization greater than GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler combined?

You know steve, I think people just want to have fun and want to discuss things through. I have seen some very interesting blogs that you have erased. Stop neutering our beloved carsurvey. Its not all about research, but defending comments that you allowed to go on this site.

Here is a list of the recalls for all car manufacturers.

http://www.mycarstats.com/auto_recalls/auto_recalls.asp.

As you can see, Kia and Volkswagen are actually issuing less than Toyota. I guess that means they are more reliable?

I do not drive a recall or a market survey I drive a car/truck. I care about driving... not everyone is driven strictly by dollar and cents. I would have missed some great driving vehicles following that philosophy...

No, Kia and Volkwagen are not as reliable. Yes, by their standards, Toyota is having a bad year for recalls. You need to look at the entire history of each automaker. Kia has not been around very long, and really do no sell enough vehicles to even be relevant to the discussion. Volkswagen isn't even worth mentioning, they have been plagued with problems in recent years. Let's look at GM, Ford, and Dodge: calculate how many vehicles have been sold in the last 20 years by each. Now, look at the total number of recalls issued in that 20 year span by each manufacturer. Divide the total number of vehicles sold by the total number of recalls for each, and that gives you the percentage of recalls issued by each manufacturer in a twenty year span. Toyota wins.

Toyota is like the size of watermelon; Kia and VW are like the size of peanut. So of course Toyota will have more recalls. In my opinion of VW, I do not think they recall them since all Volkswagens are lemons.

Not necessarily. Kia and VW are notorious for being unreliable so they just don't' issue as many recalls to avoid their cars looking bad. After all, unless they are sued by the government a recall is voluntary.

And then there are the "hidden" recalls which I think should be illegal. A manufacturer can issue them, but they are only "valid" if you ask for it. For example, the foglight in my 3 series BMW had condensation inside, it was not covered by warranty for whatever reason, and the dealer charged me $135 to fix it. Found out years later that this was actually a KNOWN problem and BMW issued a hidden recall that I had to ask for. Of course, the dealer won't tell you.

As had been pointed out before (alas, to no avail) the MORE recalls any one manufacturer issues, the MORE Concern that manufacturer has for the satisfaction of its customers. Practically all Japanese manufacturers refuse to issue recalls unless the problem could land them in legal trouble (i.e. KILL PEOPLE). Ford, on the other hand, has issued recalls for incredibly MINOR items such as defective ignition parts (on cars with over 80,000 miles on them) and plastic interior parts that could warp after long periods in the Sun (this on a car with 100,000+ miles on it). I challenge anyone to find even ONE recall issued by a Japanese manufacturer on a vehicle after 80,000 miles of use. Look at the items the recalls are FOR. Ford, GM and Chrysler issue recalls for VERY MINOR, non safety-related issues. My 2001 Dodge was recalled for a faulty pollution control canister that might effect my MILEAGE. That hardly has ANYTHING To do with safety. I'd be far more concerned about manufacturers that have FEW recalls. It shows a lack of concern for the buying public.

If you want a drivers or enthusiasts car check out the big 3. It is not pride... If someone handed me the keys to a Rolls Royce I would still probably not like how it drove or handled. But hey quality... resale seems to be the determining factor. I look at quality as quality of life...enjoyment, exhilaration, enthusiasm. I get many more times my investment this way, If percentages and some recalls matter more than being behind the wheel I guess I am missing what I buy vehicles for. Maybe it's simply the aesthetics, some power and very good handling that sway me everytime...