I have read that.. the 4.0 is supposedly bulletproof.. i think the things i read bad were the mostly gas guzzling related. I see those and Suzuki Equators pretty often.. good looking trucks but the Suzuki looks kind of funky.
Basic used pickup?
- Thread starter krismoriah72
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I have read that.. the 4.0 is supposedly bulletproof.. i think the things i read bad were the mostly gas guzzling related. I see those and Suzuki Equators pretty often.. good looking trucks but the Suzuki looks kind of funky.
Tundras are on my Radar.. i like to do my homework i know you can get them with a 4.0, 4.6, 4.7 and 5.7.. i really dont want a timing belt engine but i think every engine i like (3.6 pentastar and 3.7) have had timing chain issues at early stages in their life..
No not reliability. 3.7 (302HP/278TQ) 3.5 (282HP/253TQ) and according to wiki..
..." The Duratec 37 intended to power heavier or premium vehicles " and " Ford Power Products sells this engine as the CSG-637 for industrial uses"
Perhaps the 2014 is heavier than the 2015 on steel vs aluminum.. and it really makes no difference i dont know.
Its a rabbit hole just weighing out the 3.5 vs the 3.7 let alone steel vs aluminum etc lol. Im not sure if there is any one that is 'just right'..
Well, you do a timing belt once every 100K miles. If you find one like mine, your costs will be very low. That's why they hold their value.
Good luck.
I agree with the first part of your post, not the second one. Unfortunately Tacomas are a horrible vehicle to buy if looking for a $15,000 one. All you will find are high mileage worn out trucks that have the perceived Toyota reliability and are way over priced. In fact a Tacoma is probably one of the only trucks where it is a better value to buy it new, just because they are so expensive used.
4.0, 4.6 and 5.7 have timing chains. Only the 4.7 is a TB. The 4.6/5.7 do suffer from oil leaks, which can be a pain to fix, but by now, in this price bracket, they would have been fixed. [Although I was never sure just how bad the oil leak was, other than, unacceptable on a near-new vehicle.] Transmission is "sealed" but IMO not that hard to change oil on, the filter is a strainer and IMO does not need changing. Pan does have a plug.
4.0's are a bit rare, and only have the 5AT, and IIRC only available in RC. 4 door would be 4.7 or 4.6, and the 4.7 was stuck with the 5AT also. I have the 4.6 and IMO it really does need the tow package, the motor is capable but is far from "torquey".
Downside is that as a Toyota it'll retain its value, above and beyond what it should. The 4.6 might be a sweet spot as it's "undesirable" (small, underpowered, fleet sales, etc).
The Ram with a Pentastar and 3.55's sure sounds like a good setup. I'm not sure how bad the lifter & cam problem is on those, but otherwise pretty nice.
The Tundra looks to be a solid contender even though it defeats my original thoughts of 'basic' Looks like the same drive train from 2007 until current.
"All 5.7-liter Tundras come equipped with a tow package which includes engine oil and transmission coolers, integrated trailer hitch, 4.30:1 axle ratio, and large braking hardware for increased fade resistance. Equipped with the 5.7-liter V8 the Tundra has a maximum tow rating of 9,000–10,400 lb"
I think the only issue is the 'cam tower leaks' which looks like its either a really big deal to some or not worth fooling with. Also looks like oil changes are a PITA.
Looks like gas mileage is not going to be great either.
Comparing a 5.7 toyota to a V6 Chrysler Pentastar or V6 Ford Duratec is going to be a tough decision on the frugal side but no comparision on the power side.
Durability looks to be a wash.. all are proven engines.
"All 5.7-liter Tundras come equipped with a tow package which includes engine oil and transmission coolers, integrated trailer hitch, 4.30:1 axle ratio, and large braking hardware for increased fade resistance. Equipped with the 5.7-liter V8 the Tundra has a maximum tow rating of 9,000–10,400 lb"
I think the only issue is the 'cam tower leaks' which looks like its either a really big deal to some or not worth fooling with. Also looks like oil changes are a PITA.
Looks like gas mileage is not going to be great either.
Comparing a 5.7 toyota to a V6 Chrysler Pentastar or V6 Ford Duratec is going to be a tough decision on the frugal side but no comparision on the power side.
Durability looks to be a wash.. all are proven engines.
2013 would be the first year for a Ram 1500 with the pentastar. Cam and rocker issues are pretty rare on them and it's usually a rocker arm that fails, but they don't seem to ruin the cam every time. Regardless, parts are very reasonable and easy to source for this engine. The plastic oil filter/cooler/sensor housing is an issue until today IMO. They'll all leak or crack eventually. Again, not a huge deal, but just a dumb design.
The 8HP45 (ZF8) transmission coupled to the pentastar Ram 1500 isn't sealed. They have a drain plug on the pan and an easy to get to fill plug on the side of the case. What's awesome about these transmissions is the plastic pan, filter and magnets are all one piece. So changing the filter results in changing the whole thing. The kit comes with the bolts and all and aftermarket replacement pan kits are as little as $30-40 online. Maxlife ATF has also proven to work perfectly in them. Lots of stories of people with 100-200K and more miles with Maxlife in them.
I would think you'd be able to find a decent 2013-14 Ram 1500 pentastar, express quad cab, 4x4 in the ~70-100K mile mark for around $15K, but like said, the market is ridiculous today and this will be a difficult find. I loved my 2017 Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4, pentastar and would have bought my 2019 crew cab with one if I could find one. Crew cabs are pretty much all hemi.
My #2 suggestion would be the Nissan Frontier. Have had those in the family for years. FIL currently has a 2017. Great trucks all around if you can get buy with a small bed and don't mine the V8 like fuel economy and school bus turning radius. I watch my FIL do a 28 point turn to get out of spots I can pull right out of in my Rams.
Curious what you were fixing on titan and frontiers.
Titans have the manifold issue, but aside from that it's been pretty solid.
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For the Frontiers the coolant system always leaks. They also have transmission issues usually from my experience fixing them. For the Titan usually the differential goes bad and some power train issues as well.
Thanks, always interesting to hear diff perspectives.
What powertrain issues have you seen?
I commonly see 5.3 clapped out leaking like sieves at 10 years and around 100-150K that get used to tow boats through the cali/ AZ desert.
The 6 liters not so much. Fords are all over the map.
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It has been different issues on them the axles I have seen go bad. Bad to the point as they split apart lol. I guess I should have said drivetrain over powertrain. Also I have seen a lot of them leak oil like you said. I’ve also seen a lot of the rear main seals be short lived. My friends have promised me to never buy one again lol
. Also it seems the one my friend had liked to blow through starters and alternators as well I think it may have had a issue. He sold it to a 16 year old beginner driver so hopefully that kid has better luck with it.
Happy with my 240k 2008 Silverado. 4.8, 4L60E, 2wd, regular cab, w/t trim. Light years ahead of the 95 F150 5 speed/ 300-6 it replaced, but which I also liked in its own right.
If you can manage without an extended cab or 4wd which everyone "just has to have" you can get a good deal.
If you can manage without an extended cab or 4wd which everyone "just has to have" you can get a good deal.
Our 2014 Frontier with the 4.0 hasn't leaked a drop of any fluid thus far. No transmission issues either. I guess anything is possible.
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All of the ones I have worked on have lol. One was a 2006 the other was a 2013. Both my friends.
So you've worked on two. Thats two more than I have worked on.
.... unless you count changing oil then I've worked on one.
...well I didnt really change the oil......
...I kind of drank a beer while I watched my buddy change the oil...
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Lol I usually load up on Mtn Dew cause alcohol isn’t allowed in my house and I’m not old enough anyway lol. Sure I’ll count you watching as fixing lol
