Toyota Tacoma 2005+

beanctr · February 2005

mark22,

Has your 05 Tacoma 4x4 4 cylinder lived up to the EPA fuel mileage estimate? What type of mileage are you getting and how would you characterize the type of driving that you do(e.g. mostly highway, mostly city, 50/50)?

stnick · February 2005

I bought the Toyota running boards from the dealers parts dept. about 3 weeks after I bought my truck. Their price was 359.00 but I got them to knock off 30.00. They are black. I installed them myself in 30 minutes. Very easy as the brakets line up perfectly with the pre drilled holes in the rocker panels. That was one reason why I went with Toyota brand. I think they look good and they cover the rockers full lenght. Makes washing the roof a lot easier, and lets my 5'2" wife get in and out easy. Nick.

gnits · February 2005

Wondering if the problems were addressed by the factory by my build date. I just received my 05 Taco Pre D-Cab TRD-Sports and build date indicates 1st week Dec.

I have the glove dis-color issue and no chirp on alarm. Didn't notice cab bolt issues and haven't taken the water hose to the windshield, yet.

Do people that have the cab water leak have build dates in December?

Thanks in advance,

gnits

mark22 · February 2005

It's my daily driver to work, all surface stop and go streets thru Phoenix. What free weekends I have, usually will take it north on the freeway. Certainly not the stud going up thru the steeper freeway mountain passes, however it does fine, I did not expect it to be a Dodge hemi. I would say I am getting 20 in the city and around 25 on the highway. It's a 5 speed, does great off road. It has handled mud, snow climbing tracks with ease.

nickt1 · February 2005

The textured paint on the lower part of the truck is not new--it's been on the Tacoma since Day One. Ideally, it's supposed to have a special ingredient called ChipGuard in it to protect against chips, but something must have gone wrong because on the Tacoma, it offers no protection at all. The paint peels and flakes off quickly. I suspect that the new paint job from the dealer will be alot better, but I haven't gotten mine done yet--I'm waiting until winter is over--so I can't say for sure.

Toyota's MSRP for the running boards is "$369 installed," though you'll find dealers charging more or less, and some will even charge extra to install them, even though Toyota's price is supposed to include installation. Toyota says it's only a "suggested" retail price and dealers are free to charge whatever they want. I found a good deal on the access cab running boards at Toyotapart.com for $232 plus shipping.

geogecko · February 2005

nickt1.

Thanks for the information about the paint. I just pointed it out, because I've never seen it before.

Thanks for the link to Toyotapart.com. Really a decent price on the running boards. I'm sure they do, but the bolts to bolt the boards on, come with it, right?

Also, how does it mount? Do you remove those little black rubber pieces that run along the bottom of the rocker panels? I assume that's where the screws are put for the running boards?

The double cab ones are $269 for those interested (plus shipping, of course).

chiefman1 · February 2005

aa00-I have the TRD offroad #2, heavy suspension, towing package, etc. I have not owned a clear bra before so it is too early for me to give you much feedback. I live in the Colorado mountains where they use sand and small gravel on the roads in the winter which goes through May, so without some protection all vehicles get chipped badly. I have a 1993 Toyota 4x4 with a plastic hood protector and even it as rock damage- replace windshields once a year. The dealer where I bot my Tacoma puts the clear bra on most of the cars they sell so it must work to some extent. I am concerned with the posts as to paint chipping as living where I do the paint will get a good test. I am thinking of putting the running boards on to get additional protection.

I ordered my Tacoma from a small dealer on Dec 18,2004 and it was shipped out of Fremont, CA on Jan 20, 2005 and picked it up on the 29th.

Let me know how you do with yours as it sounds like we have the same truck.

demoncleaner · February 2005

gnits, my Dcab 4x4 Sport was built first week of Dec too. No leaks, no chirp on alarm,(but normal with base alarm system.) The first two weeks I thought I heard the cab bolt (total about 5 times) but havent heard since, growing pains? Overall, very happy with everything.

geogecko · February 2005

Sweet. I just placed an order with Toyotapart.com, for a set of running boards for the double cab, the exhaust tip, a bike fork mount, and a wire harness used to connect the iPod2car interface to the Tacoma. That place has great prices, compared to the dealer!

larry10 · February 2005

Where do I find the exact build date?

hobo · February 2005

The build date is on the driver side door sticker. At least that's where I've seen it. Mine only had the month and year (01/05) and last digits of my VIN are in 35000's.

I have the glovebox discoloration (no big deal), but so far none of the other problems people are reporting. Hasn't been wet enough to see if I have the leak, and I keep it garaged.

ncglen · February 2005

As far as the discoloration at the bottom section of your Tacoma; feel it. it's a texture change because it's a resistant surface. It's just a good idea...not a bad paint job.

jackhammer · February 2005

My e-mail is jessupr@yahoo.com

Drop me a line, thanks

tacofan4life · February 2005

You should have looked on Ebay!! You could have saved a few hundred dollars...

geogecko · February 2005

Hmm...I do an e-bay search and come up with basically zilch on anything for a 2005 Tacoma, in regards to running boards or tube steps. So I'm not sure what you are talking about.

djwtarheel · February 2005

I was one of the lucky ones to have reported the suspension noise/rattle about a month ago on this forum (no water leaks to date). I have a 2005 dbl cab 4x2 SB with the TRD sport #2 purchased on 12/15/04. I have had the truck to the dealer three times now with no resolve. I realize that people have stated that the issue is the cab mounts (I printed that info. from this forum and gave it to the service manager), but they insist that it is the suspension not the cab mounts. So far they have replaced the bushings and control arm on the passenger side and the rattle is still there as annoying as ever. The noise is worse when it is cold and dry and nearly goes away when it rains-sounds like a popcorn machine. Also, it is now rattling slightly on the driver's side as well although not as much. They have now ordered more replacement parts for the suspension for both sides which will take about a week to arrive from California (I'm in GA) and then yet another lovely trip to the dealer for me. I really do like the truck, but I'm extremely frustrated to spend so much of my free time dealing with this as this is one of the main reasons I bought a Toyota over any competitor-Toyota's reliability ratings. Now I'm wondering if anyone else had an actual suspension problem-rather than it being the cab mount bolts??? Maybe it is only a problem related to the sport suspension??? Thanks in advance for any help and I will certainly post the resolution when and if I get one.

volley · February 2005

I too came from a Ranger Edge and although I loved it, it doesn't compare to the Taco. Got mine in Nov too and love it!

dalejr8dei1 · February 2005

Does anybody have the daytime running lights on their 05 Tacoma? I was wondering if the daytime running lights are the headlights that are on or are the parking lights on all the time. I have seen alot of GM vehicles with daytime running lights that have one head light burned out. I was wondering if this would happen with the Toyota daytime running lights also. I recently put a order in for a Tacoma with side airbags and was told that daytime running lights had to be ordered with this package.

tacomaowner · February 2005

Djwtarheel,

I also have the same sound on the driver's side rear. I can only hear it when the vehicle is going over a bump or on non smooth terrain and only at slow speeds...35 MPH and higher the sound disappears. I have a strong suspicion that mine maybe the folding rear seat latch on the drivers side. Try this.....with the seat in the upright position, take your hand and smack the upper part of the seat and see if you hear a similar rattle to the sound that you describe....I agree it sounds like a Popcorn maker. Other than the Glovebox issue..I have none of the problems that other folks have on this forum. I am completely happy with the vehicle..I dont think that the sound that I am hearing is suspension related it sounds like it is in the cab..but I could be wrong. Let us know if you get to the bottom of the problem.

88toylc · February 2005

I have the popcorn machine noise, but it sounds to me like it is coming primarily from the front driver's side. The service department at my dealer tightened the cab mount bolts and it had no effect whatsoever. I completely buy the suggestion that it is the suspension and not the cab mount bolts. It definitely is not the rear seats or seat belts or storage compartment lid as some folks have suggested . I have checked all of these carefully and changed configurations without effect.

Of course, when I took my truck into the dealer, the service department person apparently did nothing more than drive the truck around the building because he claimed he didn't hear the noise. I've been to busy to bring the truck back in, especially since I have the impression the service department at Tim's Toyota of Prescott, Arizona is clueless without precise instructions from Toyota (which have not been forthcoming).

djwtarheel · February 2005

Thanks tacomaowner and 88toylc.....my noises are most definitely in the front of the vehicle and it happens almost immediately when the front wheels make contact with a bump at just about any speed....more noticeable "rattle" in the 20-40mph range though...the dealer has heard it as well and has agreed it is definitely up front which sounds different than yours(tacomaowner). The rear of the vehicle is absolutely fine and quiet over bumps-even with windows down. I have taken everything out of the truck, fastened down all the seatbelts, checked all the seat latches, and looked the engine over from top to bottom for any loose pieces, etc and it's still there. I assume the dealer has done the same. Hopefully this next service will be the fix...as I have too many other things I'd rather be doing than dealing with this.

xzary · February 2005

I'm interested in buying a 4X4 auto doublecab with a short box. Right now I don't care about if it's the Sport or Off-Road package. As long as it is a 4X4 auto doublecab short box. Living in Canada I can only get this same truck with a long box. If I switch to a manual transmission I can get a short box, but for a auto it's not available. I know Toyota likes to decide what is avalable in certain areas of the world but to me this doesn't seem right. Does anyone know what I have to do living in Canada (Winnipeg, Manitoba) to purchase the truck I want. I spoke with a dealer here about ordering one from the states and I was told that this was not an option.

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Thanks

larry10 · February 2005

Thanks hobo

coastie1 · February 2005

I am going to purchase a vehicle in the next 2 weeks, I have decided between the Tacoma Double-cab 4WD, and the Tundra Access Cab 4wd. both are somewhat equal in price.. any suggestions?? Thanks for the input

cs1992 · February 2005

I've heard that the '05 Tacoma is lacking in the area of engine/hood insulation and tends to be noiser than other trucks. Not having driven one (yet), is this actually true?

One thing I like about most modern cars is the quiet ness of thhe cabin. I realize that the Tacoma is a truck, but for the price it should be a "quiet" vehicle.

volley · February 2005

They're there on Ebay. Tube steps are about $170 (black) and $285 (chrome/stainless). I haven't seen much for running boards on Ebay though.

toytruck · February 2005

Here's a link to pictures I took of the paint chips on my 2005 Tacoma with 5000 miles. Dealer is suppose to be working on a solution. Still haven't heard anything about the glovebox but that takes a backseat to this paint issue!!

http://www.geocities.com/toytruck86/paintchip.html

stephen1 · February 2005

I too have looked at both the Tundra access cab and the Tacoma double cab for my next truck. This past weekend, I drove both. Tundra (v8) is quieter and slightly smoother ride than the Tacoma. Tundra (v6) is not quite as quiet or smooth as the Tundra V8 but maybe a tad better ride than the Tacoma. The V8 engine is noticeably quieter than the V6 and dealer says the extra weight of the V8 makes it ride different (better). I'd have to agree. Tundra access cab has two small storage areas under the rear seat. Tacoma crew cab has similar plus nice large storage behind the rear seat. Big plus for the Tacoma in this area. Tundra has adjustable height from drivers seat (pump a lever) which was nice as was the bigger bed. Found the radio in the Tundra a far reach. Ended up deciding on the Tacoma mainly for the bigger rear seat in the crew cab (when I need to haul the family) and also because I prefer to drive a slightly smaller vehicle. Both are fine vehicles. One has a bigger bed, the other a bigger back seat. Which you use more often will probably help make the decision. Tundra also has a rebate ($1500 I believe) which doesn't hurt and the fact that it's been out a while should mean no major issues with quality, etc.

geogecko · February 2005

Hmm...good question. I thought at first, that it was pretty quiet, however, that came from a person going from a '93 Honda Prelude, which was one of the loudest cars I've ever owned (engine noise, and wind noise on the highway).

Since I've had mine for about a week now, I think they could have done a little better job on noise insulation, but it isn't excessively loud either. The only time when it's considerably loud is when jam the gas down a bit, but that's expected. Overall, it's not loud enough that it would have kept me from buying the truck though.

Someone said that it sounded like the engine was sitting in the passenger seat. I think this is a little much. Put it this way, if you are listening for it, you will hear it, but if you have the radio on, and are just driving normally around town, you'll have a hard time noticing.

My wife has a '04 Acura TSX, and while that car is almost silent, compared to the Tacoma, if you get after it in that car, it gets somewhat loud as well, of course it's a 4 banger though...

toytruck · February 2005

If that site doesn't work use this one.

http://mysite.verizon.net/res0qmii/2005tacoma/

chris007 · February 2005

Give Carson Toyota a try. www.carsontoyota.com

I put my deposit down two weeks ago, my truck is going to be built 02-10-05, and delivered on 02-17-05.

Doublecab, 4x4, TRD sport, 17" wheels, shortbed, towing package, silver.

chiefman1 · February 2005

toytruck-I am not sure how you are getting paint chipping so high on the door panels? Do the front mud flaps not protect the body from the front tires? Are the factory tires so wide that they are throwing rocks past the front mud flaps? Or is this damage coming from on-coming traffic?

tacan · February 2005

I traded a 2004 auto SR5 for a short box 2005 manual SR5. The auto is only available with the long box in BC as well and my small driveway can't handle a longer wheelbase. The good news is that after a couple of weeks I'm enjoying the shift more than than the automatic. It has been snowing, raining and freezing here and a bit of clutch riding and engine braking have been a real advantage....almost reminds me of when I lived in Winnipeg!

The limited models and options from Toyota Canada is a Toyota policy. We also have a Prius and the option selecting was even worse. So much so that a few people have imported them from the US. There was some info on this in the Yahoo Canada Prius discussion page. It is one of the best on the net. Good luck.

toddj · February 2005

You can get the sunroof even though it's not a factory option. I really like it. There a small drawback, the sunglass holder is removed. They use the sunroof out of the Seinna. I wouldnt use it the sunglass holder anyway. It works very nicely. It closes automagically when you turn the truck off. No forgetting to close.

geogecko · February 2005

Wow, that paint chipping is really bad. I'd have that thing back at the dealership with the statement, "fix it, or give me my money back." That is just plain ridiculous.

chris007. You'll like that truck, if you are anything like me. Exact same one myself. Mine came with the roof rack (I didn't order it, but didn't have to pay for it either), which I ended up liking. I'll be getting the running boards from toyotapart.com in a week or so.

chiefman1. I've noticed while driving, that I'll hear small rocks hitting the side panels of the truck. I'm guessing that they are kicked up by the Tacoma's tires, not by other traffic. I've probably only heard that about 3-4 times, with about 300 miles on mine so far.

toytruck · February 2005

I think the mud flaps are doing all they can, if they were any longer they would be hitting the ground. I've even got chips on both doors on the "B" piller by the window. I've never had anything like this. My 86 truck doesn't have this much chipping and it's got 285000 miles!! BTW, I am retired so I don't drive on the interstates, just on local paved roads.

I've been to the dealer and am awaiting their solution.

az coma · February 2005

I've got the rattle on my Double cab 4x4 coming from the drivers side right under my feet (well just in front of them)when the truck hits any bumps especially when making any sweeping turns to the left. There is no rattle when making turns to the right. so... I wonder if it is a body mount or something to do with the anti sway bar on the front suspension. Going to the dealer on Friday. BTW, I've got the swirl on my glove box and have a small exhaust manifold leak of the passenger side that's more evident when the truck is cold.

geogecko · February 2005

How do you tell if you have an exhaust manifold leak? Are you smelling something you shouldn't?

vmiman · February 2005

Here's a secret. Turn on your headlights (low beams) and leave them on forever. They will act like daytime running lights and will automatically turn off after you shut the engine off. Mine shut off after about 30 seconds. Your lights will automatically come back on when you start the engine again.

Tom Clark

(vmiman)

xwesx · February 2005

With exhaust leaks, you often have additional exhaust noise that accompanies the very obvious (when the vehicle and air temp is cold) exhaust gasses that escape from the system in places they ought not escape (i.e., other than the tailpipe!).

engineerboo · February 2005

Tom,

Yea, I learned that the HARD way! I went to church and remembered turning the lights on because it was a little foggy. It got sunny on the drive to church so I forgot to turn them off. I'm in church, after about 90 minutes, and remembered the lights were on! (The truck does NOT beep to warn you that the lights are on, but, yes, turns them off when you remove the key and open/close the drivers' door.)

Phew!

Rick

engineerboo · February 2005

AWESOME!

You'll love it! (I have an Access Cab, TRD-Off Road, 16" Wheels, silver streak mica!)

The baby's got some power so you can't punch the gas in 2-wheel low or you'll be smelling rubber from the back tires! :-)

Rick "Boo"

engineerboo · February 2005

2005 Tacoma Owners:

Have y'all noticed the recommended tire rotations for your Taco's in the owner's manual?

It says to just rotate the left tires with each other and to rotate the spare to the front right and put the rear right as the spare.

Is this the dumbest idea ever or what? Wouldn't this wear the 2 left tires way faster than the right 3?

What happended the old 5-tire "X" rotation pattern? (Where the spare goes on the front, left, etc.)

Boo

mrhazel44 · February 2005

Does anyone know if there is a good quality, reasonably priced (less than $500, installed) amplifier and subwoofer that can be mounted under the front seats of the Taco Access cab, or possibly under the backs in the storage compartments? ANy answers will be appreciated.

jfigueroa1 · February 2005

You could try infinity they have a powered sub.

wes240 · February 2005

Boo, I'm no tire expert but I think once a tire has been driven on going a certain direction, you can't turn it around and make it go a different direction (i.e. move a tire on the left side to the right side). I know this is true for certain types of tires, and I assume we have those particular tires.

I've thought about how I'm going to rotate my tires. I can see that if I want to rotate my spare, it looks like I'll have to re-mount the spare tire onto my rims (unless I want to drive around with a black rim). I'll do this every tire rotation until this set needs to be replaced. Then I will keep the tire with the most tread - most likely a right side since they will have less miles per tire - and keep it as a spare. Then I will not rotate my spare when rotating my new set of tires and I would only have to buy 4 new tires instead of 5.

geogecko · February 2005

In that case, it doesn't really make sense to rotate the spare. The only time it really makes sense is when you can rotate all tires on both sides of the vehicle. Otherwise, you could just not rotate the spare, and just make sure it's in good condition once a year. The spare on my Honda Prelude at 12 years (although compact) looked almost new, and still held it's air pressure.

Is it just me, or do other people have the problem with your radio antenna hitting the bottom of your garage door when you go in and out of the garage? If it was only 1 inch shorter, I wouldn't have this problem. Very annoying. You probably have to have a TRD package for it to be tall enough to do so.

papasmurf · February 2005

Is this only on the Speedway Blue paint jobs???

leob1 · February 2005

I am no expert but have had "exhaust leaks" in the past. Sometimes you can smell the fumes, sometimes you can't. Sometimes you can hear the hissing sound of the exhaust and sometimes you cannot. No doubt, exhaust leaks, especially before the catalytic converter, are not good to inhale. If you suspect this, go to a muffler shop and have them check it out. See if what they find is where you think it is. Usually it is free for an inspection.

mwm10 · February 2005

Absolutely not. Mine's silver. Bunch of other's with silver have posted same problem. The dark colors may show it worse because of the light primer/base color, but they are there on ALL of them. Trust me. If you look hard, the bottom of the doors, leading edge of the doors and body (at the back of the rear door), the bottom of the bed, the bottom of the rear fender, and the rocker all have HOLES in the paint. They are small, and I guess only go to the "rock-guard" underneath, but the paint is GONE. Not marred. Really hard to see in some spots, really easy in others (search for the pics online...)

We'll just wait and see what the big T does...

Toyota Tacoma 2005+

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