As much as I love my 2023 my 2004 will always own my heart. I’m so glad I never sold it. It only has 138k miles on it and it runs as good as it did the day I bought it.
My black 2001 Tacoma TRD 4x4 Xtracab just like this one. Passed 320,000 miles last week. Original 3.4 and auto trans. Daily driven everything works. CA truck no rust. These are worth their weight in gold
If yall are wondering if they are actually reliable.. got my ‘03 double cab with 304k miles at 16. I just hit 333k miles and just did a 1500 mile road trip with it. Also he lying about gas mileage. You will probably get between 13-18 mpg on the 3.4 V6 for city/highway 😂
I’ve owned 2 gen1 Tacomas 4WD v6 and also 2 Gen2 Tacomas and now own a 2021 TRD off road 4x4 automatic and I must say by far the Gen3 is my all time favorite, I would never go back to the previous tacoma Gens , love my Gen3 too much
Thats cool. Im the opposite, I would never sell, or trade my 1st gen 4x4 for any of the newer generations. I've driven the newer versions. The 1st gen. just feels tough, kind of like an old Hilux.
mine....'01 TRD 3.4 Magnuson supercharger. 104K original miles. Just a beast on 93% octane. Radiant Red, just a real show stopper. Always had full sized pickups. Always wanted one. Wasn't cheap for sure. My favorite thing is working on it. Great review. Love, love, love my truck. I know why they're so popular for sure.
My 2003 is solid at 180 thousand miles. I did develop a coolant leak under the intake manifold but fixed it myself without too much trouble. Just did the second timing belt/water pump, cleaned the throttle body and mass air sensor and it's running perfectly.
I had an 03 tacoma with 300k miles when I let it go. 3 yrs laters regret letting it go and ended getting an 99' 4runner. Those 90s toyota trucks are just awesome..But, def would wanna get an 2nd gen Tacoma with the 4.0L
I had that same truck and it is the ONLY vehicle that I regret trading in. The 5 speed was fun and the white gauge cluster was different. I would buy another if I can find a good one. My son is almost 13 son Imight need to get him one.
Sorry to hear your regret selling that one! I just asked The Dirt Tourist (who loaned me this one), and he has another one of these for sale right now, if you wanna check it out. You can find it on his site here: thedirttourist.com/inventory/1996taco
I've got a 2004 Toyota Tacoma prerunner with 210,000 mi on it and it's still going strong. I thought about getting a new truck but I went and looked but nobody makes a compact truck with a 6-ft bed anymore literally nobody I guess you could get a Ford Maverick but you got to wonder about their reliability and it only comes like a 4-ft bed so that ain't going to work probably the best new truck to get would be a Nissan Frontera as the new tacomas come with a four-cylinder turbo that you also have to wonder about the reliability of that.
I'm going sale my 04 tacoma to many issues. Added 5100 bilstien and falken 16 tires my brake pads and rotors always go out less than 3 months. And the ride is very sloppy. Before installing the shocks the ride was always smooth no issue and no breaks issues
Tacoma v6 calipers are very very firm they can break cross drilled rotors fairly easily. I can recommend a few things before you make a mistake selling? Is your truck lifted at all? A v6? Any weight? Bumpers/winch? What springs did you use with the shocks and what notch are your 5100s on?
@@daddybear007yeah I don't know about this guy's reasoning. He could have created problems by putting big wheels on it or putting the 5100s at the 2.5 in lift setting without changing the springs or upper control arms. He also might just have worn out rack and pinion bushings or ball joints. These are easy fixes and normal things and not something worth selling a truck you love over. I'm curious what recommendations you would have for somebody with one of these trucks?
@@Nickporter17 I was just going to offer simple solutions or help him find whats the real issue. But like i said above it all depends on whats been done. And vehicle condition. Lower ball joints are a recall fix, stay away from “e “ load heavy tireS. 5100s are ONLY for stock factory springs. Rear proportional valve adjustment if lifted. Things like that. 👍
Good review, but you are mistaken--actually the 1st gen Tacoma did not come out in the early 90's; it came out as an early release in 1995.5 (mid 90's). Also, the early Tacoma did not have the plastic fender extenders, I think it may have had a slightly shorter front end, and/or other slight style differences like a different grill and interior as well as other things. So really there were two generations of "1st Gen" Tacomas. Also, and I may be wrong, but I don't believe the Tacoma 1st gen ever came with the old trooper 22RE engine as previous Toyota pickups did. I think there were only 2 options: either 2.7 of 3.4 liter, depending on whether it was single, or level-up extra or standard in the double cab. Personally, I'm on my second Tacoma (4th Toyota pickup): 1st Taco was a 1995.5 single cab 4x4 with a 2.7 liter stick shift bought in 96 with 9k miles on it. I drove it to over 300K mile without issues, doing standard maintenance fluid changes, including never needing to change the clutch even after towing a tournament ski bout 2 times a week in summers. And I kick myself for selling of it. And now my current daily driver is an 04 4x4 Limited quad cab with 320k miles that I bought for 18k with 50k mileage in 07. I think the "2nd gen" 1st gen wasn't quite built as burly, seems Toyota cut some costs in quality, and at around 280k some issues needed to be addressed, but as a mechanic who is a DYIer these weren't major issues, just relatively minor stuff wearing out, and I'm hoping to take it to at least 400k on original engine and auto A340F trans. It still passes strict emissions and drives very well, save for being under-powered. On that, new, the 1st gen Tacoma, even with a fresh 3.4 was an anemic accelerator and mountain pass climber. The good news... As new the compression on the 3.4 liter was noted to be between 195-to 210 approx, last time I checked mine at 280k it was 174 psi across all six cylinders. So the 1st gen had a sluggish but ultra-durable engine. I'm told by a friend at a dealership that 150 psi is the lower limit of 3.4 service lifespan. And also good news for 1st gen buyers is that unlike later gens, which have alloy blocks, the first gen has an iron block and can be re-bored 3 times. A note though: the owners who opted for or installed TRD super chargers (Magnuson) seem to run into cracked heads issue, mainly cracks between the intake an exhaust valves at higher mileage so beware of that. Another issue is brakes. The quad cab I have was severely under-braked and destroyed aftermarket brake disks almost immediately. There was an option for bigger disks and calipers. Best mod I ever did was buying the Big Brake kit from Power Stop and it was a huge improvement. Now there are no issues. This is a must mod!!!! And yes, also, the early Tacomas had an issue with a lack of zink in the frame steel, and that led to the frame rust issues. The frames on this gen were box frames, which both made them extremely burly, albeit rough riding, and with the zink issue combined with the boxed in frame made them prone to internal rust. Newer Gen Tacomas are more flexy and weak C-channel. However the 04's and recalled frame replacements seem to have avoided the accelerated rust issue, but in areas where a highway department likes to regularly paint the highways with Mag-Chloride anti-ice,it is advisable to really look at the frame, especially just forward of the rear wheels, the spare tire channels as well as the rear shock mounts. A little surface rust shouldn't be a deal breaker--it can be taken care of with POR 15. And another note: a lot of 1st gen Taco owners complain about the seat ergonomics. I'm older and have had back surgery. My driver's seat became unbearable after my back issues started. However I bought "Desert Does It" rear attach point seat "jackers" which leveled out the seat and now my seat is perfect. I also own a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport, and for comfort reasons I still prefer my old Taco. Lastly, new cars/trucks today are so gimicky with electronics, it seems that anyone who buys them is running into issues that the competent DYIer, mechanic or even "certified trained" dealerships can't solve. Compared to earlier model Yota trucks the 1st gen are a lot more computerized, but by today's terms they are still very analog and easy/cheap to maintain. And they are right-sized to my personal taste. I don't personally want all the gimmicks; I don't want the super-size-me front ends of the newer Tacos: no, I just want to drive a proper-stout compact truck that gets me around comfortably, does what I need it do, is easy to drive and lasts and last and lasts without having to go down the rabbit hole of hyper expensive intermittent electrical issues that no-one can solve. If being tech is your thing you can always cheaply blue tooth mod a first gen for phone inter-connectivity. Does anyone actually need lights or wipers that turn on automatically or stay on if it means that your new $50k investment is in the shop all the time, trying to figure out why the battery drains for no explainable reason. Auto companies are solving problems no one really had, and for some reason idiots are soaking up the sales pitch to their own detriment. Sometimes being smart doesn't actully mean buying into everything that is marketed as "smart." Just saying. Personally I love my first Gen, and I aim for as long as possible it to be the pickup I drive, and I'll replace whatever it takes to keep it going and going because frankly newer trucks leave me unimpressed and are stupid beyond what I think is money well spent.
Beautiful Truck. Super Clean. Optioned Perfect. Depending on the Mile`s/Km`s that thing would and Should pull some Serious money at an auction. LMK when and if it going to be in one. All them Marks and stains just add character to the Truck lol. Thanks for another Great video Cheer`s. Edit after Hearing the current value of 10-12k that you stated that truck is easily going to be worth that amount because of demand and just inflation. New trucks run up over 80k Canadian eff buying new. Grab up and older Reliable truck that's not all rusted out and easy to work on and enjoy it, and NO Payments for years worrying about scratches and dings. IMO
Totally agree with you! It's expensive, in comparison to what these use to be, but worth it, considering what else is out there, and the enjoyment of driving this thing!
How many miles does it have any rust? No good. Yes….ehhh maybe? I just bought a 2002 4door Tacoma for 6,800. But mine came lifted has big off-road tires and a Baja all pro off road bumper. So yes if yours is in good condition yes that’s a great price
Best thing I've ever bought. 2004. 300k. Change yer ball joints or you will learn a very very terrible lesson. I will never ever sell this. I am sure most people drive em on the streets but not this one I am off road all the time and really wring this out it just keeps going. Except the ball joints.
Sorry. Less than 2 minutes in and you’ve already made two references to an imaginary Toyota truck called the Helix. How do you look at the name HiLux and see Helix?!
Yeah, since doing this video, I agree! However, you'd be surprised how many people here in the USA refer to it as a "Helix", we just don't have them here. That said, I don't know how I didn't realize this considering I had also reviewed a HiAce that I reference correctly.
Because they outperform every truck out there. Best of both worlds old enough to be simple and reliable and new enough to have creature comforts you need. Because the 3.4 is one of the smoothest, most bulletproof engines ever made. Because it starts up every single time and will get you A to B every day for the next 500 years with the AC still blowing cold. Because it’s so light it will get through nearly every single trail. Because they are fun to drive and have plenty of power. My 01 TRD 4x4 with 320k miles is the best truck i’ve ever owned. Buy one you’ll understand and delete your comment
just changed the oil in my "03" this morning, same truck otherwise with 372000+ miles still run like a top, I love my truck!
180hp. It's a lawnmower engine! 😂
have you ever done the valves? I might
As much as I love my 2023 my 2004 will always own my heart. I’m so glad I never sold it. It only has 138k miles on it and it runs as good as it did the day I bought it.
Wow, that's some low mileage for that truck!! Glad to hear you have enjoyed it so much.
Dat truck still has sum life on it😮💨😮💨
Mine is at 139😭
I love Toyotas pickups... I wish you had a showed me how you were shifting the clutch
I still have my 2004 Tacoma also. Never let it go
My black 2001 Tacoma TRD 4x4 Xtracab just like this one. Passed 320,000 miles last week. Original 3.4 and auto trans. Daily driven everything works. CA truck no rust. These are worth their weight in gold
A friend of mine has early 00s. Says he’s sick of people asking him to sell it to them. Claims it’s a daily occurrence.
have a 1st Gen regular can 2 door.
120k miles.
My favorite car ever.
If yall are wondering if they are actually reliable.. got my ‘03 double cab with 304k miles at 16. I just hit 333k miles and just did a 1500 mile road trip with it. Also he lying about gas mileage. You will probably get between 13-18 mpg on the 3.4 V6 for city/highway 😂
My daily for 22 years, exremely reliable, most comfortable seat/driving position I've ever had in a car.
That's awesome!
I’ve owned 2 gen1 Tacomas 4WD v6 and also 2 Gen2 Tacomas and now own a 2021 TRD off road 4x4 automatic and I must say by far the Gen3 is my all time favorite, I would never go back to the previous tacoma Gens , love my Gen3 too much
Thats cool. Im the opposite, I would never sell, or trade my 1st gen 4x4 for any of the newer generations. I've driven the newer versions. The 1st gen. just feels tough, kind of like an old Hilux.
mine....'01 TRD 3.4 Magnuson supercharger. 104K original miles. Just a beast on 93% octane. Radiant Red, just a real show stopper. Always had full sized pickups. Always wanted one. Wasn't cheap for sure. My favorite thing is working on it. Great review. Love, love, love my truck. I know why they're so popular for sure.
I have a 02 taco with 181k miles and I love it I’m the second owner Wouldn’t trade it for a 2nd or 3rd gen !!!
Haha they are great trucks!
My 2003 is solid at 180 thousand miles. I did develop a coolant leak under the intake manifold but fixed it myself without too much trouble. Just did the second timing belt/water pump, cleaned the throttle body and mass air sensor and it's running perfectly.
Belt? they came with a timing chain my friend.
@@mrlafayette1964 Tell that to the belt I replaced, my friend.
@@tikitavi7120 Yep, I didn't realize the 6cyl has belt, all 4's have the chain.
@@mrlafayette1964 No problem, I'm just glad I don't have to do it again for a while.
I had an 03 tacoma with 300k miles when I let it go. 3 yrs laters regret letting it go and ended getting an 99' 4runner. Those 90s toyota trucks are just awesome..But, def would wanna get an 2nd gen Tacoma with the 4.0L
Sorry to hear about that! Those 4Runners are pretty awesome!
I have a 2001 Extra Cab 4x4 5 Speed, CA truck, no rust. 244k Miles, perfect for everything I need.
I own practically the same model of the 2004 but my extra cab Toyota had Manuel rolls up windows and not automatic!
I had a Tacoma 1996, 4x4 manual transmition, thinking about it is nostalgic.
No kidding! Such a cool truck.
I have 2001 4 door tacoma 4 cylinder 170k no problem at all i jus painted 2 years ago looks like new
I had that same truck and it is the ONLY vehicle that I regret trading in. The 5 speed was fun and the white gauge cluster was different. I would buy another if I can find a good one. My son is almost 13 son Imight need to get him one.
Sorry to hear your regret selling that one! I just asked The Dirt Tourist (who loaned me this one), and he has another one of these for sale right now, if you wanna check it out. You can find it on his site here: thedirttourist.com/inventory/1996taco
I get about 15-16mpg mixed driving in my 1995.5 tacoma std cab 4x4 v6. Running stock size BFG k2'S. 21mpg would be great......274k miles.
Interesting to hear, thanks for the added info!
I've got a 2004 Toyota Tacoma prerunner with 210,000 mi on it and it's still going strong. I thought about getting a new truck but I went and looked but nobody makes a compact truck with a 6-ft bed anymore literally nobody I guess you could get a Ford Maverick but you got to wonder about their reliability and it only comes like a 4-ft bed so that ain't going to work probably the best new truck to get would be a Nissan Frontera as the new tacomas come with a four-cylinder turbo that you also have to wonder about the reliability of that.
I'm going sale my 04 tacoma to many issues. Added 5100 bilstien and falken 16 tires my brake pads and rotors always go out less than 3 months. And the ride is very sloppy. Before installing the shocks the ride was always smooth no issue and no breaks issues
Sorry to hear that!
Tacoma v6 calipers are very very firm they can break cross drilled rotors fairly easily. I can recommend a few things before you make a mistake selling? Is your truck lifted at all? A v6? Any weight? Bumpers/winch? What springs did you use with the shocks and what notch are your 5100s on?
@@daddybear007yeah I don't know about this guy's reasoning. He could have created problems by putting big wheels on it or putting the 5100s at the 2.5 in lift setting without changing the springs or upper control arms. He also might just have worn out rack and pinion bushings or ball joints. These are easy fixes and normal things and not something worth selling a truck you love over. I'm curious what recommendations you would have for somebody with one of these trucks?
@@Nickporter17 I was just going to offer simple solutions or help him find whats the real issue. But like i said above it all depends on whats been done. And vehicle condition. Lower ball joints are a recall fix, stay away from “e “ load heavy tireS. 5100s are ONLY for stock factory springs. Rear proportional valve adjustment if lifted. Things like that. 👍
Good review, but you are mistaken--actually the 1st gen Tacoma did not come out in the early 90's; it came out as an early release in 1995.5 (mid 90's). Also, the early Tacoma did not have the plastic fender extenders, I think it may have had a slightly shorter front end, and/or other slight style differences like a different grill and interior as well as other things. So really there were two generations of "1st Gen" Tacomas. Also, and I may be wrong, but I don't believe the Tacoma 1st gen ever came with the old trooper 22RE engine as previous Toyota pickups did. I think there were only 2 options: either 2.7 of 3.4 liter, depending on whether it was single, or level-up extra or standard in the double cab. Personally, I'm on my second Tacoma (4th Toyota pickup): 1st Taco was a 1995.5 single cab 4x4 with a 2.7 liter stick shift bought in 96 with 9k miles on it. I drove it to over 300K mile without issues, doing standard maintenance fluid changes, including never needing to change the clutch even after towing a tournament ski bout 2 times a week in summers. And I kick myself for selling of it. And now my current daily driver is an 04 4x4 Limited quad cab with 320k miles that I bought for 18k with 50k mileage in 07. I think the "2nd gen" 1st gen wasn't quite built as burly, seems Toyota cut some costs in quality, and at around 280k some issues needed to be addressed, but as a mechanic who is a DYIer these weren't major issues, just relatively minor stuff wearing out, and I'm hoping to take it to at least 400k on original engine and auto A340F trans. It still passes strict emissions and drives very well, save for being under-powered. On that, new, the 1st gen Tacoma, even with a fresh 3.4 was an anemic accelerator and mountain pass climber. The good news... As new the compression on the 3.4 liter was noted to be between 195-to 210 approx, last time I checked mine at 280k it was 174 psi across all six cylinders. So the 1st gen had a sluggish but ultra-durable engine. I'm told by a friend at a dealership that 150 psi is the lower limit of 3.4 service lifespan. And also good news for 1st gen buyers is that unlike later gens, which have alloy blocks, the first gen has an iron block and can be re-bored 3 times. A note though: the owners who opted for or installed TRD super chargers (Magnuson) seem to run into cracked heads issue, mainly cracks between the intake an exhaust valves at higher mileage so beware of that. Another issue is brakes. The quad cab I have was severely under-braked and destroyed aftermarket brake disks almost immediately. There was an option for bigger disks and calipers. Best mod I ever did was buying the Big Brake kit from Power Stop and it was a huge improvement. Now there are no issues. This is a must mod!!!! And yes, also, the early Tacomas had an issue with a lack of zink in the frame steel, and that led to the frame rust issues. The frames on this gen were box frames, which both made them extremely burly, albeit rough riding, and with the zink issue combined with the boxed in frame made them prone to internal rust. Newer Gen Tacomas are more flexy and weak C-channel. However the 04's and recalled frame replacements seem to have avoided the accelerated rust issue, but in areas where a highway department likes to regularly paint the highways with Mag-Chloride anti-ice,it is advisable to really look at the frame, especially just forward of the rear wheels, the spare tire channels as well as the rear shock mounts. A little surface rust shouldn't be a deal breaker--it can be taken care of with POR 15. And another note: a lot of 1st gen Taco owners complain about the seat ergonomics. I'm older and have had back surgery. My driver's seat became unbearable after my back issues started. However I bought "Desert Does It" rear attach point seat "jackers" which leveled out the seat and now my seat is perfect. I also own a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport, and for comfort reasons I still prefer my old Taco.
Lastly, new cars/trucks today are so gimicky with electronics, it seems that anyone who buys them is running into issues that the competent DYIer, mechanic or even "certified trained" dealerships can't solve. Compared to earlier model Yota trucks the 1st gen are a lot more computerized, but by today's terms they are still very analog and easy/cheap to maintain. And they are right-sized to my personal taste. I don't personally want all the gimmicks; I don't want the super-size-me front ends of the newer Tacos: no, I just want to drive a proper-stout compact truck that gets me around comfortably, does what I need it do, is easy to drive and lasts and last and lasts without having to go down the rabbit hole of hyper expensive intermittent electrical issues that no-one can solve. If being tech is your thing you can always cheaply blue tooth mod a first gen for phone inter-connectivity. Does anyone actually need lights or wipers that turn on automatically or stay on if it means that your new $50k investment is in the shop all the time, trying to figure out why the battery drains for no explainable reason. Auto companies are solving problems no one really had, and for some reason idiots are soaking up the sales pitch to their own detriment. Sometimes being smart doesn't actully mean buying into everything that is marketed as "smart." Just saying. Personally I love my first Gen, and I aim for as long as possible it to be the pickup I drive, and I'll replace whatever it takes to keep it going and going because frankly newer trucks leave me unimpressed and are stupid beyond what I think is money well spent.
Beautiful Truck. Super Clean. Optioned Perfect. Depending on the Mile`s/Km`s that thing would and Should pull some Serious money at an auction. LMK when and if it going to be in one. All them Marks and stains just add character to the Truck lol. Thanks for another Great video Cheer`s. Edit after Hearing the current value of 10-12k that you stated that truck is easily going to be worth that amount because of demand and just inflation. New trucks run up over 80k Canadian eff buying new. Grab up and older Reliable truck that's not all rusted out and easy to work on and enjoy it, and NO Payments for years worrying about scratches and dings. IMO
Totally agree with you! It's expensive, in comparison to what these use to be, but worth it, considering what else is out there, and the enjoyment of driving this thing!
Does yours have a lean?
This was a truck I borrowed from The Dirt Tourist!
Nice truck man, i'm happy to have one ❤
That's awesome, glad to hear it!
is 4400 a good price for a 2004 toyota tacoma double cab prerunner ltd v6
How many miles does it have any rust? No good. Yes….ehhh maybe? I just bought a 2002 4door Tacoma for 6,800. But mine came lifted has big off-road tires and a Baja all pro off road bumper. So yes if yours is in good condition yes that’s a great price
@@rainbowace697how many miles?
Awesome 👏
Thanks!
Best thing I've ever bought. 2004. 300k.
Change yer ball joints or you will learn a very very terrible lesson.
I will never ever sell this. I am sure most people drive em on the streets but not this one I am off road all the time and really wring this out it just keeps going.
Except the ball joints.
This gen still has boxed frame.
The rear seats u gotta sit sideways
U should know this man…
Haha yeah...
That’s a $25,000 truck used with 300,000 miles
Witness me!
Sorry. Less than 2 minutes in and you’ve already made two references to an imaginary Toyota truck called the Helix. How do you look at the name HiLux and see Helix?!
Yeah, since doing this video, I agree! However, you'd be surprised how many people here in the USA refer to it as a "Helix", we just don't have them here. That said, I don't know how I didn't realize this considering I had also reviewed a HiAce that I reference correctly.
Still don't understand why everyone gets gassed up 9ver a 180hp truck! 😂
Nostalgia...
@@readysetrev 180 hp and Swiss cheese frames! 😂
Because they outperform every truck out there. Best of both worlds old enough to be simple and reliable and new enough to have creature comforts you need. Because the 3.4 is one of the smoothest, most bulletproof engines ever made. Because it starts up every single time and will get you A to B every day for the next 500 years with the AC still blowing cold. Because it’s so light it will get through nearly every single trail. Because they are fun to drive and have plenty of power. My 01 TRD 4x4 with 320k miles is the best truck i’ve ever owned. Buy one you’ll understand and delete your comment
@@Steve_0961 I can't find one without a Swiss cheese frame. But mabye one day I will. Then I will delete the comment! 😂
@@justing6594 i live on the west coast so i don’t see much swiss cheese out here but i really hope you find one! You’ll be happy when you do
Wow ,I thought you was jerryrigeverything 😅
Haha I'll take it!