And now Toyota is recalling 700k Tacomas...

Seems like a really bad time to be buying a new truck...

...but here I go!


Toyota to Recall 690,000 Tacoma Pickup Trucks
Concerns Over Rear Suspension in 2005-11 Models


Jeff Bennett
Sept. 29, 2014 1:57 p.m. ET

Toyota Motor Co. 7203.TO +0.54% will recall 690,000 pickup trucks while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun a formal review into a complaint charging that 4.9 million sport-utility vehicles, trucks and vans produced by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles F.MI -1.68% are susceptible to engine stalling and air bag failures.

This is the second week in a row auto makers have announced major safety issues with the vehicles. Ford Motor Co. F -7.47% recalled 850,000 vehicles on Friday while Chrysler recalled 350,000 to repair a faulty ignition switch issue on Thursday.

Auto makers are remaining vigilant about initiating recalls in the wake of General Motors Co. GM -2.86% 's mishandling of its faulty ignition switch. A total of 23 deaths have now been connected to the issue in which a jarring of the key can cause the switch to slip into "accessory" mode cutting power to the air bags.

Toyota said it would recall Tacoma pickup trucks for model years 2005 through 2011 over rear suspension concerns. Springs could fracture due to corrosion which could lead to a puncturing of the fuel tank. The auto maker is unaware of any fires, deaths or injuries linked to the problem. Owners will be notified when to take their vehicles into a dealer for repairs.

Separately, NHTSA notified Chrysler it will conduct a probe of a complain filed by the Center for Auto Safety charging that the auto maker's Totally Integrated Power Modules—installed on most vehicles after 2007—can cause engine stalling and disable air bags when they fail. The petition includes 70 complaints.

Write to Jeff Bennett at jeff.bennett@wsj.com

http://online.wsj.com/articles/toyota-to-recall-690-000-tacoma-pickup-trucks-1412013469

So, Ricey. Illegitimi non carborundum

Whatcha gonna buy?

Eric wrote:

So, Ricey.   Illegitimi non carborundum

Whatcha gonna buy?

Naw... I'm good. Mine's a '97, so not affected and I'm not buying a Toyota anyhow. Just disappointed in Toyota. They're better than this.

There are two nearly identical Chevys for sale in town. One is a 2004 w/60k miles on it and the other is a 2005 with 100k miles on it. I would lean towards the 2004 with less miles but the 2005 has a hydroformed frame, better safety and reliability ratings. I would like an extracab so I can haul my winter gear without it being in the way, but I think I'd just get a shell to put on the back. I am not a fan of this body style (I think the front styling is ugly), but that's not going to stop me from buying a good pickup. So, it looks like I could maybe buy this rig here:

2005 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Reg Cab 4WD
Body Style 2-Door
Mileage 102,907
Engine V6 Cylinder Engine Gasoline
Ext. Color WHITE
Exterior
Paint, solid
Bumper, front, chrome, with Gray lower
Air dam, Gray
Headlamps, dual halogen composite, includes flash-to-pass feature and automatic lamp control
Daytime running lamps, includes automatic exterior lamp control
Lamps, dual cargo area lamps
Wipers, intermittent, front, wet-arm with pulse washers
Glass, Solar-Ray light tinted, all windows
Automatic headlights
Grille, Gray surround, with chrome accent bar
Mirrors, outside rearview, foldaway, manual, Black, adjustable
Generic
Driver Air Bag
Passenger Air Bag
AM/FM Stereo
ABS
Gasoline Fuel
Vinyl Seats
Split Bench Seat
Tires - Front All-Season
Tires - Rear All-Season
5-Speed M/T
M/T
Front Disc/Rear Drum Brakes
Adjustable Steering Wheel
Passenger Vanity Mirror
A/C
Front Reading Lamps
V6 Cylinder Engine
Daytime Running Lights
Conventional Spare Tire
Multi-Zone A/C
Passenger Air Bag Sensor
Power Outlet
Interior
Sound system feature, 4-speakers
Steering column, Tilt-Wheel, adjustable, includes brake/transmission shift interlock
Theft-deterrent system, PASSlock II
Instrumentation, analog, includes speedometer, odometer with trip odometer, fuel level, voltmeter, engine temperature, oil pressure and tachometer
Driver Information Center, monitors numerous systems depending on vehicle equipment
Air conditioning, dual-zone, manual, individual climate settings for driver and right front passenger
Cigarette lighter, on instrument panel
Power outlets, auxiliary, covered, 2 dash-mounted, 12-volt
Visors, padded, Shale-colored, driver and passenger side with cloth trim, extenders, pocket on driver side and vanity mirror on passenger side
Coat hook, driver side (Also includes passenger side coat hook on Extended and Crew Cab Models.)
Lighting, dome lamp, reading, backlit instrument panel switches and door handle-activated illuminated entry
Steering wheel, includes theft-deterrent locking feature
Assist handle, front passenger (Also includes outboard rear assist handle on Extended or Crew Cab models.)
Engine immobilizer
Mirror, inside rearview, manual day/night
Warning tones, headlamp on, key-in-ignition, driver and passenger buckle up reminder, turn signal on
Cupholders, front (Also includes rear cupholders on Extended and Crew Cab Models)
Floor covering, rubberized vinyl, Black
Seat trim, vinyl
Seats, front 40/20/40 split-bench, 3-passenger, driver and passenger manual reclining with outboard head restraints
Mechanical
Four wheel drive
Pickup bed, Fleetside box
Frame, ladder-type, hydroformed
Suspension, rear, semi-elliptic 2-stage multi-leaf springs
Tire carrier, outside spare, winch-type mounted under frame at rear
Steering, power
Exhaust, aluminized stainless-steel muffler and tailpipe
Tools, mechanical jack and wheel wrench, spare tire assist hook, floor-mounted in back of cab
Alternator, 145 amps
Recovery hooks, front, frame-mounted
Tow hooks
Battery, heavy-duty, 600 cold-cranking amps, includes rundown protection and retained accessory power
Suspension, front, independent (2WD Models include coil springs. - 4WD Models include torsion bars.)
Brakes, 4-wheel antilock, front hydraulic disc and rear drum
Transmission, 5-speed manual with overdrive (Requires Regular Cab Models and (LU3) Engine, Vortec 4300 V6 MFI or (LR4) Engine, Vortec 4800 V8 SFI.)
Tire, spare, full-size, 17" (43.2 cm) with steel wheel, located at rear underbody of vehicle
Engine, Vortec 4300 V6 MFI (195 HP [145.4 kW] @ 4600 rpm, 260 lb.-ft 351.0 N-m] @ 2800 rpm) (Requires and standard on C*15703, C*15903 and CC15753 Models only. - Not available with (VYU) Snow Plow Prep Package or (Z82) Trailering equipment, heavy-duty.)
GVWR, 6400 lbs. (2903 kg) (Standard on C*15903, CK157*3 and C*15953 Models only. - Not available with (NYS) 4-wheel steering.)
Transfer case, floor-mounted shifter (Standard with 4WD Regular and Extended Cab Models only. - Requires (AE7) Seats, front 40/20/40 split-bench.)
Suspension Package, Solid Smooth Ride, includes 35mm piston twin tube shocks (must specify)
Tires, P265/70R17, all-season, blackwall (Requires 4WD Regular and Extended Cab Models

Other
Intermittent Wipers
Power Steering
Safety
Air bags, frontal, driver and right front passenger, includes Passenger Sensing System (Always use safety belts and proper child restraints, even with air bags. Children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat. See the Owners Manual for more safety information)

I love the camper shells, especially if you use one for camping.

But they're a pain in the patootie if you transport firewood inside.  Getting the firewood inside isn't too much trouble.  But to get 'em out, you'll have to crawl in on your hands and knees to get those pieces way up front.  And cleaning the bed will be a bit of a pain because you cannot use a regular broom to sweep it out.  I guess you could get a whisk broom...

Many moons ago, Christine and I bought a Datsun pickemup with a camper shell on it.  We parked and slept in it at one of the beach parking lots on Perdido Key.  At about 6 a.m., a truck backed into our bumper... wham!  Thankfully, no damage, but what a rude awakening.

I agree 100%, E. The one I have right now is a SnugTop, is very expensive, is not easy to remove, and replacement components cost an arm and a leg, so I leave it on all the time. Next time around I will probably not get such a damn fancy one so that I am not afraid to take it off when I need or want to.

Oh, I have a rubber mat bedliner, so if sweeping becomes too burdensome I can just yank it out on the ground. I will be keeping that little bugger, let me tell you what! Also very comfy to sleep on.