Hi friends,
I’m looking to buy a used truck to replace my 1991 Chevy 1500. I want a nicer truck with more power, more cab room, and reliability. I’m all but settled on a 2001 Toyota Tundra 4.7L V8 with 88,000 miles. It’s 4x4 access cab SR5 with a 4-speed automatic transmission. It looks to be in pretty cherry condition.
I’m no mechanic, but I know a few things to look for, including leaks, torn boots, worn bushings, rust, slipping transmission, etc. This truck looks to be in pretty damn fine shape. No major dents or dings. Good glass. No rust. Interior looks like new. The Carfax checks out: two owners, no reported collisions, no major repairs other than regular maintenance. It’s too old to be certified, but the dealer told me the truck had gone through a rigorous inspection and that they turned the front rotors, replaced the rear rotors, replaced the flare molding on the front wheel wells, and did all the usual inspections and fluid changes.
They’re asking about $13k for it.
That’s a little higher than Kelly Blue Book for that truck in this region (and higher than I was hoping to pay), but it also comes with a very nice fiberglass topper with duel locking handles, spray on bed liner, and they said they “put some money into it” (i.e. flare molding, brakes, etc.).
I took her for a spin and fell in love. Very comfortable, very quiet ride. No noticeable squeals, squeaks, rattles or hums. She accelerated fine and didn’t break a sweat getting up to 80 on the Interstate. Brakes felt solid and no shimmy. Didn’t notice any oddities at all other than a slight drift to the right, but I couldn’t tell if that was from the crown in the road. Mostly it felt like driving a big car rather than a pickup.
Now, I feel like the price is a little high, but I haven’t found anything comparable within 500 miles of here. I’ve seen older model Tundras with twice the miles for only a couple thousand less! It’s a low-mileage Toyota, and those seem to be worth their weight in gold. This seems like a pretty good deal, and given my bad luck with domestic trucks and vans I’m at the point where I’m willing to pay more for a Toyota if I don’t have to deal with the transmission problems, transfer case problems, and other problems I’ve had to put up with in the past.
I’ve never bought a used car from a dealership before so I don’t know what negotiating room I have on a rig like this, or whether the price is right, or whether I should keep looking. I don’t want to jump the gun but this truck is EXACTLY what I’m looking for in a rig, and the low milage is really attractive to me.
Anyway, I could use some advice from smart folks like yourselves. Know any known-issues with this particular model I should be wary of? Are there issues I should ask the dealership to address? Am I getting taken to the cleaners if I pay $13k for a 10 year old Tundra?
Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have a feeling this rig won’t be around very long…