Waiting for a problem

Gentlemen,

I have a problem with my 1988 Toyota Tacoma. It has just over 82,000 miles on it. The paint and body are in very, very good shape. The interior is still extremely clean yet too. My problem is that I have yet to have any problems with the truck. I have been wondering when it will just collapse… quit… go haywire. In that everything seems good yet, should I drive her hard until something gives? Poke a hole in something? Or juts wait for some aspect of it to go on the fritz so to speak. There is alot of tension in having a trouble free truck!

Jeff

I have a 1999 Kia Sephia and I really didn’t have any major problems until 100,000. If everything seems to be in really good shape I’d say just keep doing what you have been doing, drive it normally and just start saving up some money for when a problem does happen, if one does you’ll either have money to repair it, or money that could go towards a new car.

Its interesting that you have such low mileage for a 20 year old car, they typically say hold on to a car for 15 years (which equates to 180,000 miles if one drives 12,000). You probably don’t have 100,000 miles left of wear on the car because time does take its told but your truck may not be out of the game soon.

Keep an eye out on rubber parts, like seals, hoses and boots.

82 grand is nothing. Wait until 182k to start worrying.

Do you maintain it by the book? You know- the owner’s manual that came with the truck?

That will minimize your problems.

It’s due to collapse imminenty! Any day now! Sell it to me while it still runs. Please? Pretty please? Pretty pretty pretty please?

I had an '89 Toyota pickup, bought new. It became my daughter’s daily driver some years back. It kept on running reliably until two years ago when it got totalled by an errant Hundae. It had 338,000 miles on it and still got 26-27 mpg highway and only used a quart of oil about every 1500 miles. It never had any internal engine work. I got 295,000 out of the original clutch!

Prior to that I had a '79 Toyota pickup. It was my reliable daily driver for 10 years until the frame rotted out, both sides right under the gap between the cab and the bed. I gave it to the local junkyard owner who bolted a piece of lumber between the bed and the cab and used it for a “yard truck”. It was still running when I left that town in '96.

I miss my '89!

Expect to start replacing some peripheral parts like the starter, alternator, and radiator when you approach 200,000. The engine and drivetrain are basically bulletproof.

oops.sorry guys. A big typo. It lis a 1999 Tacoma reg. cab, 4 wheel drive, 4 cyl.,…black
Jeff1945

As on my 92 Explorer @136,000 ,and my 79 chevy p/u with only 70,000, and as others say, … plastic and rubber will give in to the ravages of time regardless of miles. been there, done that…79 leaving trans fluid spot on driveway…tech say it leaks because I DON"T drive it often enough, seal dries out !

“Guys, i have a problem. My truck runs perfectly, and will not break down!”

ROTFLMAO!!! Your kidding, right?

Just like the kids in the back seat say when the cop is walking up to the car, maintain maintain maintain. :slight_smile:

In that case you have many, many, many reliable miles left. With good maintenance, of course.

I sincerely hope that this is the biggest problem that the OP ever has.