Looking at buying Used 2006 Tundra

Hey all - hope you can lend me words of wisdom here. I'm looking at buying a used Toyota Tundra, and my eye has been going towards the 1st gens. I don't have 30k+ to put into a truck at the moment, and I honestly like the idea of an older truck that doesn't have all the fancy electronics of modern cars. I may just be paranoid as I've had too many electronics issues with a Subaru, but that's how it goes.

Anyways - any issues to look out for the 2006 version? I like that it's the oldest year of the generation - in theory it seems they should have had plenty of time to hammer out all the kinks. Am I misguided looking for a lower mileage 1st gen (this one has 113k miles - priced a little over KBB but comes with a matching cap and is a single owner that appears to have been very well maintained)? Any distinct advantages of the 2nd gen? I know the 1st gens and even later had some issues with the frame recalls, but 2006 doesn't appear to have been affected from what I've seen?

Appreciate any and all help, cheers.

 

Rust rust rust....particularly the frame....if the frame is in good condition, then everything else is just typical maintenance wear and tear. These trucks don't really have any mechanical weaknesses if taken care of... The closest thing to a weakness is the secondary air injection system...which is not that expensive to bypass. Good luck with your search....that one you mentioned sounds like a nice candidate...

 

I have an 06 and love it. You know to check the frame, Timing belt recommended at 90,000. If it hasn't been done, do it. I thru some lower ball joints on mine. just to be safe. 05 and 06 can have problems with the secondary air injection system (mine did) it will throw a check engine lite. Easy fix, just get a Hewitt Tech Inc. bypass kit, easy install. You might get lucky and have the limited slip diff on yours. Turning radius sucks on our trucks. Gas mileage sucks and remember they are not a 3/4 ton work truck. They are a light duty 1/2 ton.

That's about it

 

A single owner, 113K mile '06 Tundra sounds like an outstanding starting point. Extra points if they've largely left it stock. Triple extra points if they've changed the timing belt (due at 90K miles) which means they probably maintained it fairly well. That's the kind of truck that sells for $15K - $20K on BaT.

 

They've installed a 2 inch lift, I'll have to ask about the timing belt. Asking 14.5k currently. Said frame was cleaned up and coated with the recall. Posted pictures and it looks to be in good shape.

 

Toyota used rubberized coating on the frame. Usually right over the existing rust. Not good.

 

You need to inspect the frame carefully and hit with a hammer every 2 inches to check for solidness.. Pictures are not good enough. It may still be a good buy, but a thorough inspection is required. Good Luck.

 

Here's the photos provided. I suppose there's no way of knowing for sure under the coating but it looks to be in fairly decent shape to my eye? This is a Northeast truck however.

 

Duly noted, thanks.

 

This pic would worry me.

The red circles are all indicators of the level of or lack of protection for the environment it's in. The blue circle looks like there might be scaling under the coating. Like @speedtre said, a thorough inspection is going to tell you more than pics.

 

Is a best bet for one of these finding one that has had the frame replacement done, particularly if I'm stuck looking in the rust belt?

 

Replaced frame > coated frame. If I had $15,000 to blow on a truck I would find one with a new frame, low miles.

My 2004 had that rubberized coating sprayed on it during the service campaign, I can see some of it flaking off and rust underneath. I’ve coated most of what I could with fluid film. For the $3200 bucks I bought it for, I don’t mind wrenching on it.

 

It's hard to say. I drove 1500 miles round trip in 36 hours to trade in my 2017 Tacoma on a 2005 Tundra that had had the frame replaced at a Toyota dealer in PA. When I got there, it was apparent that the Toyota dealer took close up pics of the frame that had been replaced and looked good (the body and interior were PERFECT in pics and person) but the rest of the undercarriage and engine bay were a rusty mess...I turned around and drove home after 10 minutes and found another one. I learned a hard lesson that day.

 

Sorry, but as good as the 1st gen tundra is, I would "never" buy one from the rust belt. The Toyota frame and undercarriage can't endure that abuse. I would take a long drive and find one

 

Yeah that's where my mind is starting to go. I have family in NC, so might have to look exclusively there and hoping something pops up. Only problem is it will be hard to jump on anything.

 

That would be better, but still inspect a NC truck thoroughly. I test drove an 06 in January for another member that lives in VT. I'm in TN. The truck had a shit load of issues including the frame being crusty in places.

The bottom line is that rust kills these trucks. Bring a flashlight and a hammer and go over it thoroughly. Good luck