Need advice please!

Hello everyone. I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this but since the truck in mention is a 3rd gen Tundra I would like 3rd gen members advice.

It’s been a while since I’ve been on a vehicle forum. I used to have a 92 300zx twin turbo in high school and was very active at one time. Since then I haven’t had a vehicle which I was interested enough to be on a forum. What I do know is that forum members have a passion for their vehicles and know them inside and out.

I currently drive a 2019 Silverado 1500 which I bought new and love it; however, my wife and I are expecting our second little one and we need to get her out of her paid off Chevy Cruze which is a ticking time bomb and into something bigger. The plan is to trade in my truck and put some money down for her vehicle and get something a little cheaper for me. We are essentially trying to get the sum of the payments for these two cars around the same as my Silverado. I work in construction where I tow every once in a while so a truck is a must for me.

I am very close to making a deal on a black 2015 Tundra TRD Pro with 157,000 miles. The truck was originally posted for $27500, but I was able to talk them down to $24000. The KBB value is higher than $24000 as well.

I did a little research and went to check it out and test drive. Things I looked for were general bushing and boot wear etc. as well as a cam tower leak that I have read on this forum is common for the 5.7L’s? I didn’t see any issues and the truck drove great.

I am very aware of the incredible reliability of tundras but I am starting to get cold feet on the deal. 157,000 is a lot of miles and I am seeing Silverado’s and f150s going for the same price around 80-120k miles. I have always wanted a tundra and love everything about this one. I can see a passion ensue once I own this truck. Also I feel like I should be able to resell the truck after it gets to 250k miles (after 4-5 years).

My questions are:

- is this a good deal?
- what should I look for when I see it again?
- do you think I would be able to resell it in 4-5 years if I decided to?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We are schedule to seal the deal tomorrow morning.

Thanks!

 

Congrats on your 1st post on a great forum. Not sure of your region, so just check for rust underneath. Does it come with service records? Have you checked CarFax? Private sale or a dealer?

...now show me a pic of that old Z!

 

Seems like a decent deal to me if it’s been taken care of. You can drive these ‘Yota’s hard, but as long as you do the recommended maintenance, they hold up well (always have for me anyway and I’m on my 7th Toyota truck). Go over it with a fine toothed comb. Have a mechanic you trust check it out. Good luck.

 

As long as it has been well maintained, I wouldn’t worry. I know 150k sounds like a lot but for a Tundra, it isn’t much. Good luck.

 

Tundra or not, I wouldn't pay $24k for something with 157k miles on it.

 

Thanks!

It’s a private seller and the truck has been in Texas a huge majority of the time. She did mention driving it to California a couple of times. No rust when I looked underneath. The carfax shows most of the oil changes and general maintenance but there are some gaps. It’s had a single owner and she says that she doesn’t have service records but it has never had a problem.

I had the Z over a decade ago but I’ll see if I can dig up some pics!

 

Details on the truck sound pretty solid, unless there are HUGE gaps in the carfax records. Determining factor for me would be the vibe I get from the owner. If she seems on the level and such then I'd be inclined to think this is an ok purchase.

 

If you plan on keeping long term, dont buy someone elses worn out used-up vehicle.
Buy new at a better interest rate... have a warranty... and alot more troublefree miles to enjoy it.

$24k seems like a ton of money for something with 150k + miles on it.

 

What’s wrong with the Chevy Cruze. It’s paid off. Why take on $24k more of debt?

 

Here’s some photos of it:

 

Can't tell if you are joking or not.


24k for something having 150k miles is a lot... unless it's on a proven 300-400k mile (or more) platform. 150k is hardly "worn out" or "used up" for most things in the Toyota line, and Tundras are no exception. Why do you think Tundras hold their value so well in the first place? A huge majority of them are problem free and last. The warranty is basically a joke because most don't have any issues within the warranty limits. Even extended warranties go by without being used on a regular basis. If this truck has been maintained properly (No idea if it has or not) then it's got plenty of life in it.

That said, were I to be the purchaser, the first thing I'd do is run through all the maintenance items listed in the manual up to 150k miles. In the end it's just my opinion, but getting a truck below blue book right now is a hard thing to do.

 

It’s really small and I don’t really feel safe with her driving our kids around in it. She’s been stuck on the side of the road 3 times due to water pump issues and it only has 60k miles on it.

 

Those pictures look clean to me. You might even get the seller to let Toyota look it over.

 

Here’s the KBB value. Thanks for the advice so far guys I really appreciate it!

 

I'd go for it! Got my 14 used with 173k miles. One owner with all maint records. The previous owner towed alot and went hunting alot on some bad roads, looks like he went stump jumping a time or two as well based on the big dent in the skid plate. Truck has given me zero problems aside from a door actuator and a surge at 2k rpm from a bad fuel pump (replaced pump with the URD kit, $250) Replace all fluids with whatever brand you trust and enjoy it! Change the spark plugs while you're at it (get them from the dealer) Mine is gonna hit 202k tomorrow on my 12hr trip home. I drive the piss out of it and tow a 7k camper on occasion.

 

Miles wise, you're fine. These trucks are built to last. Price wise, I don't think that's a bad deal at all especially given the market right now. If you can take it to a mechanic and have them look over it, that would be wise. All-in-all though, not bad.

 

I bought my 14 over a year ago. It had 104K well maintained miles on it. Yawn....

 

I’m not so worried about the miles but $24k is a LOT for anything with 157k miles - Tundra or not. That’s just me. Used Tundras are going for a premium right now, if you can wait until things settle a bit you might find a better deal out there.

 

Get it checked out thoroughly. If good to go......buy it. Not a bad deal in todays market.

 

I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Bought a 2000 4Runner back in 2011 with 130K miles on it. Traded it in at 240K, and it never had one issue - in fact, that's the vehicle that convinced wife and I to switch over to Toyotas.

 

Have a mechanic check it for you, and make sure they hook up a scan tool for diagnostics.
Take it on a long test drive with the radio OFF, listen for odd noises.

 

The only thing that gives me pause is that it's high mileage for the year. That's why I'd be more concerned about who the seller is, than the actual miles. If it's just been a commuter on the freeway and weekend road trips, I'd be fine with well maintained miles.

 

NADA says the clean trade-in value if it's 4WD is $29,000

 

Pro your looking at still on original pro suspension? Look for leaks if so. Look for cam tower leak also. Truck looks cherry.

 

Yep. Looks super clean. I'm guessing a flatland commuter. Still has Born in Texas sticker. The miles are of no concern to me at $24K if mechanically sound. It is a Yota after all. I wouldn't pay that much if it was one of the other "domestics".

 

Used truck prices are high, higher for Tundra. That looks like a well cared for one. The price is not horrible but I would be hesitant. Financing a higher mileage truck long term could create some issues financially; it will need some maintenance at some point possibly taxing ones budget.
How many miles do you anticipate to put on it annually? 10,000 miles a year or 25,000? If around 25,000 you will be around 250,000 miles in 4 years and maybe not paid off, vs, 10,000 yearly and maybe still under 200,000 miles in 4 years.

 

Aren't all Pros 4WD? Ha

 

I have no idea.

 

This one is 4wd. I’m going to average around 20k miles/yr. I’m setting up a mechanic to take a look at it before I buy. The only concern I have now is the value and ability to sell once I drive it for a few years and it has 220k-250k miles.