Inventory Listing

Rare and hard-to-find 2008 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road V6 4×4 Double Cab Short Bed! Sold brand new by Toyota SLO, this ’08 4×4 Tacoma has lived on the Central Coast its whole life. Meticulously maintained with a whopping 48 service records! Powered by the BULLETPROOF 4.0L V6 (with a metal timing chain you never have to replace) paired with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Finished in Super White with Graphite cloth interior. Options from the TRD Off-Road package include the factory rear differential locker; the factory Bilstein shocks have been upgraded with 5100 series Bilstein shocks front and rear, with Cooper Discoverer ST Maxx all-terrain tires; and a matching ARE camper shell with roof rails.  Custom fit seat covers are also included (original seats underneath are in great shape). Also comes with an upgraded Sony stereo with Bluetooth hands-free calling, backup camera & AUX input. This is a well-maintained truck, and it shows. The 2nd Gen Tacoma’s are arguably the best and most favorite of the Tacoma’s as the 4.0L V6 was a powerhouse and one of the most reliable engines Toyota ever made. Don’t miss out- this won’t last long!

SERVICED WITH BRAND-NEW:

• (5) Tire Pressure Sensors Including Spare
• Engine Air Filter
• Cabin Air Filter
• MAF Sensor Cleaned
• Smog

Essentials

• 2008 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Double Cab, 5-foot short bed, 4×4
• 4.0-liter V6, 5-speed automatic, factory TRD e-locker
• 214,000 miles
• Sold new at Toyota San Luis Obispo · locally owned consignment
• 48 service records
• Two-owner Carfax · Carfax GOOD · clean California title
• Minor rear-end damage reported in 2021
• Super White with graphite interior
• Matching ARE camper shell with roof-rack mounts
• Bilstein 5100s, Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx LT235/85R16, predator-style steps, factory TRD rails that convert to crossbars

NHTSA Safety Ratings

NHTSA crash ratings for the 2008 Tacoma:

• Frontal crash, passenger: ★★★★★
• Frontal crash overall: period testing placed occupant protection at the top of the midsize-pickup class
• Side crash: ★★★★★
• Rollover, 4WD pickup: ★★★★

History of the Generation

This Tacoma is a second-generation truck. Toyota built that generation from 2005 through 2015. It sat on a traditional body-on-frame chassis shared in spirit with the 4Runner and FJ Cruiser, offered a true four-door Double Cab, and made the 4.0-liter V6 the engine serious buyers specified. The 2008 model year sits in the middle of that run. The formula was already proven: midsize footprint, real truck frame, available four-wheel drive, and a TRD Off-Road package that meant a locker and an off-road suspension, not a decal. Fourteen model years of the same basic truck is why parts, shells, lift components, and shop knowledge are easy to find. The third generation arrived for 2016 with a new interior and the 3.5-liter V6. Many buyers still look for a clean second-gen 4.0 4×4 Double Cab because the truck was simple and the Off-Road package was already right.

Fuel Economy, Horsepower, and Torque

The 4.0-liter DOHC V6 is Toyota’s 1GR-FE. It is rated at 236 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, paired here with the 5-speed automatic. EPA estimates for the 4×4 V6 automatic are 16 city, 20 highway, and 18 combined. A four-wheel-drive truck with an ARE shell and LT-metric all-terrains will usually live in the mid-teens. The tank holds 21 gallons. Properly equipped, the V6 is rated to tow up to 6,500 pounds. Payload on a 4×4 Double Cab short bed is typically in the 1,300- to 1,400-pound range. It is not a Tundra. It is a midsize truck with enough power to work if the load is honest.

The 4.0-Liter V6 and Why the Second Gen Still Wins

The 4.0 uses a metal timing chain. There is no timing belt to replace. That alone is a large part of why these engines have the reputation they do. Keep oil in the motor and the chain is not a scheduled surprise.

This V6 is widely regarded as one of the best engines Toyota ever put in a truck. It saw duty in the Tacoma, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, and other models, and it earned that reputation the long way: high miles, few dramatics, and service any independent shop already knows.

The third-generation Tacoma moved to a 3.5-liter V6 with more peak horsepower on paper. Enthusiasts still argue the second-generation 4.0 is the better engine to own. It is the chain-driven motor. It does not carry the early 3.5 and transmission questions that followed the redesign. In day-to-day towing and crawling it has the torque people actually use, and a properly equipped second-gen V6 is rated at 6,500 pounds. Higher peak horsepower on the 3.5 is not the same thing as a better ownership engine. For a truck meant to be kept, the 4.0 is the one buyers still pay for.

What the TRD Off-Road Package Gave You

TRD Off-Road is the package that separates this truck from an SR5 or a TRD Sport.

Against a base or SR5 4×4, Off-Road added the factory electronic rear locker, Bilstein off-road shocks and a tuned suspension, A-TRAC, downhill and hill-start assist on four-wheel-drive automatics, underbody protection as packaged, sixteen-inch all-terrain rubber, and the TRD interior and graphics that came with the package. The locker is the item that matters. When one rear tire leaves the ground, a limited-slip is not the same device.

TRD Sport was the street truck: 17-inch wheels, body-color trim, often a limited-slip differential instead of the locker, and a hood scoop. Better on the highway. Worse on dirt. If the next owner wants fire roads, sand, or a loaded bed on uneven ground, Off-Road is the correct truck.

This example already has the hardware people add after the purchase: Bilstein 5100s in place of the aged factory shocks, Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx LT235/85R16 tires, predator-style steps, factory TRD rails that flip into crossbars, and a matching ARE shell with its own rack mounts. That is a finished camp and work truck, not a stock SR5 with a sticker.

What the Experts Said

Edmunds praised the 2008 Tacoma for the range of body styles, the strength of the V6, real off-road ability, solid build, and a well-appointed interior for the class. They noted that it still drives like a truck, which is accurate. In period testing they recorded top-tier NHTSA frontal and side ratings. Edmunds owners have continued to score the 2008 well, typically in the mid-four-star range, with reliability and off-road use at the top of the comment list.

Kelley Blue Book put the Tacoma at the front of the midsize class for reliability and resale. KBB wrote that the Dodge Dakota and Nissan Frontier were worthy trucks and still could not match Tacoma’s long record on those two points. Their reservation was the same as everyone else’s: the ride is a truck ride, not a Ridgeline.

Car and Driver treated 2008 as a carryover of a truck that was already sorted. They described the TRD Off-Road content the same way Toyota sold it: locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, sixteen-inch wheels and all-terrain tires, skid protection, and the Off-Road graphics. Not a cosmetic package.

Motor Trend and other testers used the 4.0 and five-speed as the serious Tacoma powertrain. Toyota also offered a TRD supercharger. This truck is not that truck. The stock 236-horsepower, 266-pound-foot engine is the one that earned the longevity reputation.

COME BY FOR A TEST DRIVE!

***TIRE LIFE- ALMOST NEW***

***OIL LIFE-PASS***

***BATTERY TEST- PASS***

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