the motors had HG issues! Plus, they are DOGS!!!
If youre gonna spend some cash go with the later model motor (3.4L) More poop to it and a better design.
That 3.0 is like a BLACK MARK on the toyota name!!! Yes!!! I am SERIOUS!!! I donno WHAT they were thinking when they designed that motor!!
Yeah, pretty much avoid anything with a 3.0 v6. Mine was an '88, which was probably one of the most reliable years of the 3.0, many went 250k+ before they had problems. Anything '90-95 you can expect the HG's to go (enviromental concerns forced a change in the HG design and the "eco-friendly" version was crap).
The bigger problem with the 3.0 is the 4cyl power and v8 gas mileage. They were a stopgap design by Toyota and were not well engineered. The '96-'04 3.4 v6 tacos are basically the same engine block, but the upper is totally different and should have been the motor the 3.0 never was. Extremely reliable (although there were some early 3.4's with HG issues) and 40 more HP and 40 more lb/ft of torque over the 3.0. And they will get 19-20mpg all day long.
There a lot of improvements in the Taco generations, but also some weaknesses to look out for.
Jack