[(U_g)]

I went to check out this truck and was pretty disappointed. 2001 Toyota Tacoma S-Runner - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle...
The buyer seemed less than honest about its history, the vin # is 5TEVN52N71Z744287. The drivers airbag appears to have been deployed and the seat belt is not recoiling as if it had been involved with a crash. The frame did look okay though. The coolant failed in a boil-over tester and looked a bit grimy. Engine looked sludged and last timing belt was 88k. Looks like the cats were stolen but had been replaced with an Eo number stamped replacement. The seller refused to get it smogged though. Interior is rough with a couple electrical problems. Oh, and the brakes are METAL TO METAL!

I am still interested in the truck but unsure of a fair price for it. Is it true that the airbag module has to be replaced along with the new bag? That's almost 700 right there plus another 130 for a seatbelt, right?

Kind of got burned on the thing too, the seller refused to return my deposit after I discovered the cost of repairs.

 

[(U_g)]

Ad has been taken down, any forum members bite on this? If so, I wish you the best with it.

 

[Enola Gaia]

According to the relevant years' FSM documentation ... If the vehicle was involved in a collision and the airbag sensor assembly (control unit) deployed the airbag(s) the assembly should be replaced.

 

[Enola Gaia]

StepSide S-Runners are rare, just like all StepSides.

That SR was not listed for sale here on CT within the last 4 or 5 years. However ...

CT member rrich in the San Diego area sold a 2001 black SR StepSide back in 2015. His description said the paint was 'rough'. I suppose there's a chance this Dana Point SR might be rrich's old Taco.

 

[Jimkola]

I went to check out this truck and was pretty disappointed. 2001 Toyota Tacoma S-Runner - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle...
The buyer seemed less than honest about its history, the vin # is 5TEVN52N71Z744287. The drivers airbag appears to have been deployed and the seat belt is not recoiling as if it had been involved with a crash. The frame did look okay though. The coolant failed in a boil-over tester and looked a bit grimy. Engine looked sludged and last timing belt was 88k. Looks like the cats were stolen but had been replaced with an Eo number stamped replacement. The seller refused to get it smogged though. Interior is rough with a couple electrical problems. Oh, and the brakes are METAL TO METAL!

I am still interested in the truck but unsure of a fair price for it. Is it true that the airbag module has to be replaced along with the new bag? That's almost 700 right there plus another 130 for a seatbelt, right?

Kind of got burned on the thing too, the seller refused to return my deposit after I discovered the cost of repairs.

Not sure how you can reach a price that's fair the seller will accept. Typically with unknown issues you need to factor in the most likely cost and make a offer accordingly. With everything you've mentioned I'm surprised it doesn't have a salvaged title to throw in the mix.
If the airbag was deployed there are several parts that need to be replaced. The air bag itself, the module(it contains the propellant) and both front sensors. At the minimum. New seat belts would be required, or at least ones where the pretensioner wasn't activated. You need to document the repairs well, too. Heaven help you if you loan the vehicle to someone and they get injured and the bag doesn't deploy for whatever reason.
In California there's no such thing as a non-refundable deposit. Some sellers may ask for one as a sign of good faith, but the prospective buyer can request its return anytime before the sale is completed. It's just whether you want to bother with small claims. How much are you talking about?
I wouldn't buy jack from a less-than-honest seller. If I fail to ask the right questions, well bad on me. But when they offer vague or misleading answers to direct questions that's a clue to walk.

 

[(U_g)]

My deposit was $200 sigh, I shudder to think that I'm rewarding a seller like this by folding. I walked at 5700. Thanks for the realty check on the repairs though. I've read posts in other threads saying "You don't need airbags, just replace the steering wheel with an aftermarket one" it's an option, sure. And yes, the truck is rare. Do I need a rare Toyota Tacoma? Maybe. If I had the presence of mind at the time I would have bought it, fixed the brakes myself then posted it for sale here saying:

RARE! EXOTIC! Step Side - one year only! Pre-streched seatbelt! Customizable steering wheel! $7000 obo 🤑

The market in my area (so-cal) has used Tacos posted for sale everyday. Decent albeit pedestrian ones. I went to see one in "excellent condition" just yesterday.
(unfortunately the seller failed to mention it had been in a front ender).

I can only hope this will serve as a shadow history for this truck, so someone down the line knows more about it. Or when a low mileage surviving s-runner sells at auction for 20k it will be a reminder of the good ole days, when cheap s-runners would randomly come up for sale in the wild.

 

[Jimkola]

$200 is enough to make me seriously annoyed, but that's me. I'd send a letter requesting a refund of the deposit, basing my request on concerns that weren't properly disclosed. Namely the lack of a smog certification, the air bag system inoperative and the brakes metal on metal. Clearly the vehicle would have to be towed off the property.
After that, I'd file small claims in Orange County requesting the $200 and any costs associated with the event. In court they'd have a tough time prevailing. Just make sure to keep your screen shots of the listing. You'll need them. Typically, the person in court with the most paper tends to win.

 

[Chris D.]

Time to file a small claims case and make sure to add in that if you win, you want the defendant to pay all fees and costs associated including time off work to file case, gas money, ect..
For 7K, thats a rip off for its condition, paints junk, shits beat..