Toyota.com => Dealership inventory vs. in production/in transit

[exner60]

I own a 2024 Ranger Lariat and am considering trading it for a new Tacoma TRD Sport with the power moonroof and 6-speed MT. Two years ago, local dealerships had the Ranger Lariat and Tacoma TRD Sport optioned the way I wanted. The Ranger Lariat won out. I miss having a power moonroof, and, since its availability in MAR-2026, Ford keeps delaying manufacturing Rangers with this option.

My questions are:

1) Inquiries to Toyota have resulting in learning that it is not possible to order a Toyota but that working with a dealership who can "request" my desired configuration is possible...although it might take 6 months. Has anyone recently ordered a Tacoma or had a dealership put in such a request?

2) Searches of toyota.com => Inventory yields Tacoma TRD Sports that are either in production or in transition. However, most of these say, "Sale pending." Is this combination, 'TRD Premium Sport Packing + 6-speed MT" that popular?

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[GSPHerder]

Find a dealer who has the allocation and if you catch it soon enough they can make changes to it. If they don't have it often we'd trade allocation with a different dealer then make changes to if for the customer.

 

[Mercedes]

1) Inquiries to Toyota have resulting in learning that it is not possible to order a Toyota but that working with a dealership who can "request" my desired configuration is possible...although it might take 6 months. Has anyone recently ordered a Tacoma or had a dealership put in such a request?

With respect to the ordering process, Ford and Toyota are two different animals.

With Ford, one can sit down, pick and choose options, secure an allocation, with the truck then built as asked.

With Toyota, it's not really ordering something to be built. It's more of a request with the hope it matches something Toyota will make.

Toyota builds vehicles configured in ways it believes will sell the most cars and trucks. If the buyer's request matches something Toyota is about to build, great. If not, that request can sit.

At signing, I talked to the dealer GM about the topic, to get insight of his experiences. He had tens of orders waiting to match up with Toyota at any given time and was regularly trolling allocations and other information to see what he could match and when. It was something of an art.

2) Searches of toyota.com => Inventory yields Tacoma TRD Sports that are either in production or in transition. However, most of these say, "Sale pending." Is this combination, 'TRD Premium Sport Packing + 6-speed MT" that popular?

I think the issue is more that configuration is being built in fewer numbers. Toyota does continue to built MT trucks, but it's my understanding not many. They sell quickly. As soon as any truck registers in the dealer systems, pending build, being built, complete or shipped, anyone can put down a deposit and secure it.

https://www.tacoma4g.com/forum/thre...is-toyota-stealth-ending-mt-production.16234/

 

[IDontWorkForTheWaterCo]

I was able to "order" my truck. It was in "A-status" meaning it had not been built. My dealership put their name on it. I was able to change a few things because it was not built yet. Took a couple of months for it to come in.

 

[nurp42]

1) Inquiries to Toyota have resulting in learning that it is not possible to order a Toyota but that working with a dealership who can "request" my desired configuration is possible...although it might take 6 months. Has anyone recently ordered a Tacoma or had a dealership put in such a request?

Until starting the process a couple years back, I had also been unaware that Toyota doesn't let you custom order what you want. What you're asking about above in question #1 is exactly how we purchased the truck---- let the dealership know what we wanted, put down deposit, and waited. IIRC, it took about 3-4 months, but they got it allocated and it worked out great. Still love the truck and if starting over would pick the exact same configuration again. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

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