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.

 

[Pappy]

When I bought my Tacoma I had to "order" it. I found a dealer that would look for what I wanted. I gave them my wish list, and they searched what Toyota had in production. They found what I wanted in the production pipeline and I put dibbs on the truck.

I ordered early January and the truck went into production later that month. I took delivery the end of March.

 

[exner60]

They found what I wanted in the production pipeline and I put dibbs on the truck.

Yes, I have seen "In Production" vehicles scheduled to be delivered to Dealership A diverted to Dealership B.

I was working with one dealership in Florida where he doesn't charge the ridiculous dealer fee (which can be as much as $1299) or the electronic registration fee (another $300 - $500). He also doesn't order vehicles with TOYOGUARD ($699). However, he cautioned me that if he can't locate a vehicle in production or in transit, it could take 6 months for his dealership to get a specific vehicle since he isn't a high-volume dealership and is ranked low in the "distribution allocation."

 

[NoSlushbox4Me]

I went to 2 different dealerships with my printed out build. They both ordered my 6MT truck exactly how I wanted it optioned even though I only wanted one of them to order it.

 

[Pappy]

I went to 2 different dealerships with my printed out build. They both ordered my 6MT truck exactly how I wanted it optioned even though I only wanted one of them to order it.

That is a different experience than I had. All three of the dealers local to me would not even try. It was buy what we have on the lot, or don't buy from us. That is when I started looking elsewhere.

Two days after I ordered the truck, a second dealer saw what the first did, and gave me a call. Sorry, ordered.

 

[exner60]

I went to 2 different dealerships with my printed out build. They both ordered my 6MT truck exactly how I wanted it optioned even though I only wanted one of them to order it.

The dealership in question said he would order it for $500 non-refundable deposit. The $500 down is what I experienced in the past with Dodge (2004 Ram 2500 5.7 HEMI w/ MT) and Ford (2013 Fusion SE 6MT). The difference, however, was an expected delivery time of 4 - 6 weeks.

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