I am looking at buying a used 2019 Toyota Tacoma 4x2 4 cylinder engine with 27,000 miles on it in Arizona. I did an inspection and using an innova 3100 scan tool detected "P1604 startability malfunction". I also ran a battery and alternator test that failed. I assume the battery is 3-4 years old (2019 car) and is just wearing out in Arizona weather (and it does have corrosion on one of the battery terminals). I called a mechanic and he said it probably was just the battery. I drove it on a long test drive and started the car many times with no issues, but the code worries me.
I was thinking of swapping in a $100 Costco battery and retesting the car to see if the code goes away and if the car now passes a battery and alternator test. Is this a decent strategy? How bad is this code? I do not want to have a crazy expensive repair down the line.
Thanks!
I would not buy any vehicle that has fault codes. However if the code can be cleared without coming back after installing a new battery it could be OK if a thorough pre-purchase inspection by a good mechanic gives the truck a clean bill of health. (A bad battery could be triggering that code but more serious - and expensive - problems are possible as well.)
https://www.engine-codes.com/p1604_toyota.html
