Tough As Nails: Melted By California Wildfire, Toyota Tacoma Starts Up No Problem

They say a Toyota Tacoma, as well as Tundras and HiLuxes, just can’t be killed by anything mortal. We guess that includes wildfires after seeing a video of a guy starting his up after it was literally melted in the Eaton Fire in Southern California recently.

Arsonist caught with fake firetruck at California wildfire.

The owner, who goes by “jagrjones” on YouTube and Reddit, says he lost his “house and everything” to the Eaton Fire. That’s everything but his beloved old Tacoma. Scorched by the flames, the plastic body pieces like the front fascia, side mirror caps, and fenders melted like a candy bar left in the sun, he shows on camera how the engine fires up without any hesitation.

However, getting the truck started after the fire proved a little difficult since the keys, which were left inside the decimated house, were melted in the fire. The guy says a local dealer was able to make new keys using the VIN, allowing him to confirm the Toyota functions just fine.

Not only will the engine start up and the pickup drives, even the headlights, taillights, and turn signals all still actuate. Although one headlight lens is warped and clouded, the other is pretty much gone, thanks to the intense heat which licked at the Tacoma.

If we had to guess, we would think a truck in this state would at least have serious damage to some of its wiring, if not the belts, hoses, and possibly more. What’s even better is this isn’t the first time a Toyota truck has partially melted in a wildfire yet didn’t give up the ghost.

Other cars have miraculously survived the fires in Southern California, including one man who moved his pricey collection to a McDonald’s parking lot. Sadly, we’ve also seen the charred remains of collections owners couldn’t move in time.

Images via jagrjones/YouTube