Toyotas and Terrorists: “Why Are ISIS’s Trucks Better Than Ours?” Said the American GI
10th February 2026
One of the hottest commodities in the military, or even for civilian contractors, is having a vehicle down range when you are deployed in the Middle East. Anyone who is someone has their own Ford F-150, especially those in leadership, as a work vehicle for driving around a military base. If you were deployed in Afghanistan, you were lucky if you had a truck to share to get from your dorm to work; if not, you were stuck either walking for 20 minutes in your battle rattle gear with your weapon or riding a packed school bus with your fellow service men and women.
While everyone would have preferred their own vehicle, like back in the US, it would have cost too much. Even still, the United States spent nearly $10 billion on vehicles and aircraft in Afghanistan between 2010-2020, which does not even cover the cost of fuel, parts, maintenance, or even the shipping of the vehicles. Therefore, it was generally accepted that dragging your feet through the desert or sweating your butt off on the bus ride was a logical part of the “suck” in deployments. Yet, then, on the American Forces Network news, you would see an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) caravan consisting of hundreds of Toyota trucks parading through the deserts. These vehicles were not the stereotypical filthy beat-up trucks but shiny new Toyota pick-up trucks and SUVs, particularly the Toyota Hilux. Violent non-state actors (VNSA), such as ISIS, were capable of acquiring Westernized vehicles through various means of raising funds and global logistical networks. The Toyota Hilux was particularly preferred due to its performance and looks.
Perplexity says:
Toyota has never sold the Hilux new in the United States since the 1990s, when it shifted focus to the Tacoma midsize pickup, which fills a similar role but is tailored for U.S. regulations and preferences. The main barriers include the 25% “Chicken Tax” tariff on imported light trucks, which makes it uneconomical, plus differences in safety standards, emissions rules, and Toyota’s strategy to produce the Tacoma locally.
As always, the government is the reason we can’t have nice things.