Damn flammedtaco, sounds like you got the proverbial bad apple. I hope it doesn't spoil the rest of them <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />. All jokes aside, my 96 2.4L 2wd with 106K and a 3200 mile trip pulling a 5x10 u-haul trailer cross country under his belt has seen the inside of a auto shop all of three times:1 preventitive maint( adj timing etc) 2 new tires and rims and 3 this Fri for the first "repair" a valve adjustment. Other than that just oil changes plugs cap rotor wires and new battery are all it has needed.
Don't mean to rub it in, but you may have run your taco too hard or just got the bad one. I hope things turn around for ya.