Tundra

[walhondingnashua]

I've had a thread on here asking about Tacomas but the wife "intervened" and said no to the Tacoma (to small) but said yes to spending more money to get a Tundra (I'm not seeing a big issue here really lol). My brother-in-law has a 2009 with 240,000 miles with very little care. It is now his sons first vehicle, still runs good, and has zero rust. They seem to have a lot of the great durability qualities the Tacomas have, but just bigger.

I am just looking for input, Pros and Cons (things like the frame issue the Tacomas had that I should look out for). I am looking in the 2014-15 range with 100,000 miles or less.

 

[Sean McGillicuddy]

Just behind with the comforts/tech the other two makers have..

 

[festerw]

Not a lot of problems with that age range. Some random cam tower leaks is about it. The frames on the newer trucks have a different manufacturer than the older rust prone frames.

Depending on configuration the payload can be pretty low, especially with the Crew Max trucks.

www.tundras.com is a good place

 

[kobudo]

I have a '14 dual cab. almost 90,000 miles.
No issues to date. I have just done fluid/filter changes and tire rotations.
My brakes are not even 1/2 used up yet! (I do a lot of highway miles vs. city miles)
Yes, the payload is lower on Tundras. I would have to look to get the specific number but I think it may be something like #1300 lbs.
That isn't a lot if you have people averaging 150lbs each. Then say 15% of trailer weight on the tongue. (5000# trailer x 15% = 750) Then you have to add in gas in the Tundra's tank, tools etc. and whatever you have in the bed and you can be at max payload in a hurry.
I plan to keep it to 300,000miles. I have a lifetime powertrain warranty from the dealer.

 

[paredown]

Still driving my first-gen 2003--it has been a good truck. Picked it up off eBay (sight unseen) with about 17k miles. Now around 145,000 (there were periods when it was parked while we were overseas, so mileage is pretty low.)

Mine is the stripper v6--vinyl floor, bench seat, no auto locks--like the trucks I drove as a teenager. I did the timing belt last year (it's a non-interference motor), and I redid the front brakes (after trusting the dealers to do the fronts--mistake!)--and upgraded the calipers (early 2003s had small calipers that were beefed up) so now it stops as it should. New after market muffler this year. The O2 sensors went at around 100k, and the MAF around 130k. Also replacement radiator at around 110k. This was the generation with frame rust problems--mine was coated rather than replaced--and it has more rust than I would like here in snow/salt country. The usual fluid, filters and the drain and fill on the auto tranny--only the third set of tires--the OEMs followed by Michelins.

It has been a very good truck--it looks like a work truck (it is), but it is still dead reliable. The only thing I pine for is cruise control--which later got added to the Grade (base) trucks.

 

[ABMax24]

Everyone I know with a Tundra likes them, fairly tough trucks. The one comment I hear though is the V8's are hard on fuel, most I know say it's the worst half-ton fuel economy they've ever had.

 

[firefighterjake]

Here in Maine where most of the state would be considered rural I could never figure out why so many folks tend to go for the smaller to mid-sized pick ups . . . in general I've found that the full size pick ups often aren't much more expensive or have that bad a MPG compared to their smaller brethren with the benefits being more payload and towing capacity.

 

[duramaxman05]

My brother had a 2011 tundra 5.7 and ran the crap out of it until 130,000 miles. That's when he started to have problems. His starter was acting up and it was gonna cost $1000 to have his starter replaced. They say the 4.6 v8bis worse. Its under the intake manifold

 

[firefighterjake]

My brother had a 2011 tundra 5.7 and ran the crap out of it until 130,000 miles. That's when he started to have problems. His starter was acting up and it was gonna cost $1000 to have his starter replaced. They say the 4.6 v8bis worse. Its under the intake manifold

Sometimes I think they should make all those folks who design cars -- the engineers that is -- and make them a) change the oil, b) change out the alternator/starter, c) change the wipers, d) change out a headlight bulb and e) change out the battery . . . basically see how easy common issues would be to fix. I owned a Toyota 4Runner that was a decent vehicle (other than it had no power and eventually the rear differential axle housing was weeping oil) . . . but changing the oil was a nightmare -- I tried to get to the oil filter from under the car, through the wheel well and through the engine compartment and was always about 3 inches too short in arm length.

 

[NickW]

I've been saying for years that pretty soon us DIY guys won't be able to do an oil change...

I am (was) an engineer and always told my guys to show me issues when they came up so I could rectify them. My BIL's have a hundred engineer jokes. I always told them to physically show the engineer the issue - it's easier to see on the build than on paper or a computer screen. The response, unfortunately, was usually "I didn't go to college for that" or "they won't listen to me"... Sad commentary regarding communication between engineering and production and no problems get resolved.

My brother is an R & D diagnostic tech for Kohler. They are big on "servicability". He often asks engineers if they can move a bolt location 2 or 3mm on a prototype to allow removing a part without removing 6 others to get at a bolt head.

 

[blacktail]

Sometimes I think they should make all those folks who design cars -- the engineers that is -- and make them a) change the oil, b) change out the alternator/starter, c) change the wipers, d) change out a headlight bulb and e) change out the battery . . . basically see how easy common issues would be to fix. I owned a Toyota 4Runner that was a decent vehicle (other than it had no power and eventually the rear differential axle housing was weeping oil) . . . but changing the oil was a nightmare -- I tried to get to the oil filter from under the car, through the wheel well and through the engine compartment and was always about 3 inches too short in arm length.

Which 4runner engine did you have that was a pain for oil changes?

 

[FPX Dude]

I have '01 w/165k on it. It's been thru 2 kids to college (so who know's WTH they did to it), but it's home now. When oil change I have to take off brush guard, takes 5 mins. otherwise spills all over da' fook, but pretty easy to get to. MPG is always 15 no matter whether I jack rabbit or turtle. Like they say, but hate to say it, it's a Tooyota!

 

[firefighterjake]

Which 4runner engine did you have that was a pain for oil changes?

It was a long time ago . . . but I think it was the 5VZ-FE engine.

I know the 4Runner was a 2000 year model with the V-6 and was one of the last 4Runners or any SUV I think for that matter that you could still get as a manual.

The V-6 was so anemic for hauling anything (I think it was the next model year that they finally came out with a V-8 option).

Bought it on September 8th or 9th of 2001 and then headed to Canada for a vacation on dealer plates -- caught some flack from the Border Guards when I tried to come back to the country on 9-11-01.

 

[thebaron23]

I have a 2019 Tundra w/ 39,000km . I love the truck but there's a few things I'm not keen on.

1. The payload is anemic VS Ford & GM
2. I can't keep fuel in it. It's a pig.

 

[salecker]

I have a 2019 Tundra w/ 39,000km . I love the truck but there's a few things I'm not keen on.

1. The payload is anemic VS Ford & GM
2. I can't keep fuel in it. It's a pig.

It's funny that Toyota ,Datsun, got their foothold in North America with small fuel efficient trucks.
To bad that they don't make those anymore.
It would be great to have that option again.Small,cheap,easy on gas.

 

[Mutineer]

My '97 Tacoma extended cab that I inherited from my FIL in 2012 is the envy of a lot of big pickup owners here in NE Ohio, had a few offers to buy it. Only rust is a smidge over the rear wheel wells that cropped up last winter, everything else is pristine. 30 mpg on the road, rugged to the max as long as I don't get greedy and overload it with extra 20" red oak rounds that I bring back from the old familiy farm in PA.

 

[blacktail]

It was a long time ago . . . but I think it was the 5VZ-FE engine.

I know the 4Runner was a 2000 year model with the V-6 and was one of the last 4Runners or any SUV I think for that matter that you could still get as a manual.

The V-6 was so anemic for hauling anything (I think it was the next model year that they finally came out with a V-8 option).

Bought it on September 8th or 9th of 2001 and then headed to Canada for a vacation on dealer plates -- caught some flack from the Border Guards when I tried to come back to the country on 9-11-01.

That's the same V6 that's in my T100. The skid plate has to come off to access the filter, and the filter is mounted sideways and spills. Not as easy as some (toyota 4.0), but not as difficult as others from what I hear.
My 4runner has the 2.7. Removing the filter requires getting under and reaching up along the exhaust. Not fun, but not difficult.

 

[firefighterjake]

That's the same V6 that's in my T100. The skid plate has to come off to access the filter, and the filter is mounted sideways and spills. Not as easy as some (toyota 4.0), but not as difficult as others from what I hear.
My 4runner has the 2.7. Removing the filter requires getting under and reaching up along the exhaust. Not fun, but not difficult.

I much prefer my Nissan Titan's filter . . . much easier to get to. Not as easy as the Subaru Legacy or WRX though as the filter is on top and can be spun off in 15 seconds -- Subaru has made changing oil so easy that I am often surprised more folks don't do it themselves.