Are these trucks really problem free?

Hi All,

I am new here and have been shopping for a 2020 truck. I have been looking at all the major brands and researching them pretty thoroughly. I thought I had decided on the truck for me (I'm not going to mention the name), but when I started researching the owners forum for that truck I found a lot of chatter from people who are having a variety of troubles within the first couple of thousand (sometimes first couple of hundred) miles.

Its easy to think that every new vehicle has problems, but I've spent some time over the last 2 days looking at threads here and I don't see any talk of problems with the 2020s as they roll off the lot. Are the 2020 Tundras really trouble free? Am I missing the threads where people complain that their new trucks are not living up to their expectations, recalls, faulty equipment, etc? I know Toyotas are great trucks which is why I'm considering them as one of my top choices, but are there really no disgruntled Toyota Tundra owners out there? From what I can see here it is nearly all happy owners. Am I missing the problems threads or do they really not exist? Thank you!

 

I mean. No vehicle is problem “free”. Anything could happen. But the vast majority have lots of trouble free miles.

 

I’ve had 7 Toyota trucks and all have been incredible. I think the only reason I’ve ever gotten a newer one was because I got bored of it rather then it having problems.

 

I see a few guys here and there who have issues (or really just bad luck of the draw). But generally speaking these trucks are as reliable as people say. There are things like the Cam tower leak that are pretty common. But not the end of the world. I can't speak to all brands but I have owned alot of different cars an Toyota has been the most reliable for me. Tundras won't win the most flashy fancy contests but they will get you where you want to go. Resale value is very good also. If your the type that likes to drive your truck into the ground I think Toyota will be your best best over the long run. That just IMO.

 

Welcome aboard from SoCal.

 

First, welcome to the forum.

Second, No vehicle is problems free. Use the forum search bar and type in "cam tower" you will see lots of posts there. There is lots of discussion about the 2019+ trucks not having external transmission coolers like the older models, too. The reason you won't see tons of problem posts is because the Tundra has a high level of reliability and because this is an enthusiast forum, so those who are ultra unhappy with the truck don't tend to stick around.

 

Negative, but still a damn good truck. Had my output shaft seal go out which was weird for 2017 I bought new. I never lost my faith in reliability.

 

There's a lower probability of having problems with a Tundra than with other makes. Does that mean you're guaranteed not to have a problem with a Tundra? No. Does that mean you're guaranteed to have a problem with a domestic or a Titan? No. But most of the problems guys do experience with their Tundras are self inflicted due to modding, rather than the fault of the trucks themselves.

If reliability is your primary focus, you can't beat a Tundra. Just know that it comes with tradeoffs. Fuel economy could be worse. Technology/features are considered by some to be lacking or behind the times. Payload and towing capacity could be lower, depending on the trim and options selected.

 

The good/bad about purchasing a toyota is that the drivetrains dont change very often. So while they aren't updating with fancy cylinder cutoff technology or the latest "eco" features, they've had all their bugs worked out 10 years ago. They just run

 

If it is made by man, it will break! 'Yotas tend to break later in life unlike some other brands that are broken from the factory. Good luck with your endeavors.



Howdy from DFW and

 

Look at threads covering 2007 and up to see how few problems these trucks have as they age and rack up mileage.

 

I’ve never heard of the lack of an external transmission cooler being the direct cause of a failure, just a lot of people complaining about it. Am I missing something?

 

Too soon to tell. Check back in 5 to 10 years.

 

Not saying it's a problem, but people who tow a bunch seem to feel it is an issue. I'm just providing the info so the OP can research and decide for themselves.

 

Ok that’s what I thought. Personally I’m not at all concerned about it. If Toyota says it’s not necessary I accept that. If they’re wrong and my transmission explodes one day from towing something, I have a lifetime power train warranty. Just wanted to make sure it hadn’t already happened to someone and I missed it.

 

No issues to date that I am aware of.

 

My 2019 Tundra had 3 open recalls, all taken care of by the dealer in one day yesterday. Radar sensor waterproofing, dim front turn signals and fuel pump replacement. First and only time it has been back to the dealer for anything besides maintenance. Reliability is at least as good so far as my ‘13 Tacoma which my daughter now drives. Love both our trucks.

 

This is my fourth Toyota truck. Previous to this I had a 2003 Tacoma that I had for over 15 years. It truly had zero issues.

I now have a 2018 Tundra SR5 and the following has “gone wrong” and was repaired under warranty:

1. Radio software because of Bluetooth issues - TSB solved.
2. HVAC core replaced due to a faulty floor/face switch motor (major)
3. AC condenser leaking and was replaced (I consider major)
   
4. Radar cruise was updated due to TSB.

I do not consider that problem free. However, I consider those issues “one offs” as opposed to having the vehicle in for the same thing over and over again.

In the end, it’s relative. No truck is truly problem free. But in comparison with some other trucks in the segment, there are generally less repairs that impact your pocketbook, less days in the shop and less recalls overall.

 

Welcome from NY.

No vehicle is really problem free. But if you buy a Toyota you are getting reliability. You will be very happy with Tundra over all the others.
Good luck with your decision.

 

I’ve had 7 Toyota trucks and 2 of them had issues requiring shop repair.
98 Tacoma SR5 4x4 had stereo replaced - it would not eject a cd.
02 Tundra SR5 TRDOR (4.7) had the following problems:
Rear axle seal driver’s side replaced twice for leaking.
Fuel pump replaced because the seals were damaged when I filled up a couple of times with ethanol gas while
in Ohio for work.
2 bad O2 sensors.
All repairs were covered under warranty. In defense of the ‘02 Tundra, that truck had a hard life. I drove the absolute shit out of it, with a lot of those miles being hard off-road miles. It was my favorite truck until I got the one I drive now.

 

No, BUT much better than the other options out there.

 

Welcome!
As others have said no vehicle is problem free, but Toyota certainly has the best quality control (official fact) and that shows. Toyota is known for reliability.
I work in the construction industry so all my co-workers drive trucks. There are about 3 to 4 of each brand represented at the office, aside fom the company fleet. The Rams are constantly broken down and towed to the dealer. It blows my mind that those owners keep buying the same brand. Chevies have mostly transmission and brake problems. Fords have all kinds of issues from blown engines to electrical gremlins. One Ford had the engine rebuilt at 32,000 miles. The 3 Tundras are the only problem free trucks. One guy just bought a new one; he had 300,000 problem free miles on the old one.

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!

And while I agree that nothing man-made is completely trouble free, there is a reason that the resale value for Toyota's is so much higher than pretty much every other brand. I agree with an earlier poster who stated that most problems discussed here have been due to a mod gone wrong rather than manufacturer issues. My 2020 Tundra is the 4th Yota in our family: 2000 Tacoma, 2007 Camry, 2012 Highlander, and my Tundra. This doesn't count Yotas I've had in the past ('79 Corolla, '95 Camry, maybe something else I'm forgetting) and I can truthfully say that the only repair dollars I have ever spent has been for scheduled maintenance, except for one time with my '79 Corolla. And that was to repair a leaky AFTER-MARKET sunroof!

 

Welcome from Georgia

 

From my experiences Tundra is 90-95% problem free/minor recalls that take minutes to fix, F150 is in the 80-85%, with GM and Ram closer to 75%. A big difference is that other than a couple Tundras whatever has come up it gets fixed - so while it may be a few days without a vehicle it's a one time issue. All the others that cannot be said - if you happen to get a bad one it's much more likely to be in and out of the shop with the problem never actually being fixed.

 

2nd that on those Rams. Coworkers with Rams constantly have them in the shop. One guy got so fed up he just bought a newer one, it was only 3 years old! Blows my mind

 

In model year 2019, Toyota finally acknowledged that Tundras, like the competition, are driven mostly as daily transportation. Driving a Tundra to Home Depot and back, you are unlikely to need the additional cooling provided by an external transmission cooler.

For decades, Toyota designed very reliable, purpose-built vehicles with no corners being cut. They used no excuses (or cheating) on gas mileage, payload ratings etc. They didn't try to hide it. Pickup trucks were once "work vehicles". Toyota designed-in features to improve reliability that most owners wouldn't understand. A common refrain is how Toyota owners love their Toyotas...and it's because they are reliable.

Deletion of the transmission cooler for no good engineering reason makes me wonder if Toyota has decided they can begin clawing back some of the decades of engineering invested in reliability against inferior competition. The deleted external cooler was just one example of few dollars saved per unit, but something more visible, and alarming, to affected owners.

A relative few owners may have bad experience because of this change, but as said, it'll take years to develop. I'm pretty sure they've done the testing, and made a bet: The bet is they won't have to pay out big bucks on warranty if they delete the transmission cooler. BTW, that's how the warranty period on any manufactured product is usually determined; if not mandated by government or competitive pressure, they use statistics.
Now, what IF Tundra gets nearly as bad as Ford, GM, Dodge?...What can we do then, buy a Ford?

 

It's true, it could possibly turn into an issue, but let's not assume the sky is falling just yet.

 

LOL...Not possible for me to worry; I've bought the last Toyota I'm going to need if this one lasts as long as the last one.

 

Not much to complain about on this or any Toyota forums. Most Toyota’s have little to no issues. They are not flashy vehicles, but the reliability numbers don’t lie. Get on a F150 or Silverado forum and they complain a lot, but I’ve had both a F150 and a Silverado and don’t have many issues.