Custom Ordering From The Factory

Hello Tundra forum members. I am trying to purchase a 2024 Tundra Limited in the color, Luna Rock, and the package, PVM package, I want. I don't want or need anything else in this truck. Apparently, from what I am being told by my local dealership, this truck does not exist. They are also telling me that if I want a custom truck I have to order it through Toyota Headquarters and they gave me a number to call. When I spoke to Toyota Headquarters they said I had to go through my local dealership. Has anyone had a similar experience? Does anyone have some advice? Am I wasting my time trying to get a custom truck? Do I have to buy accessories I don't want or need to own a Tundra Limited? Thanks for your advise everyone.

 

Thought I could order the design I prepared online at first as well. Prepared my dream truck via the website and sent it to the dealership. They took a deposit and told me they’d LMK when it arrived. Only found out after months of waiting that they misled me: all my deposit got me was a place in the waiting list hopefully for a truck similar to what I’d designed. When I found out I was so pissed off. Cancelled my deposit and did what I should have done in the first place: scoured all local and regional dealerships for their in-stock inventory asking for V-SPEC. Finally found my dream build in Chicago: flew in and drove home.

 

The only option you have is to use Toyota inventory search link on the Toyota website to see which dealers get which tricks, then once you find one with closest option to your desired truck, you call that dealer and try to reserve it.

Or make friends with Toyota sales person as they may be able to find truck with closest available options for your liking and get it from you from another dealership. They use Toyota internal program that allows them to sort through exact options you want to see which dealership nationwide will get your truck allocated to them...

 

As others have stated, no special orders for Toyota. You'll have to go through a dealership and you are at the mercy of the allotment system for what the basic truck is, but dealerships do have some control over what addons are put onto or left off of the truck.

Where are you located? Are you willing to travel/fly out and drive back if the exact truck you want can be procured by a dealership on the other side of the country?

 

That's what my local Toyota dealership with 40 Tundras in stock told me when they did not have the configuration I wanted. I told them, "Then that makes it easy for me." I already told them the F150 from Granger Ford or Chapman Ford at 3-4% under invoice was my default option.

That's what we did for our last 2 cars which were BMWs. Custom factory order exactly the way we want them and we're willing to wait 3-6 months for delivery; we have one primary and one backup car for each of us as well as a shared track car. That's the only way we will purchase cars because there's no way I'm going to pay that amount of money and not get exactly what I want.

 

I had tried to get a Tundra ever since production started. My local dealer was no help, even telling me they didn't know when they might be allocated a new truck. They have never had a new one on their lot as of today. Finally searched the Internet for four months and found a dealer in South Carolina that showed one (similar to what I wanted) was being allocated to them. Called them and drove 230 miles to make a commitment. You will have to take what you can find similar to what you want. Certain models have certain things that are standard and there seems to be no way to change this. Example: my Capstone has two tone leather interior. I will never be crazy about the white leather, but it is what you get. Different models have short or long bed and it is what it is.
Good Luck, but look for something close to what you want and you might find it. OH, may have to travel to get it.
PT in Tennessee

 

They are one of the largest and most successful automakers in the world. Pretty sure they don't care what we think they should do as far as running their business or what they should offer. If they did, the Tundra would still have a V8, because that was the overwhelming consensus on here.

 

Toyota listens to some of it, but you also have to keep in mind that this forum is a very small percentage of overall Tundra buyers. We may be a vocal percentage, but we are a small percentage. Couple that with regulations and you aren't getting exactly what you want. For the ordering, most people buy based on the razzle dazzle of the brochure lingo, looks, and whether or not the salesperson makes them feel special. They just show up, look, and buy or don't based on what is in front of them. Most people also defer to anything that comes from "experts" or points of authority. "Who am I to question how a car dealership runs. They say it is impossible, so it must be so." Then there's the added hassle and cost of making things to order. With Toyota's global presence, losing out on the few hundred angry diehards that won't buy it if they can't get exactly what they want ...

https://youtu.be/W_FL9XOyDPs?t=20

 

Nope. That's not a V8 piped in. That's the actual engine in the truck that is "enhanced" being piped in. They didn't even give you a digital V8.

 

No clue. My 3rd gen is a Taco.

 

I had originally wanted a Tacoma, back in 2019, but I had eyes on a family plan that would have had a woman, 2 kids, and probably a travel trailer for camping. The Crewmax Tundra was perfect for that plan, but plans are like promises. Made to be broken. With all that out of the way, I decided to downsize and upgrade. Went all out on a Pro to get the Solar Octane, and I have been loving it. Plenty of truck for what I need to do, though, I do miss the V8 at times.

 

I had a 2017 Taco TRD OR. Have the woman, ONE kid, and a travel trailer, all with a Taco not a Tundra. It can happen to you too, don't lose hope!

 

I'm good. Found out later I dodged a bag of cats crazy one, so I'll just enjoy my Taco and my RTT. Maybe get a dog again sometime in the next year or two.

 

I went to a number of dealerships. All told me I had to take what was on the lot. Toyota was sold out. They would look at other dealerships, but that was it. Then I went to a dealership that said "I don't know why you were told that. We can order a truck for you." So I got my truck from them. Plus they discounted off of sticker. Mine is a 2020. Not sure if it is differnet now.

 

I took the advise of your posts and started searching. I found a Tundra that my deal said didn't exist. I will have to travel, but it has the accessories I want and just one add on I did not want. One thing I learned that might be of help to future buyers in my position, Tundra buyers, is that you can have many of the Port Installed accessories removed from your Tundra if the vehicle has not arrived at the port. If it was installed at the factory you can't remove it, but if is installed at the port, and has not arrived at the port, you can.

Toyota should inform the users of their build your vehicle option on their website that the vehicle they have created very likely is not available, that they can not buy the truck they wasted their time creating. I feel it is deceitful and unethical for Toyota to lead it's buys to believe otherwise. Toyota is a great truck, but this experience has changed my view of the company. I was very close to moving to the F150 owners club.

 

Higher volume dealers get a wider of variety of allotments. They still didn't special order it. You happened to want something they had an allotment for. The dealer can only select options that can be added after the truck is built. For example, I live in Wyoming and I think you'd be hard pressed to be able to "order" a 2WD truck because they don't get allotted in this part of the country much.

 

It's relatively common knowledge. There are no ethics in question.

 

Laughable the way Toyota hangs into its outdated obligation and port system from the 70s with a truck produced in the USA. Toyota has a pivot to make with EVs in the future. The auto landscape will change and you will have to work to retain your previous customers. Hanging onto to obsolete sacred cow methods and concepts can erode your market base quickly. Ask GM in the 70s when it entered the decade with a 60 percent market share they thought was a birth right

 

See post 13. American consumers are overly confident in their value to international companies.

 

Maybe we should drop them and buy American only if that is the case

I think more likely Toyo is like any company. No urgency to change their methods until the revenue stream drops. Which is always too late. Easier, better and cheaper to modernize and innovate to keep customers then chase them to come back in any business

 

When they invite you to build a vehicle and give you a price on that vehicle and they know you can't buy it, that is unethical, or if you prefer, deceitful.

 

I'd rather have a reliable vehicle.

 

Except you found your vehicle, right? So the dealership was full of shit (shocker), and the ethics are fine. Correct?

 

Kinda, I did have to pay for accessories I didn't want or need.

 

If they didn't have a way to build or show any of the colors/pricing online, I bet you'd be the first one on here complaining about it.

 

You know I was thinking about that. I am glad I can build the truck I want online, it was fun, but I would be a much happier customer if Toyota let me know ahead of time that the vehicle I put together was for entertainment purposes only.

 

Yeah I can understand that. I know in my region, Toyota has shifted their advertising to "Come reserve your Toyota now" and they are definitely aware of the frustration of customers. I talk to my district rep almost daily and I can at least tell you production keep getting better and better each month. Last year at this time, Central Atlantic Toyota region was receiving around 3000 total units every 2 weeks. Our last allocation had over 9000 total units. Hopefully within a year, things are decently recovered.

 

That's good to hear.

 

Are they the builds customers want or the ones Toyota thinks customers want. Big difference. Like OEMs always produce 90 percent back, white and gray vehicles despite others colors selling out in quarter 1. Then claim that is what people want. No they give up and take what they can get. At some point you need a vehicle to drive

 

And that's on your dealer. Accessories are in their control for ordering.