Tundra is a misnomer; the truck is not tuned for cold weather!

Should be called Sierra instead. We drove a 2023 for several month high in the Rockies, and had several issues. The tuning of electronic features is not well designed for winter:

· The MTS system has several positions, including deep snow, but surprisingly none for ice. The first position is for dirt road. Not meant for northern tundra’s icy roads.

· When the truck is started, the MTS setting has to be re-entered every time.

· When 4WD is selected, the use of MTS DEEP SNOW mode, the VSC is automatically turned off and an annoying message VSC OFF blocks the center display. It needs to be switched off, and on again once the MTS is not used anymore. Not convenient.

· When driving on a slush covered freeway, another message blocks the truck’s display. Then there is no other way than finding an adequate space to stop the vehicle deactivate the BSM feature to continue to use the display. Then remember to toggle it back later. Not very convenient.

· Similar nuisances occurs when the cruise control is set. Can’t these messages be displayed only shortly, without blocking the center display?

Furthermore, other issues were noted by -25C.

· The switching between 2H and 4H takes very long.

· The heating is not powerful enough for keeping side widows defrosted.

· The fan whistles when set on max defrost.

· As there is a one cm gap on each side of the tailgate, snow enters.

· The truck moved sideways on ice when parking and a tail light touched a snowbank. The poly carbonate literally exploded, in many small sharp pieces, not just cracked. It was replaced at very high cost.

· No remote start button on the key fob. The App is needed so the remote start works only when there is a network, frequent up north.

· The block heater, a ‘mandatory’ option for Canadian Prairie provinces, is charged at CAD$553.93 +tax. Other brands have much lower prices for installing this CAD$100 part.
· There is no trickle charger as an option for Tundra. The standard DEFA trickle charger connected with block heater is CAD$170. Splicing is needed to connect a regular priced one.
· The comfort+ (expensive) option available for other Toyotas is not for offered for Tundra.

· Stop & Start system doesn’t work when the outside temperature is 23°F (-5°C) or lower, so lower mpg in winter.

· As sun is low on horizon, most of the time there is an annoying unclear message as the windshield camera is not working. Need to deactivate it, as repeated messages and beeping are annoying.


We wish that Toyota’s engineers were sent to Thompson MB with a six-month winter, to test their vehicle in real wintry conditions.

 

Go buy a Sherp?

 

I'm at roughly the same latitude in northern Alberta. I haven't had any of these issues. The MTS is great when used as designed. My truck is the best I've ever owned for winter driving.

 

My truck ran flawlessly at -18°F (-27°C) earlier this winter. Turn the defroster on with the AC forced to on to keep the condensation down, turn the side vents to face the side windows.

If you know how to use a modern 4wd system it's easy to switch in and out of 2H and 4H. You need to unload the drivetrain to switch, so that means no turning, no excessive acceleration or deceleration while switching between 2H and 4H or vice versa (sometimes a throttle blip or letting off the throttle will let the system engage).

4WD won't stop you from sliding sideways on ice. Studded tires and gentle on the throttle will do wonders. Set to eco mode to smooth out the throttle response. Seal the tailgate gap if you care, it's there in case debris, rocks, pebbles get around the tailgate when closing so you don't dent the metal or chip the paint.

All of the alerts I get on my display can be minimized with one of the steering wheel buttons.

 

Given that the market for these trucks is primarily in warmer climates, it stands to reason that the Tundra is parred down of cold weather features.

Perhaps a Cold Climate trim could be the answer or an aftermarket that focuses on equipping these trucks for extremes.

We could have the "Frozen Tundra" and the "Melting Tundra" and maybe even a "Liquid Tundra" and my favorite: an "Offroad Tundra"

I could see a demand for trims that were more specific to the area. Sort of like combining a Volvo and a Tacoma, or a Jeep and a Tank.

 

[QUOTE="All of the alerts I get on my display can be minimized with one of the steering wheel buttons.[/QUOTE]

You are right! The annoying message is muted temporarily when the ‘return’ key on the steering wheel is depressed. But VSC message comes back after 10 seconds, not half an hour. Seems poor programming!

 

Thanks for your answer. Toyota’s Tundra (polycarbonate) OEM parts are golden, duct tape is silver, isn’t it?

Here is a pict of the gaps letting the snow in, under the tonneau cover. It is not meant to let gravel out, just so... built.

Do you have any practical way to close these L+R gaps?

 

never had any issues in -25F temps in ND in feb-23 or this winter of 2024. defrost, steering wheel and cabin heating was just fine in our 23 platinum. only thing that took a big hit was mpg from the remote starts. think we dropped down into the 9s mpg mostly with a week were we hit the 6.9 mpg for a tank. but meh its the cost of remote starts and not a big deal for us. heck i even hit the 9s in mpg on my T4R this winter from remote starts. my T4R fares worse in winters since it takes longer to warm up and i have no heated steering wheel (trust me a cold steering wheel radiates cold thru gloves for quite a while).

 

The only real issue for me was how long it took to warm up and the sensors beeping every 5 seconds. Beeping was solved by turning off some the nanny parking sensors. So I am good now.

 

I have had ZERO of these issues, or ones you rambled on about after the OP. My favourite is the exploding tail light.......LOL

 

i just did a 1700 mile road trip through NV, MT and ID and back with snow, ice, and BRUTAL cold days, had ZERO issues as described above. not all tundras are created equal in the eyes of god?

 

Same thing with Volvo. I once helped a fellow to write a request to Volvo HQ in Sweden, he asked for sw update that would disable engine fan blowing full speed at temperatures below -65F. Yes, it was outside of coolant temperature sensor's operational range, so engine computer didn't know if it's too cold or the sensor broke. But both the ambient temperature and intercooler air temperature sensors still were reading the temperature fine, so why not to use them as a second check?

 

Look for Tailgate Seal on Amazon.

 

Mine doesn't have those gaps. You clearly have a body panel alignment issue. Have you talked to your dealership about it?

My Gen 3 spent a lot of time in the Colorado Rockies this winter. I didn't have any of the issues you described in the OP.

 

I’m more north and agree. I’m up in fort Mac. -50, snowy and icy as shit. Been to the mountains a few times with it. No issues. I did seal the back of the tailgate though a bit better but that was because of rain not snow.

 

We ran into something similar with the TDI's when the outside temp went below -40. The sensor didn't know what to do below that. I don't think anyone reached out to VW to get the issue reprogrammed. They were busy with their own issues back then

 

Sucks having to push a button each time you start the truck. But we used to have to pull heavy levers and go outside to turn the hubs to lock them in to get into 4wd “mode”. We had it so hard then.

 

Yeah, and it was uphill facing into the wind coming and going!

 

I remember trying to lock my front hubs but the truck is sitting in a mud pit! I would send my passenger out into the waist deep muddy soup.

 

MTS seems like overkill for on-road winter driving. I had it on my 4Runner, never once used it.. We had two weeks with highs below -10°F right after I picked up my tundra, did just fine with freezing temps and lots of snow. I use dedicated snow tires in winter. I drive hundreds of miles on packed snow and iced-over highways through ID, MT, and WY every winter. No problems or complaints here, just try to drive smart and don't over estimate your driving ability. It's always okay to slow down.

 

Several buttons and settings each time. Remember when we had having to crank start the motor and double clutching. Glad that technology make it better since for users. However, the evolution seems somewhat frozen in the tundra.

 

Driving from snow covered road to a better cleaned highway, the switching between 4H and 2H did not work several times. This was in cold weather. Accelerating, slowing down, running idle did not work. The 4H sign stayed blinking.

I had to stop the truck and motor, restart the motor, switching it back and forth between 2H and 4H and driving at the correct speed to have it resolved, at 2H, blinking stopped. After your comment, I tried it over the long weekend. With warmer weather, this switching takes around 20 seconds.

Was it due to the very cold engine and gear box? Or did the electronic stop the switching after 20 seconds when conditions for it were not present?

 

Ravenol MTF-3 in transfer case for cold weather performance.

 

That’s the remains of the tail light assembly after it exploded in a meeting with a snowbank, without the shards. LOL...

Seems poly carbonate becomes very brittle in cold conditions. 815600C130 MRSP Canadian$981.15 + shipping CAD$60. Got a discount. OEM parts are golden, duct tape is silver, isn’t it?

Once received, it took 15 minutes to replace it, with some help available on youtube. I wonder how much a dealer would have charged for replacing it.

 

um everything is brittle once you get below -20F ambient for us northern tier states and you loonies

heck i've even seen plastic bumpers crack just by someone bumping into them.

 

My only takeaway from this thread is my complete and utter amazement how many of you live in places with winters not suitable for a Tundra, let alone human inhabitants!!

Sweet baby Jesus! I've never felt 0º in my life, let alone negative temps. You guys are talking about -20, -40, -50º below?!

Forget the Poly Carbonate, I think parts of me would get brittle and explode into shards if I bumped into something!

Winter cold means I have to wear long pants or put on my full wetsuit to surf. Pretty sure I would not survive an actual winter wherever the frozen hell you guys are.

 

You are very right; plastic gets brittle by cold weather.

Cracked plastic bumper: got that as well.

I read “The RR Bumper Assembly (#52150-0C040) is a crucial component within the Rear Bumper & Bumper Stay system of a vehicle. Primarily, this part is designed to absorb the impact in a collision, effectively providing a protective barrier for the car's occupants and vital internal components. It operates by dispersing impact energy to minimize damage.”

It is why the Tundra should get a southern name. Other trucks still have steel bumpers. Tundra plastics are not only expensive but also unsafe.

 

but you adjust for the climate. we make sure we drive appropriately to ensure we dont slide into snow banks or park in a decent location (meaning boonies). we get more door or side scratches from idiots co-workers than anything else. havent had a snow bank meeting in decades. kids learned the hard way of meeting snow banks and i bought them throw away cars for the first year of driving so if they did screw up, i could care less about the value of the car afterwards.

knocking on wood, the wife or myself havent had any body work mis haps due to cold in decades but then again we have had plenty of time to learn the basics in 30+ years up here in ND.

 

Adjust like snowbirds do, move south for winter. Or choose a truck really built for harsh conditions, not with plastic bumpers. Or by the magic of marketing, just carrying a the name tundra suggesting it is built for northern climate, but optimized for fuel economy and meant for southern weekend warriors. Those replacing chrome colored plastic trims by black ones.

 

Thanks for the comments about studs. Not may available stud-able winter tires 265/70R18 were available last fall here. The factory delivered Michelin XTRAIL M+S is OK in interior BC in winter, and drives decently on snow.

For steeper inclines, here is a picture of the accessory we used this winter by snow, around -40C or -40F. The chains are easy to fit, but not nice to drive with. They are are still in good condition after several day of use. According to the manual, tire chains cannot be mounted on 285/65R18 tires. Comes nicely packaged, with a waterproof instruction leaflet.