What to look for in used Tundra?

I’ve been driving a 2017 F150 for the last year and originally was deciding between that and a Tundra. I went with the F150 and while it hasn’t given me any problems yet, I just can’t stand the interior build quality and it makes me question how well the truck will hold up over the long run. I’m going to look at a 2018 TRD Sport tomorrow morning. It has 34k miles on it and I’m wondering what are some common issues to look for while I test drive it?

 

Just don’t go with that ugly ass 2022. What were those engineers thinking with that front end? And no V-8

 

Yeah I’m pretty set on a 2018. Last year for a trans cooler from the factory and I don’t care for twin turbo V6s. I know the cam tower leaks are a rare but rather costly issue to look out for so I plan on looking through the wheel wells with a flashlight to see if there’s any signs of oil. Other than that, is there any quirky driving behaviors/interior defects to keep an eye out for? For example, the driver seat in my f150 pops and creaks when I adjust in it. Wish I would have known to pay closer attention to that when I originally test drove it

 

Not much. Two issues that I can think of:

• The front differential needle bearing is a recurring issue. It will make noise in 2hi that disappears when you put it in 4hi. I guess listen as you drive it.
• Cam tower leak. You might take a flashlight and look through the wheel wells at the engine block for the dreaded cam tower seepage.

Search the forum; there's a lot of info on those issues and tons of pictures of cam towers. It doesn't look like leaking so much as it looks like a bit of seepage.

I always recommend taking it to an independent shop you trust for a pre-purchase inspection. I think they usually cost $35-50. Well worth it before spending $40k plus.

 

That a nice looking truck…hope it all checks out OP!

 

Thanks! I really hope it checks out too. I plan to be much more thorough when I get to the dealership than when I bought my Ford. I was so disappointed at the amount of rust that was on the underside of my F150 when I changed the transfer case fluid. From the car fax, it looks like this Tundra was serviced in central Florida it’s entire life so I’m hoping it’s a clean truck.

 

The biggest aggravation with mine was a vibration/shaking in the front end. I drove two other Tundras that had it and lots of forum members complain about it. Drive it at about 65-70 and see if it's there. Mine has mostly gone away. Toyota service said the shaking is normal when the truck has sat for a while.

 

Thanks for pointing that out! That would definitely drive me nuts, especially the “that’s normal” part as that seems to be the standard response I’m used to with my Ford dealership in past experiences.

 

https://media.giphy.com/media/23iwqp3okhy04sWIHe/giphy.gif

https://www.tundras.com/threads/buyers-remorse-read-before-you-buy-a-tundra.90917/

 

How did you get it to go away? The reason why I asked is because I have a 2012 Tacoma and 2017 4Runner that both had to shakes. But a correct alignment and a correct wheel balance made mine disappear. My Tundra has a wobble until a few miles down the road after sitting for a week or two…

 

I wish I had and answer for you, but the mystery wobble has just as mysteriously gone away, mostly. To be clear, mine didn't shake all the time. Usually just the first 5 miles or so.

Edit: I wonder if it's the tires but others with different tires have reported similar problems.

 

2018 was the first year of TSS and as such, some had problems with it. Check that it works, use the radar cruise on the test drive. Also if it's a 4x4 check that 4 hi and 4 low engage. Check the Carfax to see if it's a rust belt truck or not, if so make sure to get underneath the truck and check for rust. Check the rear diff for leaks, some have reported some oil seepage. Also, biggest mistake I made when buying my first tundra that was used. Check the tires, make sure they have good tread and aren't wearing funny. Because the trucks have passenger tires they tend to wear quicker on the outer edge.

Also, know going into this the tow and payload ratings on the truck are lower than most of the competition, if you tow alot or plan to get a camper down the road keep this mind. Also, storage is an issue, there's not a lot of it and where other trucks have a ton under the rear seat the Tundra doesn't. Now there's a reasonably cheap solution to this but it does involve cutting carpet and foam.

Also not sure about the shakes at interstate speeds. My 2016 never had it and my 2021 doesn't either.

 

Well, I went to look at the truck and didn’t really like what I saw. The dealership basically baited me in with a low online price, slapped a couple grand on it and refused to budge. I’m going to check this truck out tomorrow.

This is an SR5 trim that has the XP package. Am I missing out on anything by not getting a TRD off-road or TRD-sport package that I can’t add later? Only things that I really want are LED headlights and color match bumper/grill but seems like I can do those mods at my own pace.

 

Depends a bit on tire construction and air pressure sometimes, some become affected by constant load on on one side which will cause some ovality.

 

I had a set of Pirelli Scorpion tires that would get a hard flat spot when they sat and take some miles to get round again. What brand of tire did you notice that on?

 

Now my Michelin AT’s definitely have a flat spot after not driving for several days but goes away like you mentioned.

But the said tire was a P265/70R17 (Tacoma) Michelin LTX MS2. I went and got an alignment due to city driving and had the tires rebalanced and never had an issue again.

The 4Runner also had Michelin Defender LTX P265/70R17. After post lift alignment and a OEM wheel swap everything was gone.

Both were very subtle…

 

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/winnipeg/2017-tundra-trd/1578564592
If someone is looking for a clean low mileage TRD here’s a add I just found
Price is Canadian $$

 

Fake PRO you mean…

 

Lol my bad not pro

 

It’s all good brother! It’s part of Toyota’s not real heritage editions…lol. I guess a Canadian thing?

 

Simpleton comment of the day, holy hell... haha

 

Yep..that’s me

 

I’m about to go check out this truck and wanted to run something silly by you all. The truck only has 16k miles on it but the car fax doesn’t indicate any service history. Any thoughts on if I should be concerned about that? Looks like it was a personal lease vehicle.

 

Terndrerr and maybe others mentioned it. Cam tower leak/seep. My cousin is a mechanic/tech at a Toyota dealer and said this was one of the big problems he'd see with Tundras. And it's an expensive job labor-wise to have fixed. Look in the front wheel well at the engine block, towards the fire wall, but could be anywhere along block. You'll see it just under the valve covers I believe. But if there's a leak, walk away or get about $2500-$3000 knocked off the price.

I noticed when I got mine (used CPO), along with others, the alternator would make a whizzing noise when it was done. Not huge but something to listen for

 

If the seller can provide the service history I wouldn't be so concerned. But if there is no history at all I would be much more thorough in my inspection, including a mechanic's inspection.

 

Thanks for the input. The truck is being sold through a dealer so I would probably need to schedule an inspection with a different mechanic.

 

schedule history. I have zero desire to wait for a 2 hour oil change at dealership free or not. I change my own, I have a little book I write date mileage and what was done. As far as road or steering wheel vibrations, I have a 2021 limited and never ever experienced any on any road at any speed. doesn't matter how long it sits. I can't stand vibrations, so I am always looking for them.