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Author: Subject: any tundra owners
woody with a view
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 07:41 PM
any tundra owners


i'm "" this close to buying a 2003 tundra 4x4 and would like to hear from owners about their experiences with the truck. it's gonna be my exploration vehicle for baja.

so, tundra owners what's the truck like. what maintenance/mechanical issues did you experience and when etc.........

thanks!

edit: i before e except after c as in "their".

[Edited on 2-21-2009 by woody in ob]




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Sunman
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 08:00 PM


I've got an 06 Limited (still pretty new), but it's been to the tip and back twice with an additional trip to Abres/Asuncion and a Norte trip as well, no problems, although one shouldn't expect problems on any vehicle that new.

Plus I've been beatin the heck out of it pretty good up here too. MANY offroad miles. Been veddy veddy good so far...nothing but oil changes and tires. Bottom line...I love it.
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susanna
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 08:23 PM
Tundra 2000


We have a 2000 Tundra 4 Wheel Dr and just love it, no problems
over 100k miles only oil changes regularly.Drives smooth like a car.
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woody with a view
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 08:26 PM


nice......



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bonanza bucko
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 08:34 PM
Tundra Truck


We have a 2004 Limited 4X4 that we bought new in October 2003. It is the BEST vehicle we have ever owned.....better than all the Fords put together, the BMW, the Prosche, the Volvo and the VW. It is more comfortable to drive than the Beemer was and it is faster than the 1972 Porsche 911T was...handles better too.

It now has 138000 miles on it. It has been down and back on "That Road" between Puertecitos and Gonzaga Bay (100 miles round trip) ten times. It has not even developed a sqweek!

We had two Ford Limited 4X4s that EACH cost us $1200 for repair after ONE trip down that road...$12/mile for repairs. One lost the entire instrument panel...fell on the floor on the washboard. The other broke a plastic gate between the heat and the air....$2 part and $1200 labor to get at it.

The Tundra gets 15 MPG in town and 18 on a trip and has never had any maintenance on the engine other than new spark plugs and a new serpentine belt. The body has been solid...no sqweeks as above....no problems whatsoever.

I hauled 1200 pounds of solar system batteries plus three people (500 pounds) plus booze and food for three weeks in over That Road in a hot July....the temp was 112F and I went 30MPH on that 3 inch washboard. I melted two factory Bilstein shocks doing that...no problema for the truck. After that Bilstein replaced the shocks for free!!....it was my fault they failed and not theirs. I also put an overload leaf spring on the rear and FabTech coil overs on the front. The truck handled the washboard and the load just fine before but now it's perfect....I make the trip from Puertecitos to GB in about 2:15 on a good day.

I have buddies who have new Tundras....the ones that look like Dodges...the only thing missing is the steer horns on the hood and the bull's balls hanging on the hitch. These Tundras have the same good engine as mine but they are bigger trucks that weigh the same as mine....guess what!?...thinner metal and more plastic. The top of the instrument panel rattles and there is sheet metal fatigue in spots after about two trips on the washboard on That Road. Toyota needs to fix that....they had a super reputation among guys in Baja who have lotsa experience there and they are wrecking that by appealing in styling and construction to wannabe urban cowboys who spend more on wax than they do on Pemex.

If you buy one be sure to replace the factory BFG "trail" tires...you need real BFG TAs with a three ply side wall....the standard "off road" tires make it about two miles in Baja before they die to a sharp rock through the side wall.

I have no doubt that my 2004 Tundra will go beyond 200,000 miles no problema. I was gonna buy a new one when they were half price in Sept. 2008 but decided that what I have is better than what the sell...see above.

Buy the 2003 and love it forever!
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 08:59 PM


The best advertisement for TUNDRAS is David K.



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Bajaboy
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 09:03 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by udowinkler
The best advertisement for TUNDRAS is David K.


Actually, DK has a Tacoma.




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bajaguy
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 09:31 PM


Wish those Tacomas would get that I-Force V-8 like the 4Runners



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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 11:14 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by susanna
We have a 2000 Tundra 4 Wheel Dr and just love it, no problems
over 100k miles only oil changes regularly.Drives smooth like a car.


I'm amazed :wow:
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Santiago
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[*] posted on 2-20-2009 at 11:17 PM


Had a 2003; lost both rear seals at about 60,000 - 1 at Loon Lake so the ride back was lotsa fun. Had the drive shaft pulled and re-greased about 2 or 3 times - dealer admitted it was a problem with them. You'll know when it sounds like a bad universal joint. I will admit that I had no rattles. If you get a TRD they come with Bilsten shocks but they do not have a lifetime warranty. I had to replace mine - then you get the lifetime. If you have a 4X4 you will not get anywhere close to 15mpg over the lifetime of the truck. I believe they are rated at around 6500# towing but I'd hate to do it. I have a boat at about 2000# and the engine would really strain on hilly sections.



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David K
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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 06:57 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Wish those Tacomas would get that I-Force V-8 like the 4Runners


The Tundra (full size) has the V-8... the Tacoma doesn't need it IMO, as there is way more than enough power in the 4.0 litre V-6 (245 HP).

Take a 2005 or newer Tacoma for a test drive.

My '01 had the 3.4 V-6 and was plenty powerful... Now the bigger 2005 and later Tacomas (about the size of the early Tundras) have the bigger 4.0 litre V-6... and even more power, that I never need... but if you tow or have a heavy load of bricks...???

The only thing they didn't do when they made the Tacoma bigger, was to increase the rear suspension weight carrying ability (bottomed out with a load)... I added the Ride Rite air springs (bags) and Bilstein 5100s... problem solved.

Here is my truck less than 24 hours after I got it (Aug. 2005) on the beach, in Baja!

805 004.jpg - 43kB




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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 07:03 AM


if tundra's are anything like our 4 runner, then they are some fine rig!...our 4runner is the finest vehicle we have ever owned...and that includes a beemer and many many chevys...there is no better rig for baja



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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 08:25 AM


I had no preference for Toyota until I got one in Nov. 2000... and after I 'tested' it in Baja... The truck outperformed my wildest dreams and never failed me. Neal Johns was right!:biggrin:

It is no surprise that Toyota has become the #1 selling vehicle in the world... :light:

Sure there can be a bad apple... hopfully a thing of the past as what Santiago posted or others with the head gasket problem of 1991-ish trucks.

We all love our trucks, big or small... and with a lot of love can come acceptance of faults... Like the Chevy truck owner I know who would never get anything else even though is NEW truck has been in the shop for repairs... (and his wife now drives a Toyota)... or the Ford/ Dodge/ Jeep owners who remember the good times, but forget the times that poor quality parts or workmanship cost them money or a trip to Baja.

My '01 Xtra Cab had 130,000+ miles on it in less than 5 years... never broke down... and the only non-maintenance cost in all those miles was replacing a water pump at 90,000 miles because a drip was noticed. Amazing... naturally, I stayed with Toyota when it was time to go bigger with a (4 door) double cab.

My '05 has 87,000 miles on it in 3 1/2 years, has never broken down and the only non maintenance cost was replacing a wire harness after an air bag light came on. There was a front brake area clicking noise for a while that went away with the first brake pad replacement. The rear suspension was too soft (nice ride, but bottomed-out with a load on big bumps) so I added ride-rites and one size bigger shocks in the back.




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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 09:09 AM


Toyotas are ok if you don't need a real truck, always been under sprung (car like ride) and under powered. I prefer a real truck with a diesel.

[Edited on 2-21-2009 by 805gregg]
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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 09:17 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by 805gregg
Toyotas are ok if you don't need a real truck, always been under sprung (car like ride) and under powered. I prefer a real truck with a diesel.

[Edited on 2-21-2009 by 805gregg]


Just what is you definition of a 'real truck'? To me it is a vehicle with an open storage/ hauling area on a solid frame with superior to passenger car strength.

Have you not seen the full size Tundra then has been out for a couple years now? If diesel means real truck, then you are correct, no diesel Tundras in the U.S.... yet.




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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 10:20 AM


I bought a 2005 Tundra TRD to tow a new boat from Florida. The trip home to Loreto was about 4,000 miles. I now have around 45k miles on the Tundra, probably half of them towing the boat which weighs 4,000 lbs. + or -. But for the trip home with the boat almost all of the towing miles have been in Mexico. The truck has required nothing except oil and filter changes, and plugs at 30k miles. The 4.7 liter V-8 handles the boat fine. Gas mileage while towing, however, is pretty bad. You can almost watch the needle drop. If I keep the speed under 55 I get 8 or 9 mpg while towing. When not towing the truck gets around 17. I drive off road a little, but not a lot, and after 45k miles the truck is pretty much rattle free.

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woody with a view
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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 10:49 AM


mileage isn't a concern for me. my wife will be using it around town as we only live 2.5 miles from her job. i'll drive my ranger into the ground for work. gas will always be cheap in baja so the road trips won't drain my wallet. i'm more concerned with reliability and what to watch out for. the one i'm looking at has 90k and all service documented at the dealership in escondido. i'm gonna try to steal it for 8.5-9k.



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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 10:58 AM


What year is it Woody? The full size or smaller Tundra?



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woody with a view
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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 10:59 AM


'03 mid size 4.7L v8



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bill erhardt
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[*] posted on 2-21-2009 at 12:11 PM


Woody.........Check the service records to see if timing belt and automatic transmission fluid were changed at 60k mi. Also, if the truck was using to tow, the differential fluid, front and back, and transfer case oil should have been changed at 15k mi. intervals.
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