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Toyota Motor Corporation Tundra Consumer Reviews

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Toyota Tundra Alternator Problem/Design
StarStarEmpty StarEmpty StarEmpty StarBy -
Rating: 2/51

I currently own several Toyota Tundras. I have loved Toyota trucks and have bought several of them in my lifetime. I bought them (past tense) because they seemed to be more reliable over the years than the American trucks that I have owned (Ford/GMC). However, recently, my faith in Toyota has been shaken due to the amount of recalls I receive, as well as one very particular design problem.

Toyota designed their engine block with a serious design flaw (in my opinion) that is costing me thousands and they have been unwilling to help me out with it. I bought my Tundra with 3,000 miles, certified from a local Toyota Dealership (Thompson Toyota in Doylestown, PA). Well, a couple years in, the alternator failed. Most alternators are located in an easy to access location where you can pop out the bad and pop in the new. Toyota designed the Tundra engine in a way that the alternator is in a very difficult, tight location.

You must dismantle the underneath of the truck to get to it and can hardly get your tools into the spaces to get it out. You also have to remove the power steering to get to it. This design and its proximity to water splash from tires assures a visit to your local dealership (the kind of tactics that American car companies pulled decades ago). Just to get the old one out took 7+ hours from an experienced professional mechanic.

I must give Toyota credit for the first time this happened. My vehicle was one month out of warranty and they covered the replacement. However, this has happened again and they will not cover it. I am very upset. The replacement cost as per the dealership (Thompson Toyota) was stated at "beginning at $2,000, but it could go over". This is normally a $300 to $500 (or simply at cost of part for DIY'ers) cost on a standard easy to pop out and replace alternator (including part cost). But this should not be happening to a truck that is garage kept and only has 55,000 miles.

I am certain there are others out there like me. In defense of Thompson Toyota, my vehicle is NOT under warranty and I did not end up hiring them to do the job. However, I feel that I have been sold a defective product that has been costly and problematic to maintain.

I have now reconsidered buying a new Tundra or the Tacoma 2016 model and will be entertaining other options. Thompson and Toyota Care ultimately decided would not assist and for that reason I would not consider them for a new vehicle purchase.

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Dealer ripped us off
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WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA -- We purchased a Tundra double cab pick up and had a vehicle picked out that the salesman said had all the options we wanted except the navigation system. The vehicle was to be delivered from another dealer as it was a fully loaded with almost all options. After agreeing to a price in writing via email (and we still have copies of all) we made an appointment to drive the 75 miles to purchase the truck.

After several hours of paperwork the salesman tells us the truck to be delivered has several thousand miles on it (he knew that before we went there as he hadn't called anyone after we arrived) and that he would sell us a truck off the lot of the same color and put all the options the other truck had on it except the nav system as the truck on the lot was a 4x4 not a 4x2. We asked for and the diff would be a wash between 4x4 and nav. After we did all the paperwork and the finance guy kept "making mistakes" and having to redo the paperwork over and over again we finished the pile of papers and went home.

After looking over everything again we realized they had changed the price of the vehicle and then they wanted to deny ever saying they would put the options on the truck but why would we pay 40k for a truck with no options when we could buy a fully loaded one for the same price? We are so mad at the way we were RIPPED OFF by these people. It makes us steaming mad!!! DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM WILMINGTON TOYOTA OF NORTH CAROLINA.

We have filed a lawsuit in with the courts there and are waiting to hear back from them on a date to go to trial over it and can't wait to show the judge the book of evidence we have to prove it. I will go sit in front of the dealership also with signs of on the truck saying how we were ripped off also and I am permanently disabled and they took advantage of me and my family in a bad time of our life. If you have had similar exp with these people let us know.

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5.7 Toyota Tundra Blows Up
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On May 26 2011 we left to go camping for the Memorial Day weekend. We had driven 35 miles when the engine started to knock. I stopped and checked the oil, It was full. The oil pressure was normal as was the temp. I started the truck and turned around, Shortly the engine made a bang and seized up.

On May 27th I hauled the truck to Larry Miller Toyota in Salt Lake City, Utah. After two weeks I met with the Toyota rep, he stated that water had gotten into the engine causing the engine to throw 4 rods through the block and that Toyota would not honor the warranty. Today is July 7th, I finally got the truck back at a cost of only $10,700 dollars. Toyota could not tell me how water entered the engine. I feel this really stinks.

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2007 Tundra a big disappointment
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COLVILLE, WASHINGTON -- I have owned two Tundras and have been quite pleased with both trucks. So when they came out with the bigger engine and the heavier payload and towing package I was excited to go check one of these new Tundras out. But to my disappointment my 05 tundra has nicer doors and nicer interior. The 07 has cheap doors like a ford and more plastic on the dash then a recycle center. The buttons and knobs are huge and ugly.

What were the engineers thinking. Why couldn't they have just left well enough alone. I need something that will pull a heavier load but have no faith in the American car companies, now it seems Toyota has joined them. Not impressed and very disappointed in Toyota!

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Lemon Owner
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MILWAUKIE, OREGON -- I own a 2000 Toyota Tundra and have had to replace the exhaust manifold two times and now it need it again for the third time.. This is a manufacturer default, not mine and Toyota won't do a recall because its not a safety issue. I am a very disappointed Toyota owner and its paid for so all they will say is trade it in and get a new one. Some of us cannot afford a new payment or want one... I have wrote the BBB to tell anyone I can how Toyota doesn't care about their consumers...

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Bad Paint
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61853, ILLINOIS -- Bought a Toyota Tundra Crewmax in June 2007. Three weeks later paint chips started to come off passenger side doors. Toyota said while I was messing with the dealership I got it from. By the time I got back with Toyota consumers in California, they said your thirty days are up, its no longer their concern. Should have stayed with Ford. At least they would back you up.

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Toyota Motor Corporation Tundra Rating:
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2.0 out of 5, based on 1 ratings and
6 reviews & complaints.
Contact Information:
Toyota Motor Corporation
25 Atlantic Avenue
Erlanger, KY 41018-3188
800-331-4331 (ph)
www.toyota.com
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