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TundraGeneral discussion forum for the 2007 and later Toyota Tundra.
This is a discussion thread titled "Tundra Tailgate Failures!!! I am in the Club.", within the Tundra forum, part of the Truck Forums category.
I realize you're not happy about your tailgate but what is writing a letter to Ford, Chrysler and the UAW supposed to accomplish?
Jim
Hi Jim,
Good question, thank your for asking.
As I shared in my original post my intent is to apply the necessary incentives to Toyota to get these tailgate issues resolved.
In that regard I am not expecting Ford, Chrysler, or the UAW (United Auto Workers) Union (or any one else) to do anything.
I am expecting Toyota to do something.
I believe that Toyota would not want these organizations involved in any part of this issue.
Maybe my belief isn’t valid. What do you?
If I am right my approach will provide further incentive (Under the category of “It Hurts) to Toyota to resolve these tailgate issues now.
Then again, perhaps my approach won’t cause any of the “Hurt” motivator at all.
Perhaps it will make Toyota “Feel Good!” I can live with that too!
Think about it.
If Toyota is proud of “the car door like” design and performance of the Tundra tailgate then I am only sharing Toyota’s good design with interested parties.
In truth I can’t see how Toyota would feel anything but “Good” in letting Ford, Chrysler and the UAW know all about their pride in this truly outstanding tailgate design.
Do you?
That said, like all else in life, there is potential that I could be wrong on this as well.
Bottom line; “the tailgate design for the Toyota Tundra is broken and must be fixed.”
If I thought a Rocket Scientist was necessary to reach this determination I would have emailed NASA.
(I didn’t want to waist internet bandwidth with an email I didn’t think would add much value.)
There is a need to provide Toyota with the necessary incentives to redesign the Tundra tailgate, and I believe my approach provides those incentives, to the right people, in an honest and factual way that can and should be investigated.
I believe having the light of the day shining sunshine all over this tailgate issue will create one of those really big smiley face suns on a lot of peoples faces when the issues are resolved. I know I will have one on my face!!
My approach may not be right for everyone, and I understand that, but it works for me.
I invite anyone else who is experiencing legitimate tailgate issues with their Tundra to email these same organizations with your details. One email (mine) can be ignored easily, more then one (yours) is a pair at worst, and a trend at best, and trends get attention.
Want the problem fixed? There is no need to be mean spirited. Be nice, but do this!
Have a great day,
Frank
PS: I did not email GM simply because they made it impossible for me to find a means to email them either directly or through their web site. But I still have hope to find one.
When I do, I will, and post the link here.
Last edited by daless2; 10-21-2007 at 08:21 AM.
Reason: Edited to fiix typo's, I am sure there are more.
make as much noise as possible...thats the only way toyota will respond.....good work......I am sure if ford starts comparing toyota's flimsy tailgate in their commercials, toyota will fix the problem pretty quick....
Awful! So if you really plan on using this bed for work, then chances are you'll have problems, I get the feeling that this will set Toyota back, in winning over the domestic market, especially if the drag their feet.
You can use thin sheet metal, but engineer it to a design that can take they stress, looks like they failed.
Maybe Ford has a point when they advertise their trucks being built Ford -Tough.
I've ramped a four wheeler a couple of times and sat on the tailgate and drank beer with the (much bigger) brother and no problems... yet.
Now I have been concerned about the tailgate since day one. It, and the turn signal lever, just seemed "light" to both the wifey and me when we shopped. However the strenght of the rest of the truck easily overwhelmed these concerns.
My hope is that Toyota will honestly address the issue, the puckered tailgates I've seen pictures of in here piss me off!
As far as the owners manual... All I found was instructions on removing and replacing the tailgate, starting on page 35. I'm not saying there isn't info in the manual somewhere warning/instructing on tailgate use, just it isn't a quick referance from the index or in the forefront of my shorting memory.
BTW I'll throw the tailgate away before I drive another ford. /spit
The only time I have ever driven with the tailgate down, hauling a load, was with 4 sheets of 3/4 ply and 30 board feet of lumber on top for a 20 mile suburban trip.
The passenger side of the tailgate has a telltale paint chip and seam opening. Metal deflects more than paint, paint cracks off, end of story.
When the bed is loaded with wood, most of the weight is in the bed and very little weight is on the tail end of the gate. I can see how the end of the tailgate is flimsy with this folded metal design, but I also wonder if the geometry is off such that the end of the tailgate is higher than the rest of the bed? This would make the weight of my load of wood disproportionately applied to the end of the tailgate.
You don't need to see your tailgate fold in half to realize what the eventual mode of failure will be. Take a photo of any damage to the paint in this area and get on Toyota and start a case.
If this tailgate is rated for 100 or 200lbs I would challenge any dealer out there to take me for a test drive with that weight applied to a tailgate in the down position. I honestly feel the geometry is screwed up, or the tailgate won't even handle its own weight in the down position.
This tailgate thing definately has me concerned, but after going shopping last night and parking the Tundra in the garage I took a look at my truck before walking into the house amd thought to myself how bad#@* this truck really is. I just hope Toyota helps us out on this one.
Last edited by highway74; 10-21-2007 at 10:27 AM.
Reason: spell
in the garage I took a look at my truck before walking into the house amd thought to myself how bad#@* this truck really is.
I agree with you, this is an awsome looking truck and if the 5.7 drivetrain holds up I'll be satisfied, but I bought a truck not a sports car. While its great to know you can take any other truck in the 1/4 mile is that really of value to someone who uses the truck for work. Why should I have to baby the bed and tailgate when I've never had to do this with any other truck I've owned. I suggest that Toyota built a sports truck rather than a true work truck. Look at the availability of bench seats. There are far more bucket console trucks which present the feel of a sports coupe not a truck. Do I think Toyota will take care of us? No. I think they have made a quality product for years and taking care of concerns was hardly necessary. Now we have a situation which would be very expensive to correct and a black eye on the truck. Toyota has 4 options,
1. Recall-to high profile and expensive
2. Replacement of reported units - already resisting and doesn't solve problem
3. Redesign in later years with no help to those who suffer - most likely option
4. Totally ignore the problem - Not an option unless they want the Tundra to go down in flames.
Will it make any of us happy if we helped them make a better truck for someone else?
I think we took a step of faith because we love Toyotas and they owe it to us to reward that loyalty by taking care of these first year issues. A platinum warrantee for everyone would be a good start in addition to finishing seam welds on the tailgate.
I'd love to see ford with a new tundra and several guys standing on the tailgate bending it in half and then take the same guys over to a ford and do the same thing and watch it hold them up no problem. Toyota would be livid and you guys would get the help you deserve with your trucks.
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Well, my 3 month old RC LB's tailgate has also cracked at the same place.
I have only loaded my lawn tractor into my truck ONE time (to get it home when I bought it)
and that, apparently, was too much for the flimsy tailgate..
This is all playing right back into the old myth, "Oriental autos are made from cheap, thin, old beer cans" ... Of course they are not .... but that is what was said for years and years ... This doesn't help that perception.
So, what is the fix ??? What can we do to help prevent our tailgates from more damage, and yet still use our Tundras as the TRUCKS that we bought them for??
I doubt that Toyota is going to help us ..... they have our money, they probably don't really care too much about us at this point ...
I agree with many of you. Here is my concern first and foremost. Every single Toyota I have owned in the last 13 years has seen its fair share of of wear and tear. I have driven them down some of the worst roads imaginable regularly. I have overloaded them (at times), I have started and driven them in -60 temperatures (which if you havent experienced -60 its pretty damn hard on every single component in a vehicle), I have towed with them, and they have hauled my love ones around. The primary reason that I love Toyota so much is because I have done all those things with very few service appointments. The new drivetrain in this Tundra is bad azz simply put, I love it. The suspension has impressed me as well. But my only concern is that physically will the body of this truck last me through the years of use that my other toyotas have. I am pretty damn sure as of now that this tailgate sure as hell wont. Extended warranties will do you know good with these concerns I have , because they dont cover body parts. I agree with the poster that said its gonna take them two years to redesign this tailgate and put it in the 09,10 model. Hopefully I'll still be under the 3/36,000 by that time though I probably wont. Either way to help Toyota get this right we need to let them know. So if your truck exhibits the cracks or your tailgate has been peeled open by a quad/ATV or a load in your bed that rests on the tailgate let em know at the contact numbers.
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07 Tundra DC TRD 4WD 5.7L Desert Mica
Some of you on here may see me as a Toyota Zealist but even with my loyalty towards Toyota I'll throw a BS flag at them as fast as anyone else, so here it is. Well its pretty obvious that the tailgates on these new tundras have some issues. There have been multiple threads of folks loading 4 wheelers, golf carts and damaging their tailgates in the process. I was following a thread on a tailgate failure on TT and it was about a guy who tried to load his atv in the back of his Tundra and the tailgate bent and buckled in the process. So I went out to look at mine since I have loaded mine quite a few times without a problem and noticed that my tailgate is gonna do the same thing his did. The shell is 2 thin azz pieces with a chinsy seam that appears to be bonded with something I cant even say that its welded cuz it doesn't look like a weld. Anyway heres a few pics and the link to this guys post where his failed to support the weight of his wheeler the first time he attempted to load it This is gonna be a mess up here in AK, cuz thats how most people transport their wheelers. This same wheeler has been loaded in the bed of 2 of my Tacomas and a T-100 with no problem over the last 10 years and now Toyotas biggest truck ever has a tailgate that wont support what a 1996 Tacoma, 1999 Tacoma , and a 97 T-100 could. This is gonna be a fun one, thankfully I dont have to load the quad again until May so I have some time to figure this out. I dont know if the spring loaded easy drop feature for suburban moms is the reason for this lightweight chinsy tailgate but its not gonna fly for those of us who actually use their truck as a truck.
Heres the pics of another tundra owners tailgate that is what mine will eventually look like. This was the first time he ever loaded his quad.
Heres the pics of mine where its starting to seperate.The line that is running down off the right hand lower corner is a crack, and you can see the top is starting to seperate.
Wow' sorry to hear about yours and everyones tailgate. The pics of that guys white tundra which had the golf cart on it are just sickening. This is not just a PITA issue, it is a safety issue. As you all know I'm a GM owner and lover but they also had problem with their tailgate cables failing. In fact a polce officer a few years ago was driving his harley ino the back of his truck and the cables snapped. The tailgat fell and he hit his head on the bumper abd was killed. I believe this was on a GM if my memory serves me right. What you guys have here is very strong cables, but the tailgate is flimsy, and buckling under the weight. I think with repeated use, the same kind of thing could happen. Be careful. Good luck with toyota, I can see them saying you were not using your truck in the proper fashion, and perhaps claiming you guys should be using trailers for your ATV's.
Re: Toyota Incentives – Tailgate Issues
Dan
