So mad at Toyota I am having trouble typing!!!

[Coal Dragger]

Originally Posted by AlaskaCub

C'mon guys, this isn't an EPA ordeal I am speaking of, I am speaking of cheaply made body parts, inside and out. I have a lot of friends with newish Dodge , Fords and GM's, and the body parts inside and out and are made of better more durable components. This truck was designed with a great powertrain and a suburban soccer mom body. I am not that hard on my truck, but it does get worked and from what I see, it was not designed to work. The truck performs very well, but I sure wish that teh body of my truck was made of more than 6 beer cans. I opened a buddies 07 Dodge tailgate a couple days ago to throw some stuff in his bed from mine and was amazed at how much more durable his gate/bed was than mine. I am not a Dodge fan (though I have owned a few) but it was night in day in the durability of materials used to make the body of his truck compared to my Tundra, lots more metal! Toyota did some things really right in building this Tundra, but they did some things soooo wrong! I would have been happy with a sacrifice or two in some areas for a couple better made things in others. and to think that I have looked at a few 09's and they havent done chit differently than in the 07, tells me they simply dont care! Times are changing in the auto industry, Toyota better get it together or more losses will be reported in their future, while some American based companies may be getting better.

I have spent quite a bit of time in newer (2007+) model year Ford, Dodge, and GM products (company vehicles) and they are no better inside or out than what we have from a materials quality standpoint. At least not in the 1/2 ton segment. My biggest gripe with the Tundra is the tailgate being less robust than it should be. Were I skilled at metal fabrication I would just take the damn thing off cut it apart, reinforce it put it back together and mount it back on the truck.

These days fuel economy is important, performance is also important. You can't have both with a 6000+lb truck, so body components are not as heavy because weight has to be saved someplace. No one wants to give up their luxury features either so there is some more weight to be shaved from one area and added to another. If you can't deal with that then look at 3/4 and 1 ton trucks they may be better in that regard but going forward with tougher fuel economy standards I have my doubts.

[TundraBay]

Originally Posted by Coal Dragger

I have spent quite a bit of time in newer (2007+) model year Ford, Dodge, and GM products (company vehicles) and they are no better inside or out than what we have from a materials quality standpoint.
If you can't deal with that then look at 3/4 and 1 ton trucks they may be better in that regard but going forward with tougher fuel economy standards I have my doubts.

Nicely put! Also the part I cut out of quote. Rep points!

[shooter2jim]

Originally Posted by Coal Dragger

I have spent quite a bit of time in newer (2007+) model year Ford, Dodge, and GM products (company vehicles) and they are no better inside or out than what we have from a materials quality standpoint. At least not in the 1/2 ton segment. My biggest gripe with the Tundra is the tailgate being less robust than it should be. Were I skilled at metal fabrication I would just take the damn thing off cut it apart, reinforce it put it back together and mount it back on the truck.

These days fuel economy is important, performance is also important. You can't have both with a 6000+lb truck, so body components are not as heavy because weight has to be saved someplace. No one wants to give up their luxury features either so there is some more weight to be shaved from one area and added to another. If you can't deal with that then look at 3/4 and 1 ton trucks they may be better in that regard but going forward with tougher fuel economy standards I have my doubts.

I agree... the tailgate/bed should be a lot tougher, but thin metal is typical for the few Toyota's I've been around. It shouldn't be here, though. One of the first things I did was Line-X, then threw the bedliner back in on top of that (I actually need to be able to slide things around), and the combination is rugged enough. My '96 4Runner dents if you look at it the wrong way. But the frame and drivetrain are bulletproof and after 225k mostly trouble free miles, I'll cut the thin metal some slack.

The Tundra is only lighter than the F150, so if GM and Dodge have good sheet metal, where are they cutting weight?

[AlaskaCub]

All I know is that if you are building a truck, then that last 6 1/2 - 8ft of the vehicle has to be considered in the design. To me Toyota looked from the back seat forward and forgot or neglected to realize that its a full sized TRUCK witha 10,000+ lb tow rating! The bed has to be durable enough to haul large items in and take the wear and tear associated with hauling those items. I am 180lbs, I have multiple dents in my fender wells in the bed because I actually stood on em? I am at the point now where I have to place things in the bed and climb around in the bed like I am dealing with a babies crib. I just know how not durable it is. I would much prefer a truck with a good drive train and a solid body, than a shnazzy luxury pick up, not that the Tundra is all that luxurious in even the Limited versions. Its just a real bummer to feel the way I do, 2 years into ownership. I have not had the greatest experience with this truck. Its had multiple repairs and its basically falling apart or weaing away in more ways than one. Not much good to say about it these days, except that I only have 3 more years of ownership! Have you seen the resale value on these things..........about as impressive as the tailgate is!

[JBK23]

Resale value is the same on all trucks I would think !

[Coal Dragger]

Originally Posted by JBK23

Resale value is the same on all trucks I would think !

Yep, not a good time to be trying to sell a truck be it new or used.

[waiting tundra]

Had a 72 dodge & the weakest body part was stronger than my 08 tundra's rear bumper it had homemade bumper grill(no whimpy ranchand shi!) tow mirror's welded on the door(no worries about blowing threw the medal with the rod)had 3 balls on rear bumper(no need to reinforce anythang cause bumper wasn't going anywhere)regulary towed 25' skiff loaded down ready for shrimping(trawels,nets, 302inboard motor covered in rigging w/85 gal fuel tank filled ready for work. The ol dodge had a 318 no air cleaner just sucked in whatever. Course 90% rust with a little green paint left. Naw the old dodge could never run up & down the highway like my tundra, could my new tundra ever do what that old dodge did? Pushing & pulling welding machines up & down old mud roads carelessly having heavy tools,pipes I beams thrown in the back & chains wraped on heavy junk & snatched about with the old truck. In other words when the tundra gets a little age on her will she be able to hang when she enters her 2nd life. Wish I had done my paper work a little better when I sold it cause the guy who bought it raised all kinda he!! with it & I kept getting tickets mailed to my house for years after selling it. Then it took a few more years to straighten everythang out.

[ab]

Originally Posted by AlaskaCub

All I know is that if you are building a truck, then that last 6 1/2 - 8ft of the vehicle has to be considered in the design. To me Toyota looked from the back seat forward and forgot or neglected to realize that its a full sized TRUCK witha 10,000+ lb tow rating! The bed has to be durable enough to haul large items in and take the wear and tear associated with hauling those items. I am 180lbs, I have multiple dents in my fender wells in the bed because I actually stood on em? I am at the point now where I have to place things in the bed and climb around in the bed like I am dealing with a babies crib. I just know how not durable it is. I would much prefer a truck with a good drive train and a solid body, than a shnazzy luxury pick up, not that the Tundra is all that luxurious in even the Limited versions. Its just a real bummer to feel the way I do, 2 years into ownership. I have not had the greatest experience with this truck. Its had multiple repairs and its basically falling apart or weaing away in more ways than one. Not much good to say about it these days, except that I only have 3 more years of ownership! Have you seen the resale value on these things..........about as impressive as the tailgate is!

Glad I bought on 06! Still own a 00AC, 2x05 long beds, 06DC and a 07 Tacoma which also has a JOKE of a tailgate (just made for hauling bread) and an 03 Sequoia. I can't see buying any new Tundras as the interior looks/is cheap and the body dosen't seem to be up to work duty. Too bad... Very disappointed in Toyota. I would like to upgrade my Sequoia but I think the Tahoe is now a superior product If I had to replace my 06 Tundra it would be with a Denali. Come on Toyota get it together.

[shooter2jim]

Originally Posted by AlaskaCub

All I know is that if you are building a truck, then that last 6 1/2 - 8ft of the vehicle has to be considered in the design. To me Toyota looked from the back seat forward and forgot or neglected to realize that its a full sized TRUCK witha 10,000+ lb tow rating! The bed has to be durable enough to haul large items in and take the wear and tear associated with hauling those items. I am 180lbs, I have multiple dents in my fender wells in the bed because I actually stood on em? I am at the point now where I have to place things in the bed and climb around in the bed like I am dealing with a babies crib. I just know how not durable it is. I would much prefer a truck with a good drive train and a solid body, than a shnazzy luxury pick up, not that the Tundra is all that luxurious in even the Limited versions. Its just a real bummer to feel the way I do, 2 years into ownership. I have not had the greatest experience with this truck. Its had multiple repairs and its basically falling apart or weaing away in more ways than one. Not much good to say about it these days, except that I only have 3 more years of ownership! Have you seen the resale value on these things..........about as impressive as the tailgate is!

No arguments here.
Is there a truck with a better resale value? Is that taking into account that we're barely 3 model years into the 2nd gen? I would think that people's perceptions of early production years would hurt values more than normal. I've recently seen 1st gen Tundras on lots in the low 20's.

[shooter2jim]

Originally Posted by ab

I would like to upgrade my Sequoia but I think the Tahoe is now a superior product If I had to replace my 06 Tundra it would be with a Denali. Come on Toyota get it together.

Are you kidding? I wouldn't touch a GM or Dodge with a 10 foot pole now. Don't you think that the government's cost cutting measures will eventually extend to warranty work? I have no doubt they are decent in initial quality but what happens when something goes wrong and you are given the runaround because they hope you'll just go away rather than them having to fix it under warranty? Just something to think about.

[Coal Dragger]

I think I have a solution. Toyota should make the Tundra frame, body, and tailgate out of titanium alloy. At a little less than 1/2 the weight of steel and equal or greater strength, the sheet metal and frame components could be made twice as beefy! Go ahead hammer on the bed sides with that ball-peen hammer!

Unfortunately the unit cost of the vehicle would likely be $100K......

[OntheRox]

mine is coming apart...not bad because it usually only has a few hundred pound worth of appliances on it for loading purposes and not very often...they will not replace it until it actually falls apart and is unsafe...really ridiculous. I also had the latch assembly piece break with 1500 miles on the truck...there is a TSB on this and I had to pay $ 35 dollars for the part and I installed it myself in the dealer parking lot with all the sales people watching, what a joke. I love my truck but have been very dissappointed with Toyota warranty services.

[Coal Dragger]

I could make a damn fortune if I could design and manufacture a super sturdy replacement tailgate for current model Tundras.

[waiting tundra]

After reading the tsb on this forum I pulled the plate to look inside, what a joke then I pulled the inspection plate off my 03 frontier to see how they did it. Toyota may wana talk to nissan. Sure plan to take it easy w/my tailgate.

[rpmgsxr]

Guys and Gals!!!

I love that so many people are in this post but I would really like to try to use it to gather as much info as possible to get Toyota to take care of the members here and even non-forum Tundra owners with an ACTUAL TSB!!!!

Please if you can either PM me your VIN with they fixed it or they won't fix it that would be great.

Please also understand that it was somewhere around 04/08 that Toyota started shipping Tundras with the newer designed, reinforced tailgate. I just feel that anyone that trusted in Toyota and bought a new model year 2007 or early 2008 should have the right to have their piece of crap flimsy gate replaced. I will do everything in my power to press for an official TSB but you guys gotta help me out.

Please try to stay on topic here in this post and send me as much PROOF as you can. Receipts: so far nobody has one!!!! NOBODY. Everyone that says their gates were replaced has no receipt for it. Is there anyone else that finds that strange????

Seriously. Think about it. Replacing a tailgate and painting it is not cheap but everyone that has gotten a replacement got it with no paperwork. I'm not questioning the forum members here, but I surely question why Toyota doesn't give and paper evidence out when they "fix" someone's tailgate.

Think about it.

Please keep sending pics and emails I am compiling them all.

Thanks again,
Bob Murphy
rpmgsxr@hotmail.com