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Things I Don't Like About My Tundra

15683 Views 121 Replies 60 Participants Last post by  willy
Remember, these are my opinions. I know there will be at least 5 people who reply and tell me that I am mistaken and their truck feels perfect to them (I could almost print their names and responses in advance). I've owned a few trucks and have a lot of miles under my butt as we travel to races several times a month. I feel I can say I have a pretty good idea what has been comfortable to me and right now this truck isn't at the top of the list.

After a few road trips I've discovered several things I do not like about my interior. Let me start by saying I'm of pretty average height 68" with a 29" inseam and normal length arms.

1) I've found that the steering wheel to pedals relationship is weird. If I move the seat to a good position for my legs I can't comfortably hold the steering wheel (it's too far out and I'm stiff armed). If I move the seat to where my arms are a comfortable reach to the steering wheel my knees are at the dash (literately). I've owned 5 trucks and this one fits me terribly in this department. The telescoping wheel needs to come back 2" more or the pedals need to be set further forward IMO. I said I'd never own a vehicle without movable pedals again. I'm wishing I'd have stuck with that!

2) My headrests move up/down but not fore/aft. I have to drive with the seat in a fairly upright postion to get any comfort at all holding the wheel. The headrests seem to move my head foreward into an awkward position that strains my neck.

3) I can't rest my arms comfortably on the left arm rest and counsole at the same time with any kind of support. It's as though the seat is too high (it's in the lowest position) or the arm rest and counsole are too low. I can lean to one side or the other but that isn't comfortable on long rides.

I told my wife today on our 4 hour drive home that this truck causes me neck and shoulder strain like no other vehicle I've owned. It's very weird and something I don't see easily remedied. I spent 35K on a truck and I'm stuck with it as I'd loose my butt if I tried to sell/swap at this point (1500 miles). I hate to say it but Toyota missed the mark in creature comfort in my book. No one needs to reply that I'm not feeling the things I'm feeling because you can't know what I'm feeling. If you have helpful suggestions I'm all ears.
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The headrests do more than go up and down....check your manual. I too wish the truck had adjustable pedals The adjustable pedals on my ram were awesome.
When I first drove my Dads DC I thought it was very uncomfortable, however after playing with all the adjustsments (has way more than my 04 did) I was able to get the seat and steering wheel in comfortable positions. The only thing I did not like is you cannot see as well infront of the truck to the sides, but that is expected when you make such a drastic change in size.
Did you test-drive it first? Did they let you have a decent test drive or just one of those around the block jobbies? Too bad it's not comfortable for you....maybe give it to the wife?:D
I appreciate you're honesty, most new owners of anything usually won't admit they don't like something for fear it may prove their decision to be incorrect, and that bugs me. My 07 Sierra i will admit that i wish i had the ability to lower the seat up and down. My fiance wanted the bench seat so she could sit by me, so i had to go with the sle1 which only has manual seats which sucks bad. My dad's denali has the full power and even after a 24hr drive i had absolutely no back ache. However with mine after about 6hours I get alittle ache in my upper back. It's nothing intolerable but it could be better if i had the power seats. I also admit that the black cloth seats are a horrible lint magnet which bugs me alittle. I also hated the GM tune the 6.0 came with. The TM was pretty bad especially from 2-3shift. AFter a performance tune thats no longer a problem :devil: All in all I couldn't be happier with my truck:) Hate to hear it's causing you back problems, although it is a good excuse to get a massage, and that's always a good thing:D
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Wow - I had the exact opposite experience in my 07 DC Limited.

When I first sat in the truck in the showroom I was instantly and totally comfortable as if sitting in a favorite recliner in my livingroom. The only thing that felt odd was the size of the truck and cab interior - it's friggin huge compared to my old 02 Tacoma! I took several test drives before buying it and had no problems whatever.

One complaint I have after about a month is that when the steering wheel is at an ideal height for driving comfort it makes it a little hard to see the very bottom of the lowest gauges without shifting my body or head forward a bit. I can lower the steering wheel to correct this but then it doesn't give me as much leg room as I like when sliding in or out. I can also move the seat forward but then I don't like sitting so close to the dash and airbags.

A few other minor irritations: I can't open the sliding rear window while driving so it is basically useless. The 4-door interior is awesome and I like the extra room in the backseat but the headrests block some of the rear view which is further restricted by the sheer height of the truck. When small cars are in my blindspot on the passenger side they are literally impossible to see since their roofs are below the top of my bed rails. :)
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Wow - I had the exact opposite experience in my 07 DC Limited.
Same here. I had a great test drive (almost insisted by the salesman). I think the driving position is extremely comfortable. I do wish it had power pedals, but I dont really need them w/ the telescoping wheel. The truck just fits me great I guess. My only real gripe thus far is that the radio display is hard to see during the day cause of a reflection off the back glass. It doesnt bother me as much as it would otherwise because the clock is up in the dash and easy to see. Honestly, I have no other complaints yet.

Edit: Wait, one more just came to mind. Its hard for me to reach the sliding back glass from the drivers seat position, cause Im short and its a big flippin cab.
Remember, these are my opinions. I know there will be at least 5 people who reply and tell me that I am mistaken and their truck feels perfect to them (I could almost print their names and responses in advance). I've owned a few trucks and have a lot of miles under my butt as we travel to races several times a month. I feel I can say I have a pretty good idea what has been comfortable to me and right now this truck isn't at the top of the list.

quote]

I've got 3400 miles on my DC and I find it very comfortable. I'm 6'2", 245 and find their are enough seat and steering wheel adjustments to get myself comfortable. I do have some minor beefs, however.
1. I don't care for the instrument panel. They got overzealous in the design department here. Those tunnels are annoying.
2. As stated above, there is often a glare on the dash instruments rendering them unreadable. Especially the heater control.
3. Every time I start up the truck, I have to manually turn off the recirculate button. Why can't it remember that I've turned it off?
4. I have the NAV system and every time I start the truck, I have to push the "I agree" button before the map comes on. I have a Garmin portable auto GPS that cost a third as much as the Tundra's. It gives me a similar disclaimer screen at start up, but at least it goes away after about 15 seconds.

I suppose these are nickpicky because all in all, I love the truck. I'm still glad I traded in my perfectly good '05 DC.
I'm comfortable in mine.

However ....
My buddy has a 3500 dooley GM. His seats are not leather and when I drive with him, the seat "hugs" you more ... maybe its because of wear and tear, I dunno, but I wish our seats did more "hugging". I'm thinking of maybe taking it to an upholstery shop to have the side bolsters beefed up.

Don't get me wrong, it is comfortable and I never get tired/pain, everything could use an improvement.
Not that I'm relishing in your discomfort, but I do admit that I'm happy to hear that somebody of a fairly normal stature now understands what it is like for us tall guys. I'm 6'4"+ and that alone means that 9 out of 10 vehicles are just impossible for me to even look at getting inside of, much less driving any kind of distance. Some people try to convince me to get a vehicle that is more environmentally friendly and such but my response has been that I've done that ever since college -- getting fuel-efficient sport coupes and doing my part. My back, hips and shoulders have been paying the price for far too long. I think many people don't even consider the fact that vehicles are just not built to acommodate anybody my size. So, for once, I'm going to get a truck that is comfortable for me on my commutes and that can haul more than just a handful of hard woods and the like. The fact that this vehicle is made to acommodate somebody larger is a nice feature indeed. Not that I begrudge you or wish you any pain (I've been dealing with that for 20 years now), but with all the vehicles that you can easily get that are comfortable, I do admit that I'm having some difficulty being sympathetic to your situation. For me the 07 Tundra is only the second vehicle (the Titan being the first) that provides decent room for larger people and is a Japanese brand. You've literally got hundreds to choose from. I doubt that there is any Japanese vehicle that does not fit you well. Domestics, German, etc. should not be a challenge in this area. So, you can choose what you want. It is too bad that a good seating position can not be found, but I gotta say that I'm happy that I fit for once... hopefully not too many people will be in your position!
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I feel pretty comfortable in my DC, but what is hard to work around is the HUGE blind spot that the rear door windows create. Trying to see traffic when with that giant piece of metal in the window is brutal.
I'm sure that most of you will enjoy every aspect about your new truck. I'm just the oddball who can't get along with a few things.

Mine is not a Limited and the headrests don't move fore/aft. I've read the manual and I can't get them to anyway. I hope I'm just stupid and can't figure it out. I'll try again this morning.

Yes, my dealer let me test drive the truck 3 times. I probably put 30 miles on it. I didn't go on any 4 hour drives though. You don't really get to know a vehicle until you've sat in the seats for a long stretch, then things start to show themselves. We've been on the road the last two weekends so I've started to notice a few things.

I have adjusted the electric seat until I was blue in the face. I just can't get it to the "perfect" position. Maybe it being electric makes it sits higher? All I know is you can't get a counsole without an electric drivers seat. I agree the seats seem wide and flat. My Chevy fit me much better and my Dodge Dakota was the best I've ever had. That was like a racing bucket!

I too dislike the glare of the radio. I think it is due to the angle and smooth black finish of it.

I do like that the sunvisors extend to cover 95% of the side windows. That is a nice feature that all vehicles should have!

This is like a bit like having a new girlfriend. Everything is perfect about her because you are still trying to get in her pants. Once you've done the deed a couple of times she is not so perfect anymore. In fact some things bug the piss out of you and you start to find flaws your old girlfriends didn't have. ;)
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Remember, these are my opinions. I know there will be at least 5 people who reply and tell me that I am mistaken and their truck feels perfect to them (I could almost print their names and responses in advance). I've owned a few trucks and have a lot of miles under my butt as we travel to races several times a month. I feel I can say I have a pretty good idea what has been comfortable to me and right now this truck isn't at the top of the list.

After a few road trips I've discovered several things I do not like about my interior. Let me start by saying I'm of pretty average height 68" with a 29" inseam and normal length arms.

1) I've found that the steering wheel to pedals relationship is weird. If I move the seat to a good position for my legs I can't comfortably hold the steering wheel (it's too far out and I'm stiff armed). If I move the seat to where my arms are a comfortable reach to the steering wheel my knees are at the dash (literately). I've owned 5 trucks and this one fits me terribly in this department. The telescoping wheel needs to come back 2" more or the pedals need to be set further forward IMO. I said I'd never own a vehicle without movable pedals again. I'm wishing I'd have stuck with that!

2) My headrests move up/down but not fore/aft. I have to drive with the seat in a fairly upright postion to get any comfort at all holding the wheel. The headrests seem to move my head foreward into an awkward position that strains my neck.

3) I can't rest my arms comfortably on the left arm rest and counsole at the same time with any kind of support. It's as though the seat is too high (it's in the lowest position) or the arm rest and counsole are too low. I can lean to one side or the other but that isn't comfortable on long rides.

I told my wife today on our 4 hour drive home that this truck causes me neck and shoulder strain like no other vehicle I've owned. It's very weird and something I don't see easily remedied. I spent 35K on a truck and I'm stuck with it as I'd loose my butt if I tried to sell/swap at this point (1100 miles). I hate to say it but Toyota missed the mark in creature comfort in my book. No one needs to reply that I'm not feeling the things I'm feeling because you can't know what I'm feeling. If you have helpful suggestions I'm all ears.
I'm with you on the headrests mine only move up and down but there is an option I do not have where they tilt, they do tend to move your head forward. what I do is adjust the back of the seat to lean back a little may not work for you but when my seat is more upright my neck gets really tight from my head being pushed forward..my biggest gripe is the vague on center steering feel and the steering being way too sensitive on the highway for a truck because of the high center of gravity in cross winds it can feel like you are flying a kite.I hope you find a way to get the interior a bit more to your liking, overall it is a great truck..just a suggestion I am going to take the drivers headrest off and put a slight rearward bend in the headrest support solid tubes, just a little bend will most likely do it I'm gonna clamp it in a vise and tap the long end that is hanging out with a thick rag on it to not damage it I will let you know how it works out, I'm certain it will work.
I'm with you on the headrests mine only move up and down but there is an option I do not have where they tilt, they do tend to move your head forward. what I do is adjust the back of the seat to lean back a little may not work for you but when my seat is more upright my neck gets really tight from my head being pushed forward..my biggest gripe is the vague on center steering feel and the steering being way too sensitive on the highway for a truck because of the high center of gravity in cross winds it can feel like you are flying a kite.I hope you find a way to get the interior a bit more to your liking, overall it is a great truck..just a suggestion I am going to take the drivers headrest off and put a slight rearward bend in the headrest support solid tubes, just a little bend will most likely do it I'm gonna clamp it in a vise and tap the long end that is hanging out with a thick rag on it to not damage it I will let you know how it works out, I'm certain it will work.

Let me know how it goes. I may look into buying a fully adjustable headrest if it's reasonably priced.
Thanks for detailing these issues in this thread. I'll be sure to pay more attention to the seating posture when I make my next visit to sit in a CrewMax. I might even take as much as 45 minutes to do so.;)
this is as good as it get, in truckdom. the main thing in buying a vehicle, is your confort first, if this was an issue, then call it a $30k plus compromise.
Let me know how it goes. I may look into buying a fully adjustable headrest if it's reasonably priced.
I agree with your thoughts about the seats, Being about the same size as you, its hard to get comfortable. My 03 Tundra step side had the bucket seats with the arm rest which was very nice because I could rest my arm on the armrest and still reach the steering wheel, which was a very comfortable way to drive. My head rest do not adjust forward either, wish they did. These are small complaints to me, I still love this new Tundra. But it is hard to find just the right spot to stay comfortable on long hauls. Also agree about the radio, very hard to see during daytime hours.
After a few road trips I've discovered several things I do not like about my interior. Let me start by saying I'm of pretty average height 68" with a 29" inseam and normal length arms.

1) I've found that the steering wheel to pedals relationship is weird. If I move the seat to a good position for my legs I can't comfortably hold the steering wheel...

2) My headrests (don't fit right)

3) I can't rest my arms comfortably on the left arm rest and counsole at the same time with any kind of support.

.....It's as though the seat is too high
If I'm reading this right, you're not average porportioned, at 68" you're 5'6"...so I'm not sure if that's very generalizable to the population.

However, I mildly agree, the seat has a very tall feeling to it.

What I note is the seat (not the backrest) feels like it's every-so-slightly tilted frontwards...like i wish it had an adjustment to angle the front up a tad...feel mildly like it's going to dump me onto the floorboard. That's over stating it, but thats sort of the feeling. I'm sure the higher models have that adjustment..I've just got the SR5.
68" is 5'8" tall. Pretty average height.
Average height in America, White and Black Males is 5'10" (70") I would assume a 32 to 34" inseam.
See Human height - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sucks that your Tundra doesn't quite fit you right. I am 6' (72") and waiting for mine to show up, I hope it fits me. Sure felt good on the test drives.
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