2003 Toyota Tundra long term test: Two years.

[pagemaster]

I was reading some of the other posts about GM cars such as the Alero and Sierra. I thought it might be interesting to post my thoughts for the 2003 Toyota Tundra in case somebody is reading this forum and trying to make a decision about purchasing a new or used trucks. I will try to be as unbiased as I can but I guess you can't be 100% unbiased if you own the vehicles.

Here goes.

The truck is a 2003 Toyota Tundra Acces Cab 4x4 Limited. The exterior color is Salsa Red Pearl and the interior is Oak.

Walkaround: The tundra recieved an exterior refreshing for the 2003 model year. I do like the 2000-2002 exterior better from the bumper upward however I like the 2003 models circular fog lamps better than the 2000-2002 bumper integrated. The exterior color is rare among Tundras and is a darker red color. The door handles are different than the double cab however they are of the pull up design which is not very good at resisting scratches when attempting to open the doors.

The rear access cab doors have the door handle placed on the outside which makes is very convienient when open the rear doors. The bed is about 16 inches deep which is smaller than most competitors but is big enough for most needs. The tailgate is of locking design and is lightweight when closing. The exterior fit and finish is very good.



Overall the exterior is smaller than competing trucks, however I personally believe (and it can be disputed) that Toyota intended this on purpose to avoid US backlash about the size of their truck. Also, there was no larger engine ready at the time of initial production and that is why the size was smaller.

Interior: The interior of this truck is what impressed me the most. It is smaller than competing designs however it is built with good construction and hasexcellent ergonomics. The interior is spacious. There are a total of 8 cupholders in the this trucks. There is a set of cupholders that retracts from the dash, two in front of the center console which are in my opinion the best cupholders I have EVER experience. There are also two more cupholders located on the back of the center console which are brilliantly located within drivers reach. Right now there are two bottles of water sitting in the back cupholder while the front cupholders are dedicated to a coffer or a soda can. In essence there are really six cupholders within drivers reach. The last two cupholders are located in the center armrest in the rear. There are numerous cubby holes and storage compartments located all over this truck.

The instrument panel is straightfoward and easy to read. The gauges are a light green color with orange needles. Speedometer, tachometer, oil, battery, coolant and fuel are included. HVAC controls are within drivers reach and the steering wheel mounted controls are easy and straightforward to use.

This truck was really suited for two people but you can put three people inside with out the rear person complaining as long as they site behind the passenger and are not very tall. I have driven with two others in the truck on long drives (1hr to 2hr) without them complaining. They were under six feet tall, however I would not recommend someone really sitting back there for very long.


Interior problems that I have noticed are minor but still might matter to some. The door swithces and mirror controls are not backlighted at night. The only door switch that is lighted is the AUTO drivers window. There is no battery rundown protection on this truck unlike my parents 1998 Chevy. Finally there is no power passenger seat or diminng rear view mirror offered on this trucks. Heated seats are alos absent on the leather trimmed interior.



Driving Impressions: Many people complain that this truck is underpowered. I disagree. I really believe that this truck is make all the power that it can and should do for this size truck when you are not towing. The truck makes 245hp at 4800rpm and 315fttq at 3400rpm. The truck has very good off line acceleration and most publication report between 7.8 and 8.8 0-60mph times. The truck would be even nicer if it had more horsepower but it does have enough to get the job done.

I have hauled about 750lbs on numerous occasions and the engine is taxed but still gets you there. I have not towed with this truck nor will I ever have too. I have also done some moderate light offroading with no problem. The truck also handles snow with ease.

The engine is a DOHC design which is used in the Toyota Land Crusier, Sequioa and Lexus LX470. The engine is very smooth and quiet and road and wind noise is barely heard at highway speeds. The transmission is a 4 speed however I wish I had my parent 5 speed 4runner transmission. The trottle is a little sensitive and new drivers are suprised at how senstive it is but getting used to it does not take very long.

The ride is car like and very smooth with some bouncyness when unloaded and go over large bumps.

Problems: So far I have over 94000kms on this truck which just over two years old. I have had two warranty problems so far which has affected the interior. The first was a loose interior dash clip which made a clicking sound when going over bumps. The second was the heated mirror dash light which burned out which required a new heated mirror dash switch. Both repairs where covered under the warranty.

I needed new front disc brake pads at about 70k and I also need an out of warranty repair when I needed the serpentine drive belt replace at about 85000km because of cracking. It should be noted that the truck is still under the powertrain warranty.

So far fuel ecomony has not been as bad as I thought. I can get about 515-550km on a tank of gas (about 85 litres) at about $80 to $85. I fill up about evey 10 to 11 days.
When I used to drive more I would fill up once per week and clock about 2000km per month.


Would I buy another Toyota based on my experience with this Toyota? With out a doubt.

Some of the things I would change? I would like to see automatic 4wd on the next Tundra. More interior options available.

Would I recommend this truck to someone else? yes, but I would tell them that they are not getting a domestic experience when you buy a Tundra

[Strapping.Young.Lad]

My dads F150 has all the things you were complaining about.And its fine with the 5.4L The 4.6 is a sluuug. My dads has 127,000Kms. Has not had any problems.And he has not replaced the brakes.It gets around 650-700Km a tank and costs about the same to fill up.
So my dads FORD has been more reliable than your TOYOTA.

[IAMCANADIAN]

Have you had CD Skipping issues? I know when it came out, a few journalists said that was an issue. The tundra is a nice truck, it's not necessarily the best truck available, but has been pretty reliable with you only having some issues, but that's not surprising in any car and that's why there's warranty.

[pagemaster]

Originally Posted by IAMCANADIAN

Have you had CD Skipping issues? I know when it came out, a few journalists said that was an issue. The tundra is a nice truck, it's not necessarily the best truck available, but has been pretty reliable with you only having some issues, but that's not surprising in any car and that's why there's warranty.

No, never had a problem wih the CD player. It is a 6 disc design with at least 5 disc in there all the time.

[IAMCANADIAN]

that's good, I'm sure they would've corrected it if it was a problem. Sounds like a good truck though.

[pagemaster]

Perhaps the pre 2003 had the skipping issue as the 2003 radio is a new design.

[IAMCANADIAN]

that could be, but you're truck sounds good. If you bought another truck, would it be toyota, nissan, GM, Dodge, Ford? If you decided on Toyota again, would you get a Tundra or get the new Tacoma which is similar in size and probably more efficient with the V6.

[pagemaster]

Originally Posted by IAMCANADIAN

that could be, but you're truck sounds good. If you bought another truck, would it be toyota, nissan, GM, Dodge, Ford? If you decided on Toyota again, would you get a Tundra or get the new Tacoma which is similar in size and probably more efficient with the V6.

Personally I would not look back about buying another Tundra. My requirements would change. This time I do want a double cab/crew cab, i also do want a 5 speeds auto, and I want but can live without a composite bed....

When I bought my 2003 tundra I didn't want a 4 door. I am in love with the current double cab but I still have 9 months of payment left on the current truck. I also want this truck to last 8 more years as I plan to buy a Corolla as a ecomony car as a a second vehicle.

[Arizona Slim]

I had an 02 Tundra for a couple years. I agree with you about the front end, the older models are much better looking. I had the bench seat, so only 2 cupholders. Overall it was a nice truck. No good for towing, but did good offroad and rode nice on-road. I had many more problems with mine, the most serious being a complete replacement of the brake system (discs, drums, and pads) at 10,000 miles. I also had the cd skipping issue which was annoying. Sounds like they worked out most of the bugs. I was never too impressed with the interior, it looked like it was right out of a Camry. But it was simple and functional, so that's a plus.

[pagemaster]

I was never too impressed with the interior, it looked like it was right out of a Camry. But it was simple and functional, so that's a plus

I do agree here however I have the limited interior which is totally differnet than a base or SR5 in my opinion. The base and SR5 interior are very boring and dull but the limited adds beige leather, faux wood trim and more optiions.

[Arizona Slim]

Originally Posted by pagemaster

I do agree here however I have the limited interior which is totally differnet than a base or SR5 in my opinion. The base and SR5 interior are very boring and dull but the limited adds beige leather, faux wood trim and more optiions.

True, I remember the Limited looking a lot nicer. I had an SR5 so it was pretty drab. But the interior is the last thing on my list when buying a truck so I didn't care too much. The biggest gripe I had with the Tundra was (at the time) you couldn't get a limited slip diff on the 2wd's unless you ponied up for the TRD offroad package. That was the only 2wd I've ever owned with an open diff and I'll never do that again. I put in an ARB air locker which helped a lot, but what a hassle.

Oh, and nice write-up Pagemaster. I love reading the member reviews. I'd much rather hear the opinions of regular people who own and drive the vehicles than professional auto writers.

[Canuck]

Thanks for the review. I am going to check with my next door neighbor to see if his experiences with his Tundra has been the same as yours.

[griswold44]

Nice review. I had a 2001 Tundra Limited, and it was a nice truck. I towed some stuff with it (ATV trailer, boats), and it seemed to handle the load pretty good (There was some hesitation going over mountains, but overall it was fine). The shocks never seemed to sag (if they did, it was very little). One thing I loved was the acceleration on that truck, and anybody who calls it underpowered really needs to drive it.

[pagemaster]

One thing I loved was the acceleration on that truck, and anybody who calls it underpowered really needs to drive it.
__________________

The acceleration of the Tundr is impressive. The current 4.7iforce can get to 0-60mph faster than dodges Hemi, Gm's 5.3 vortec and the Ford Triton. The only truck that outguns it is the Titan.

[jman196]

why 8 cupholders, who needs 8 cupholder you can't even seat near 8 people, three drinks per person is a little bit much I think.