2002 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - All Comments

"When my friend read about the last 100 or so comments on this site his comment as he turned off the computer was "WOW!! I see what you are saying! The domestic owner's comments seem a lot more fact-based. Let's go look at some Fusions." The negative (and undocumented) comments did more to convince him to look at Ford than the pro-domestic comments did."

Good luck on that Fusion, which by the way as pointed out numerous times is based on a Mazda Platform with a crank made in India, with the car itself manufactured in Mexico. My Tacoma is way more American made than the Fusion.

Oh - and by the way, I have a co-worker with a 2 year old Fusion. The steering wheel is already disintegrating, the seats look like they are 10 years old, and the car has been in for repairs 3 times since I've worked here. Sounds pretty much like every Ford I've ever seen.

"Then had three consecutive Toyota's over a 15 year span and spent exactly $90 in repairs on all three". A starter in a Tacoma"...or is that supposed to be another name for a Tundra? Maybe on the wrong review.

Sounds like my friend with a 27 year old Corvette garaged show car with only 19,000 miles with the original tires still on the car. He's had truly amazingly low repairs too. The classic car insurance alone is nearly $300 a year. What truly amazes me is that you you had 3 vehicles changed the oil, fluids, filters, brakes, tires, wiper blades, etc. for 3 vehicles for only $90.00 for 15 years. That's remarkable maybe you have a free oil field in the back yard. It costs me $40 a year just to tag each of mine also. No mileage was ever indicated for the "Toyota" and somehow it's likely irrelevant to a full size truck prospect reading your repair illustration. Is it Tundra or is it "Toyota"... I have had German cars; it cost less to repair my VW than my Mercedes, or should I just say they are German cars. That's why I like specific make, specific model and year, and the other commenter has a good point, were all your domestics (Rangers) ever bought brand new?

When you also read just the mfr. such as "Toyota", Big 3, GM, Dodge, Ford" it is clearly evident it has not or never has been been a full size truck owners comments or it would be clearly identified by a specific full size model... it tends to distort a true full size ownership cost to acquire, if new, options and repair expenditures of this full size class vehicle. I tend to skip these general comments and ones with compact 4 cylinder cars on a full size review. I especially found one of the most recent posts on 3/25 very helpful with a domestic business owner that tows helpful when comparing to my full size new Silverado truck with their late model full sizes indicating model and year of vehicle. It was refreshing and certainly on topic.

"Oh - and by the way, I have a co-worker with a 2 year old Fusion. The steering wheel is already disintegrating, the seats look like they are 10 years old, and the car has been in for repairs 3 times since I've worked here. Sounds pretty much like every Ford I've ever seen."

I have a soon-to-be 4-year-old Fusion. The steering wheel is NOT disintegrating (just HOW can a STEERING WHEEL disintegrate??). The leather seats could easily pass for brand new. It has NEVER been in the shop. Sounds like every Ford I've ever owned.

10:18 Well, I've bought domestics new and used, and imports new and used, without knowing what their histories were. As is to be expected, the Toyota's were still flawless, even used, as well as new, and the domestics were junk, new OR used. I don't care what rating the Ranger gets, mine was junk. It's hard to abuse a SENSOR, no matter how you drive the truck, and I replaced about 3 of those, as well as a LOONNGG list of other parts. My Toyota's were flawless. Ford and Chevy fans can talk all they want here. Toyota's are the better vehicles. Period.

I work in a construction-related field. Yesterday I walked in and found a lot of the guys laughing their heads off. When I asked why, one of them stopped laughing long enough to say "Billy bought a new TOYOTA TUNDRA last week and it just got hauled off by a tow truck for repairs!!" They were laughing because these guys all drive full size Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks and KNOW full-sized trucks. To them buying a Tundra for heavy pulling or hauling would be like buying a Toyota Camry for rally driving.

I've yet to see a Tundra owner buy a SECOND Tundra. I think that says a lot. I'm not saying the Tundra is junk, but it has not proven itself as a work vehicle, and Toyota is still having some pretty bad reliability issues with all of their new models. The people I know who like their Tundras are people who use them for light duty grocery hauling, gardening or camping.

22:43 so out of the vast quantities of new and used domestic and/or imports you have owned... approx. how many were full size truck models? Not a passenger or third hand observation. I question that only as you can condemn/critique full size complete mfrs. in their entirety on here. As these models can cost up and over $40k - even $50k, and there are many currently owning or contemplating a full size purchase, how many have you bought used, new whatever?

If you never have, it might be better to say you have only owned small vehicles on different platforms. drivetrains etc. If you have only owned a small Tacoma, make the comment rather than sideskirt it as such.

I have owned only 2 small trucks; a 94 Splash that I bought for my older teen child from watching too much "Baywatch" and a 99 S-10 Extended both bought new.

The Splash was a toy with a short bed, and honestly would beat you to death, and the short bed was relatively useless. The wide tires and rims and the red paint scheme looked sharp at the time. We had no mechanical issues with it, and I can offer very few direct comments as I rarely drove it as my kid disappeared with it. The plan was to split the payment and I could do some light yard trips at the home centers. At any rate, I never liked that one much. Looks it got an A+ though.

I did really like the next new at the time Chevrolet S-10 extended cab long bed, but again it was a real compromise. It was carlike to drive, but severely limited. We have since upgraded to full sizes, what we should have owned from the beginning, and never looked back since.

We currently have a new GM Silverado full size. That is my point, be totally up front with what you own. If you are capable of condemning any full sizes, offer some first hand day to day actual observations. Saying I have Toyotas, had GM's, had Fords, had Dodges, let us know what full sizes you are discussing. I honestly doubt there have ever been any, and if you like your small pickup that's fine. I personally hated the Splash from day one, yet my teen (then) loved it.

Adding up all the personal thoughts by all readers on here has value on specific models under review, This happens to be a full size one. I just read a recent comment on seats... in all fairness I liked the Toyota Supras pump up lumbar seating that was offered late 80's 90's, and even liked some of the Lexus designed inspired seats at a current boat show on some pontoon models. I am not so sure how they will hold up with intense sun/salt exposure over time, but they were fine. But not owning or living with them as I mentioned earlier... real owners of specific models can enlighten.

I have an issue with those that base broad swept comments from some magazine they read, a third hand observation or they rode to a store as someones passenger. I have ridden in literally hundreds if not a thousand models, many from plain grocery getters to quite a few exotics. But as a passenger and that needs clarified. I am quite interested though to know out of the many vehicles mentioned how many of this commenters were or ever full size models. Again the actual topic of this review.

" (just HOW can a STEERING WHEEL disintegrate??) "

The leather wrapped steering wheel on my 1998 Sable "disintegrated," but I don't blame Ford for that. On many warm days, I would get Fried Chicken at take out, go to a park, listen to the radio, eat in the car, and not particularly pay attention to the fact I was getting the leather all greasy. A few years of that, and sure the steering wheel disintegrates.

My wife refused to drive the Sable because the steering wheel was all sticky even after cleaning. I don't think it was that bad and looking back on it I am kind of amazed at how well the steering wheel held up. But my wife was so repulsed she insisted I get a new car. So it all worked to my advantage after all.

22:43, please LIST your new domestics and detail their problems. I'd be interested in seeing the list. Also, please list the make, model and mileage of your used domestics as well.

20:24 Be glad too... these are all older vehicles, domestics as well as imports, so you guys can't use the excuse that the newer models were better.. I have no bias, just reporting the facts.

Domestics-

1. 1979 Chevy Malibu with 267 cu. inch V-8. This might have been the worst engine I ever had, tied with the Ranger for worst. It got horrible gas mileage, produced nothing when it comes to horsepower and torque, overheated regularly and burned what seemed like as much oil as it did gasoline. Bought with 60,000 original miles. Kept it for 15 years with the intent of keeping it as a classic, but literally worked on it more than I drove it. Nice looking car, typical Chevy junk.

2. 1980 Buick Century with 3.8 V-6. Truly, not a bad car other than bad gas mileage. Fairly reliable, good power for a V-6.

3. 1987 Ford Ranger, V-6. Worst pile of Ford garbage I've ever owned. I can't even remember all the repairs... all 4 wheel bearings, replaced literally every sensor in it, overheated, transmission (standard) devoured itself, rear differential locked the rear wheels up TWICE, heater didn't work, burned oil, water pump died... it was about 5 years old when I bought it with 90,000 on it and it was already dead in the water. No excuse for it, Ford fans. Sorry...junk.

4. 1995 Dodge Dakota 318 v-8. Again, not a bad engine. Starter replaced at around 90,000, transmission (auto) started leaking fluid at 100,000, gas mileage was pathetic. Around 15 mpg at best, much less when hauling a small trailer to camp. Body rusted very prematurely, and I wash and wax regularly, hose out the undercarriage also. Crappy sheet metal from Dodge. My LAST domestic. Finally wised up.

Imports:

1. 1993 Toyota Tercel. Absolutely perfect. Bought with 60,000 miles on it, no repairs. Beat the hell out of it, never missed a beat, 40 miles per gallon regularly with Toyota's 1.5 liter 4 cylinder. Perfect car.

2. Sold the Tercel for 4 wheel drive; 1995 Toyota Truck (before they were called Tacoma's). Absolutely perfect, of course. Had the 22re engine, and nobody but Honda has made one as well. Zero repairs, great on the road, much better off the road.

3. 1998 Toyota Tacoma. Another perfect vehicle, 3.4 liter V-6. Capable of towing just about as much as the Dakota, except got 10 more miles per gallon on the highway. I've done as well as 24 mpg on the highway. Recently sold it back to Toyota for way more than I paid for it due to the frame rust issue. Now this is where I usually get attacked... "how can you say it was perfect if the frame rusted?"... Well, that was not the fault of Toyota. Mechanically, it was perfect. The lucky part for me is that Toyota made it and not Ford or Chevy, because they wouldn't have compensated me for the problem nearly as well as Toyota did, if at all. I'd probably be stuck with a truck with a rusted frame and part of one of the many class action lawsuits against the Big 3. Toyota backed up their product when Ford and GM never would have, or not nearly as well for certain.

When I buy 4 domestics and 3 of them are absolute junk, I'm done buying them. When I buy 3 Toyota's, and all of them are mechanically perfect, I will continue to buy them. The math seems simple to me. Buy what keeps running and lasts. Toyota, not Ford, Chevy, or Dodge.

2.

Not 1 full size truck.

Just as I (and all the others reading this site) had expected. Not a single NEW domestic, or a single full sized truck. Your previous comment CLEARLY STATES you've bought NEW and used domestics. If that statement is incorrect, how reliable can we expect your others to be?? A used and abused ancient domestic is a poor comparison to a NEW full sized truck, and you've owned so few vehicles that any accurate comparison is impossible.

We've owned 17 domestics that WERE purchased brand new. Not a single problem with ANY of them, and the first one was purchased in 1972. That puts the lie to "the older ones were garbage" argument as well. Our 70's and 80's domestics were also flawless, just as our 2007 is.

We'll keep supporting our country and our industry by buying from U.S. companies.

23:26 Wasn't your Dakota actually totaled in an accident based on prior comments? One of your domestics was bought at 90,000 miles and yet another with 60,000 miles.

I would have asked for service records, maybe the oil filter was never changed or driven hard to be oil burners.

My work has a 2001 Dakota with 200,000 miles, and a 2003 Durango with 245,000 miles on them, mostly highway but not oil burners. I have a relative with a nice 1995 Century has been flawless as well.

My comment is having 6 or 7 vehicles total, and most not bought new, and none are full size trucks, nonetheless to condemn any. If your experience ranges from mid 80's to 1998, there's 11 years after that. In that time span I have seen imports that we bought new until lately become satisfactory from being exceptional to lousy. And they were bought new.

It's nice Toyota was kind enough to buy a vehicle out with a rotted frame, perhaps that was cheaper than the alternative.

I have had domestics that I made out big time, that appreciated with notes wanting to buy under the windshield often.

... and as we see from today's news that Mr Wagoner has been forced to step down and Chrysler has only one option - to team up with Fiat (pathetic) or be sold, that the big three domestic car makers are doing a FANTASTIC job...

"... and as we see from today's news that Mr Wagoner has been forced to step down and Chrysler has only one option - to team up with Fiat (pathetic) or be sold, that the big three domestic car makers are doing a FANTASTIC job...'

The Seoul-based automaker (Hyundai) has boosted sales in the U.S. where demand for Toyotas models has PLUNGED..." (USA Today, March 30, 2009.

Virtually ALL cars are suffering huge sales losses (except Hyundai). Poor sales has NOTHING To do with car quality and everything to do with the economy. Hyundai is doing well because it makes both fuel-efficient, affordable cars and the top luxury car in the market (Genesis) at a bargain-basement price.

My boat is too valuable to tow with a Tercel with a hitch.