2001 Toyota Tundra Limited from North America - Comments

5 brake jobs and it currently needs a 6th. The check engine light came on a few times which turned out to be bad sensors.

This truck feels like it is very solidly built. It has a very quiet and comfortable ride. I was very surprised at how quiet it is at highway speeds. In my opinion this truck is very nice looking. It seems to handle light duty jobs nicely. I use mine to carry small loads in the back and pull my Seadoos to the water. However the brakes are beginning to wear on my patience, because now the dealer is starting to give me a hard time on replacing the rotors and drums. As of now I have no confidence in Toyota because the last brake job they performed on my truck was the newly redesigned brakes. Those did not last longer than the old brakes! I am so disappointed and I don't know what to do.

I purchased a 2000 Toyota Tundra on Nov. 9, 2003, from a large used-car dealer in Reno, Nevada. This dealer went all the way to Las Vegas to get this truck into inventory supposedly because it's such a hot item. Perhaps they shouldn't have bothered. I bought this truck largely on recommendations esp. from Consumer Reports. I should have checked this web site first.

On Nov. 15, I had new studded snow tires put on the truck in Truckee, Calif. Two days later, driving around Reno, the truck stuttered when I braked. I had the alignment fixed. Still stuttered on braking. On Nov. 19, I took it to the dealer (they have a full repair dept.). The dealer repaired the brakes for free as a safety item. The so-called service writer told me that I should always downshift my automatic transmission before stopping to cut down on the strain on the brakes. Can you beat that?

This advice does have some sense to it. For one thing, many autos and trucks are always in overdrive; the Tundra is. This gives better gas mileage, but it also lets the vehicle drift so that the transmission doesn't help at all with slowing the vehicle. So, I take the Tundra out of overdrive when I drive city streets and occasionally I downshift. The truck stops without chattering now, but that advice seems screwy. A truck's brakes really ought to work better than that.

I see in the 2004 Consumer Reports Buying Guide that the 2000 Tundras have poor brakes. Next time, I'll do better research. But I'm surprised that CR so glowingly praises the Tundra in new-vehicle reviews when the Tundra's brakes go bad so easily. Are other pick-up trucks worse?

I found this interesting, I just sent my 2000 4x4 Tundra to the dealer today due to a check sensor that came on. I never had trouble with anything after 31K miles. However, after tire rotation, fix the air sensor, the front brakes were at 10% and the back @ 80% (original). Replaced the front brakes rotors everything under warranty. Total work over $2,500 thank goodness for warranties. I wish I read this forum earlier as I do have seat belt retracking problems and didn't think of it when I dropped it off. damn. going back tomorrow. All in all I tow a 3K pound boat, doesn't feel it, same boat I towed with a Durango after 2 years and had to have two tranny jobs. tundra is great for me. If I go back (seriously doubt it) I hope the hemi and redesign of transmission works for dodge.