2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - Off Topic Comments

My next GM pickup will definitely be the Denali. Even with the heavy towing requirements and load carrying, I have not had any ominous failure rates the past 4 years with either GM truck to date.

The new full size GM SUV's and Trucks are outstanding. I own both and we have had no issues unlike new imports. My dealer respects me and I expect them to honor the 100,000 mile warranty, of which half will likely be left when I sell my newest one.

I am fortunate to be in the position to own and buy the newest full size truck available, not just price oriented or on a tight budget. The best truck with best features and capability gets my business. I do not lightly dismiss new engine or trans replacements on new cars and trucks... it's unacceptable being proactive or not... unacceptable.

I have not had mechanical drivetrain issues with my new trucks, even with heavy towing requirements.

"10th Apr 2008, 22:51.

Apparently you somehow miss the part where I explain how the Dodge fell apart, was inefficient, and is therefore inferior to the Toyota? Not quite sure how you chalk this up as 'opinion' when it is clearly fact."

You stated that the Dakota was "flawless" up until 115,000 miles. That is your word. You still seem to not understand that you are only offering your opinion that the Tacoma was better than the Dakota. You are only qualified to state your opinion as to your experience with a 1998 Tacoma and a 1995 Dakota. Your 1998 Tacoma has nothing to do with a 2008 Camry, nor does a 1995 Dakota represent a proxy for the entire American auto industry.

I wrote the original comment about the Dakota and the Tacoma I now own.

Of course, when I said the Dakota ran to 115,000, some domestic owners took that to mean that it was as good as a Toyota, after I clearly explained why it was not.

Maybe just to clarify, I should have compared the Tacoma to the Ford Ranger I had to get the point across.

OK, to sum up, the Toyota was and is perfect, just like the other two I have owned in the last 15 years. Nothing has ever gone wrong. I have yet, in a decade and a half, to make a repair on a Toyota, and believe me, I've driven them hard.

OK, back to the Ranger. It was undoubtedly the biggest pile of junk I've ever seen or heard about, with the possible exception of my sister's Blazer; hard to say which was more cheaply made or broke down more often. Good old domestic 'quality'. What a laugh.

I don't even have the patience to list everything that went wrong with the Ranger. The shorter list would be of parts that I DIDN'T replace. Which is why I have to laugh when some domestic owner suggests I buy another Ford or Chevy. Why not just empty my wallet out and GIVE it to a Ford salesman? That would be easier than trying to get to work in one and having to have it towed repeatedly to the garage. Saves time.

If my Tacoma had been twice the price, and a new Ranger was offered to me for half the price, I'd still buy the Toyota and be further ahead in the long run. Funny how these Fords magically run forever in on line stories, but in reality, everyone I know that made the mistake of buying one hates it within a few years because it breaks down. Meanwhile, the Toyota's just keep on taking abuse and running perfectly.

Comment 11:14 makes a very good point. The GM owner's truck WILL one day start to fall apart. That is typically between 275,000 to 300,000 miles. At that point he will sell it to someone who will have minor problems with it and write a nasty review of it on CarSurvey, putting down all domestics as garbage. That seems to be the pattern.

If so much goes wrong with Rangers, it is interesting that it has EXACTLY the same reliability rating as the Tacoma.

I also have a 2001 Dakota Extended Cab V8 with 170,000 miles that has been great. Maybe it's the V8 that easily accommodates this size truck, but the drivetrain is absolutely outstanding, unlike the imports I am seeing.

So now there is a second Dakota on this review... one ran perfect til 115,000 until it was totaled by the Tacoma owner. If the Tacoma was totaled at 20,000 miles, would that mean it would have been junk?... and then there is my company owned vehicle running flawless at 170,000. That is a testimonial in that its not a vehicle I have any financial ties to.

The best reviews are company owned vehicles in my opinion, because there is no bias financial or otherwise. If they suck they suck, but this vehicle I have praise. I am sure my extended cab Dakota rides a lot better as well... no bouncy hopping ride.

21:15.

That's right.

When import vehicles break, their owners shrug it aside and say "oh well, all cars break, even my beloved import".

By contrast, if a domestic vehicle were to have the exact same problem, these same people would unilaterally say all domestic vehicles are garbage.

There is a stark double standard.

I would not be caught dead in a Ford, and I would sooner buy a Ford than a Chevy, so that should sum up my opinions about GM.

As I've said, I live very close to the Lordstown, Ohio GM plant; I've been set to laughing with stories of how those pieces of crap are built; I know plenty of guys that have worked there for years. Even they only drive them because they more or less have to.

Guess what? Guess what kinds of cars they buy for their wives and so forth? Toyota's and Honda's. Or rather, anything but GM's, despite the employee discounts.

Whoever out there wants to believe a GM will get anywhere near 300,000 miles can go ahead and believe it. I know better.

In 300,000 miles I will have been on my 6th import or domestic vehicles, and I suspect I am in the majority.

I personally do not like the idea of my wife or children driving extreme mileage vehicle in bad weather or at night.

I have kept a few vehicles too long and ultimately it was me that had to come to the rescue and await tow service.

The newest import reliability in our household has been poor.

Since this is about full size trucks, not about small vehicles at Lordstown (cars) it would be nice to see more late model comparisons those driving Tundras 2 or 3 years old, not 10 years ago and not even the correct type comparison.

I have had 3 new GM full size models since 2004 not one issue. I am now towing my fishing boat every weekend and it performs great.

I do not feel like going to dealer maintenance shops anymore and that has been a relief. My time is too valuable.

Imports lost me as a customer and I searched elsewhere. It's pretty simple, you go where you have the best service and durability; at this point and time the new domestics are superior in our household.

"Whoever out there wants to believe a GM will get anywhere near 300,000 miles can go ahead and believe it. I know better."

I worked in a Buick dealership in the late 90's. I guess I must have been imagining things when I saw Buicks with 200 - 300K+ miles come in for oil changes on a regular basis.

I guess I was also imagining things when I saw those vehicles' service histories and that minimal had been done to them besides routine maintenance.

I guess I was also imagining my S-10 with well over 200,000 miles on it that was running perfectly when I sold it.

I guess I was imagining my neighbor's many Chevy vans he always bought for his business that always went over 300,000 miles without failing him.

I guess I was also imagining my friend's Chevy Cavalier built at the plant you mentioned that had well over 200,000 miles and was running perfectly when he sold it.

I could think of so many examples to illustrate how off base your comment is, it would take me forever to write them. I won't bother, because I doubt you would ever challenge your assumptions anyway.

05:43 There's nothing wrong with having the prerogative of buying a new vehicle every few years, or every five. However, some of us like to keep them a long time, and that is where buying a Toyota pays off.

I don't care who says what on this site or otherwise, the proof is in the ownership. And millions of people over the last decade or so, more every day, are switching to Toyota because we all know that they most often run to 250,000 or 300,000 or more with little or no trouble, and that the domestics do not. It's just that simple, and true.

I've owned domestics, of all makes. Generally, at about 80,000 or so, maybe 100,000, the mechanical troubles begin, and are often major. Every one I've owned has done this. Coincidence? I don't think so. Also not coincidence that all three of my Toyota's have never needed a single penny in repairs; only maintenance.

I wrote earlier about the Dakota I owned. Yes, I said it made it to 115,000 and ran well. However, I did mention that the troubles were beginning. It started to leak transmission fluid. I had to put a starter in it. Also, '95 Dakota's were well known for automatic transmission problems, which I avoided luckily to that point.

My Toyota's all breezed right by that mileage point and more with zero issues. The Ranger I owned gave me problems the first day I brought it home and never ceased to have them.

I'll admit that recent domestics are a lot better than the complete garbage they produced in the 80's and 90's, but they're still not up to par with any Toyota that's yet rolled off the line.

Domestic owners should realize that the Big 3 stepped it up only when they finally were forced to; when they started losing sales dramatically because people wised up finally and started switching to the imports. Claiming otherwise doesn't make it true.

This still happens. Again, GM lost more money last year than ever before, and Toyota has made more than ever. Those are facts, and they are inarguable.

I find it funny that the Big 3 now compare themselves to Toyota quality in their advertising. I just heard a Ford commercial yesterday that said, and I quote, "NOW as reliable as Toyota". SO... for all of you domestics owners that like to claim that the domestics are or were as reliable as a Toyota, FORD THEMSELVES admitted that they weren't, and the fact is that they still aren't. They just hope people will believe it. GM is even worse.

I've looked at new full size trucks, not to buy, because my Tacoma only has 90,000 on it, and runs as well as day 1. As a Toyota owner who maintains his vehicle by the book, I know I still have probably at least 200,000 or more miles to go before I even consider something new. The 3.4 liter v-6 in this truck is a far better engine than GM, Ford, or Dodge has ever produced.

The point is, if you like to believe that domestics are anywhere close to as well built as a Toyota, think again, because they most surely are not.

Well, comment 18:44 is not EXACTLY correct. If a domestic has ANY problem, it is called "domestic crap", "worthless garbage", etc. even if it is just a broken knob on the radio.

If an import vehicle has a major, life-threatening problem, such as the Tundra's defective brakes, steering, front suspension, stalling engines or bad air bags, the import owners just go "Oh, it's such a RARE occurrence it hardly warrants noting".

One of our friends has a Tundra that has been in the shop repeatedly for brake and front end problems. He also bought a 2007 Camry and has mentioned all sorts of problems with it. But if you ask him why he bought yet ANOTHER defective import, his response is "They are better." Even when I point out that our 6-year-old GM that has given him rides to the dealer to pick up his Tundra, has never had ONE problem in all those miles, he still will argue that imports are "better". I think a new definition of "better" needs to be used for import owners. If cars that break down more frequently are "better", that does NOT match my dictionary's definition of the word.

We've never once been stranded in an American vehicle, including some that had over 200,000 miles on them. In our entire married life my wife and I have both been stranded on the road twice. In both cases it was in a friend's Toyota that was still under warranty (two different friends and two different Toyotas).

"...my Tacoma only has 90,000 on it, and runs as well as day 1."

Great, and my 2002 Ford Explorer has only 94,000 miles on it, and runs flawlessly, with no repair ever. You are not proving your point, only expressing your belief that "Toyota is better."

22:21 I find it funny that people write in saying they've never been let down in a domestic but have more than once in Toyota's. If this happens, then it's an extremely rare situation that's the exception to the rule. It's just not the truth, plain and simple.