3rd Feb 2009, 09:59

My Dad has actually had a Ford F-150, a Chevy Silverado, and now a 2002 Tundra - the Truck in this review. My Dad lives out in the sticks, heats his house with firewood, has a gravel driveway that has to get new gravel every few years, owns a tractor with a trailer to haul it with, a camper, and other heavy pieces of equipment.

His truck has well over 215,000 miles thus far. It has yet to give him major issues. I find that impressive given that GM, Ford, and Chrysler have had well over 90 years to "get it right" thus should have the most perfect trucks on the planet by now, yet my Dad's Tundra has proven every bit as capable, much more reliable, and much better handling than any of the domestically produced trucks he's owned.

3rd Feb 2009, 11:29

An extremely rare Tundra that makes 200,000 miles is an exception to the rule. Comment 15:33 is far more characteristic of the Tundras I know of personally. None of our friends who bought early Tundras has bought a second Tundra. All have gone back to domestics for just the reason cited in comment 15:33 (ESPECIALLY brakes and steering issues).

As for commenting on small trucks, that is because ONE import fanatic owns a 16-year-old Tacoma and bases ALL his opinions on ONE Ford he once once owned that had a minor problem at 200,000 miles. He has never even DRIVEN a full-sized truck.

3rd Feb 2009, 15:23

But now it's 2009...what year domestics are we commenting on? My dad has also kept cars way too long (sentimentality). He had a VW bug that had high mileage on it, but he could have bought a new one instead of repairing it. Had high mileage on it.

I had a Mercedes Turbo Diesel at one time, could have 500,000 miles on it now... the repair bills were astronomical when it went in though.

Personally I did not like the new Tundra or its ride and handling. Maybe the 2002 ride,handling is better than a 2009 I guess.

3rd Feb 2009, 21:47

00:07, Well.. Toyota obviously has enough experience in the full size truck market to build one that embarrasses Ford, Chevy, and Dodge's comparably sized trucks. They're Toyota... they do their homework and then build a great vehicle, like always. They're not Chevy... slap together a cheap, haphazard truck and overprice it by $15,000. Toyota has enough experience building automobiles to actually understand that if you build them RIGHT, people will buy them. A lesson that Ford, Chevy, and Dodge have yet to learn.

4th Feb 2009, 16:32

21:47...what embarrassment. Tundra vs. Silverado... Tundra had a worse ride, worse handling, less interior room, weak poor warranty, less load and towing capability. So am I to buy one anyway? Hardly. Find me up a new diesel 3/4 Ton Tundra loaded and I'll test it thoroughly.

4th Feb 2009, 21:01

The sales figures for January just came. The two TOP SELLERS?? Ford F-series and Chevy Silverado. Tundra was noticeably absent from ANY of the top 10 slots. I bet Ford and Chevy just LOVE being "embarrassed" like that. Even the Dodge Ram made the top 10.

5th Feb 2009, 07:24

11:29 I believe you are referring to me and my comment... I base my opinions (facts also) about Ford (and GM/Dodge) on a few different things:

1. For the last two or three decades, they've received far lower ratings in quality and reliability than almost any import, and certainly MUCH lower than Toyota or Honda.

2. They don't hold their value nearly as well as a Toyota. The reason for this is clear and simple: at high mileage, they are worth less because they have FAR less 'life' left in them than a Toyota.

3. My Ford did NOT have only minor problems at 200,000. First off, it didn't approach anything close to 200,000 miles before it went to the scrapyard, and it had a few major and COUNTLESS minor issues long before that. I've owned only ONE Ford, as the reason for that is that once I discover that a product is junk, I never buy it again. I put several hundred, if not a few thousand dollars into that nightmare of a truck to keep it running. I should have sold it as soon as I fixed it the first time.

4. This is the most important reason I stay away from Ford: real world truths and experience. Although this will no doubt be countered by tales citing the exact opposite, practically EVERYONE I've known that owned a Ford had trouble with it on a regular basis. I'm talking about a LOT of specific instances I could cite here. Real world experience has shown me that they just aren't well built and break down often. Especially their cars. You couldn't give me a car with a Ford emblem on it.

5. I only made the mistake of buying a domestic once more after this Ford, which was a '95 Dodge Dakota, which truthfully, wasn't that bad of a truck. Outside of the horrid gas mileage and the cheap body construction (premature rust in spite of consistent washing and care) it was fairly reliable. The 318, as far as reliability, was not a bad engine. Although, when it met its end (someone crashed into me) it was starting to have transmission issues, which '95 Dakota's are noted for. At only 115,000 miles.

6. After that, I switched to Toyota's exclusively, and it's plain to see that I made the right choice. ONE single repair over the life of three vehicles, all of which I traded in running perfectly. $98 for a starter in my Tacoma is the complete list of repairs outside of maintenance for three Toyota's. With the Ford, I was probably spending $98 or more a month to keep that piece of garbage running. Not smoothly, just able to haul itself down the road empty, which is a lot to ask of a Ford.

5th Feb 2009, 07:27

Is that why Ford, Chevy and Dodge Trucks each outsell Toyota many times over are all on the 10 best seller list (unlike the Tundra), and the Ford F-150 has been the best selling vehicle in America by far for 27 years?

Is the Tundra's superiority why Toyota is discontinuing the model cause of poor sales? Not that I put any stock in Consumer Reports (gag), but for anyone that does, why does Consumer Reports rate the Tundra Reliability as much worse than average?

Is that why the mean and tough Tundra cannot even drive down the road without bending itself out of shape?

Why do I see so many Tundra's in the used vehicle sections of domestic truck manufacturers that have been traded in? My neighbor for instance "tried" a new Tundra and had serious valve train problems with the engine, and brake and suspension problems. He went right back to a domestic.