"Upgrading" to a 5.7 Tundra

Due to towing limitations of my Tacoma, and the recent transmission issue (since fixed) I had with the A340F transmission and the fact my Tacoma is 28 years old with 375k miles .... I have been thinking about getting a used 2015-2021 Tundra with a 5.7, and 4x4.

I had been semi keeping up with newer Tacomas, but not Tundras. So, I have a few questions ....

• Are there any years/engines/transmissions/etc. that have been problematic that I should avoid?

• Is the 5.7 bulletproof, or do I need to make sure repairs/upgrades/recalls were done to make it bulletproof?

• How many miles is the Tundra good for before things start to need major repairs?

* What is the real world mpg of the 5.7 Tundra?

And finally, any other information you can provide would be extremely appreciated! Thank you!

 

@Empty_Lord has to work on the things so he probably has a good idea

 

All years of the 2/2.5 gen have the same powertrain. I'm not aware of any year being better or worse than any of the others.

No major recurring reliability issues have been reported. Some (most? All?) 5.7s will seep oil from the cam tower seal. Most folks who have this issue won't even notice. Unless the oil is dripping onto the heat shield and making a smell when it burns off, don't worry about it. The fix is major and at least one Tundras.com member who had it done had to replace his truck because the techs didn't put his engine back together again. In my opinion, the issue is blown out of proportion on the forums.

The Tundra is good for a million miles at least. But any vehicle will start to need work once you get up over 300 or 400k miles.

I get 18 mpg highway empty. About 14 city. 10 or so when towing my trailer. But I have a light foot most of the time and minimal mods.

 

A fireman a few doors down has a black tundy. It’s a beaut. Now you’ve got me thinking and that’s not good (for my bank account)

 

Be sure to get one with the 38 gallon fuel tank.

I can get 17 ish on the highway. Overall average over 80k+ is just shy of 15 mpg. Towing is 10-12.

2018+ has a few updates and added tech. 2020 added CarPlay.

 

My brother got a 2020 recently and here are my notes to him before he bought it.


Pre 2014 since you get more cup holders in the center console, get grab handles, underseat storage, less electrical shit, dual zone climate control, etc

2016 and 2017 get the larger fuel tank, and transmission cooler, but none of the TSS nannies.

2018 gets LED headlights and few other updates, gets some of the nannies, but still has transmission cooler

The throttle on the '07 was much "touchier" than successive years

2019 + No transmission coolers

 

The 5.7 is very reliable for the most part. Cam tower and timing cover leaks are fairly common though. Some develop timing chain noise from the bank 1 timing chain tensioner seizing up but I’ve never seen it cause issues. Plenty come in 300k+ miles. 16-17 are peak years with all the good stuff but none of the pre collision shit



the gas mileage will make you view the Tacoma as a prius

 

Yeah the 14.1mpg average is wild.

 

They seem to be really good trucks if you can get past to poor fuel mileage.

I will say you will curse Toyota if you ever have to do a starter in one (they seem to die around the 100k-175k range) especially if you live anywhere with rust, it lives under the right exhust manifold and you will need to replace the S-Terminal connector becausethey always break. Not a terrible job if everything comes apart like they are supposed to but if it's rusted things can go south in a hurry.

We don't get many in the shop at all, when we do most of the time it's for a starter, SAIS problem, or because someone stole the cats off of it (Tundra cats seem to be targets of thieves around here).

 

Neighbor guy around the corner has a black on black PRO and he keeps it waxed and detailed as fuck. Bone stock and super clean

They really are bullet-proof. If you can get over the poor mileage they are great trucks just go and go

 

I had a Tundra a few years ago. Loved most everything about it but the mpg was shit. And even though I liked the truck after 50000 miles little things started going wrong. 2 O2 sensors were replaced, rear door lock stopped working, tranny blew up at around 55000 miles(Toyota replaced for free), problem with the a/c………. I think I was just unlucky with that truck. If I was to get a truck for towing I think I’d go with an F150.

 

Ford regular cab dually would be sweet.

 

There's at least one theory out there that the AC sucks in 2018 due to a change of refrigerant and it's possible the transmission cooler was deleted to help with that.

 

Not saying anything new, but they are probably the most perfect truck other than the gas mileage and parking at the mall. Those two reasons are why I went from the Tundra back to Tacoma (I have a longish commute and have to park lots of tight places now).