Why a 1st year car is a risk

This link to a video by Scotty is reason to consider avoiding cars in their first year of production. He also comments on the price differences between Toyota and Lexus parts.

A Sad Day for Toyota Owners, They Just Destroyed …:

 

Serves them right for killing the V8.

Good thing no one actually buys Tundras.

 

I test drove a limited when I was at the dealer the other week and the twin turbo 6 really didn’t impress me.

 

Unfortunately for the auto manufacturers, the govt. keeps increasing the mpg number that the manufacturers must achieve on average across their fleet. Hence why we are seeing the demise of the V8 on some models.

 

I’ve owned three tundras and work’s would own another when the turbo v6 is sorted out.

 

Exactly. V8's will be extinct soon and it will be the fault of the government, not the manufacturers. The most recent CAFE targets are impossible to reach with anything that resembles the current offerings.

 

Ze Germans decided to keep making V8s for their high end SUVs.

 

Oh boy. Just wait until the 4Runner twin turbo 4 cylinder comes out…

 

The price of gasoline is hastening the demise of gas guzzlers right now.

 

That's a different issue. If gas drops to a buck a gallon the government regs will still be killing big gas motors.

 

As for Tundra I wonder if there is any other videos of Turbo failures than the few I saw few couple of weeks back. Any one in Tundra forum and notice any posts of any member(s) got this problem?


BTW, very interesting statement on 4Runner vs Lexus on that video (Video link). Didn't knew that "4Runners break about the least" vs the Lexus GX. The only reason I got Mrs a 4Runner Limited is for better fuel range & better ground clearance. Didn't know that 4Runner is less likely to break than the Lexus GX. Wish Scotty explain that statement better.

 

Different but related.
The US govt doesn’t regulate the whole world. The US isn’t as big a chunk of the worldwide car market as in the past. Tough emission and mileage standards are in place in most countries and some are more stringent than the US (like the EU). Fuel is expensive and the rest of the world tends to drive smaller cars with better fuel economy. Auto makers respond to what the world consumers and govts demand: better fuel mileage (for less cost to operate), and clean air. Plus they want consistency; they don’t want to keep making custom cars to meet different regulations in different countries. Big engines in heavy vehicles are going extinct due to economics and regulations.

 

Mostly obfuscation. The US market is huge enough that millions of vehicles mostly unique to the US sell here every year (full size trucks, muscle cars, etc). All are threatened in their current form by unrealistic CAFE numbers. Clearly economics is not playing a significant role because demand for these vehicles in the US remains high even in the face of the current gas price spike.

 

Been watching this guy since he first started the channel. Taught me a lot growing up on how things are and work since he's unbiased.

 

Just found out that Scotty recently bought a house two towns over from me. Jay Leno has one in the area too, it'd be interesting to see those two get together lol.

 

Anyone who has been around the auto industry knows better. Same applies to any product really, software, hardware, manufacturing, etc. Once its in the real world and you get mass numbers of people using it, all of the holes begin to show up.

 

Relax guys! They'll get it figured out.

I refuse to watch anything by that guy. What's the jist of the video?

And, the government isn't the only thing driving manufacturers to make more fuel efficient trucks. Consumers also prefer it. Obviously, not at the expense of reliability. But, I'm sure Toyota will get everything straightened out.

I just spent ~$300 on fuel to drive to Florida. If the 6th gen can get 25+ mpg hwy, my gas guzzling '19 will be for sale ASAP.

 

Wish I could do the same, im in too deep with mine. Ill never get back what I put into it

The thing is it will probably take them a year or two for it to be dialed in. Looking at 2025

 

Me, neither. It's just not much fun spending so much on fuel.

It will really depend on how the 6th gen turns out. I might just get another, smaller vehicle for everything besides off-road trips. But, if they really nail it, and actual fuel economy is significantly better, I might jump on it after a year or 2.

 

Hopefully it doesn't take Toyota as long to figure out the problem with their twin turbo as it has been with the needle bearing! We wouldn't mind having a truck that got 22-25 MPG... or more!

 

If the 6th gen has a price tag that's 10k above the current models, you'd need to take an awful lot of trips to Florida before you save money on gas.

 

Yep, at a 40K gap from my current vehicle to a new one with zero mods, I am good lol

I need money for trips overseas

 

While I agree with the overall premise that the first year is problematic for many cars, I would like to point out a few things. First, I believe this whole idea is largely an American car problem. I've heard the phrase "In the field engineering" used many times related to domestic vehicles. Second, an example of why this isn't always true would be the 1989 Nissan Maxima. First year of a complete redesign it was the most trouble free vehicle sold in the US that year. I will add that this was when Nissan was building some really top quality, reliable vehicles. (Not so much anymore). Third, this video in particular bothers me simply because of the source. Scotty Kilmer is considered by most knowledgeable auto techs to be a total flake. Fourth, I have owned an 07 Tundra, (first year redesign) since 2009 and with 170K miles now on it the only repair ever done to it was a water pump done when it had about 100K on it. And lastly, I would have absolutely no hesitation to buy a first year Toyota product if I was in the market for a new vehicle. Based on past events I feel assured that if I did have a problem with it, (which I doubt), Toyota would stand behind it. Just look back to the engine recalls they did not so long ago. They replaced/rebuilt hundreds if not thousands of Camry engines for sludging problems that honestly could have been avoided if the owners had serviced them like they should have. And before that, the 3.0 engine head gasket problems. Recalled and fixed them. I had one customer who we did the head gaskets for who actually got reimbursed by Toyota for what I had charged him. My point being that Toyota's biggest selling point is their reputation for unmatched reliability. I believe they would do everything in their power to protect that reputation. That includes doing enough R&D and testing to ensure their products are trouble free the first year and if a problem does exist, correcting it promptly. In my opinion, no manufacturer stands behind their vehicles better than Toyota. I could go on and on but then no one would read a post that long, lol.

 

At current fuel prices, I'll spend over 5K/year on gas this year. It's easier to budget for a car payment than fuel prices.

Like I said, it's going to come down to if the 6th gen is an overall improvement over the 5th or not.

My main point was that plenty of current owners will trade in for a more fuel efficient 4Runner. Just because the government mandates better fuel economy doesn't mean the market doesn't want it.

If Ford can make a decently reliable turbo engine, Toyota can surely work it out.

 

I was working at Nissan in 2003/2004 when the new Maxima came out, and the rear windows and roof trim were completely trash. The line of customers coming back to get it replaced was infuriating.

Were not in the 80's anymore, The Toyota Cresida was the crown-jewel of reliability. And I say this as a former devout Nissan man (Two pathfinders, Four 240SX's, One 350Z, One Maxima). The quality of the Nissans absolutely tanked in the mid 90's.

Toyota also had a similar decline in quality in the early 2000's when they tried to overtake GM. Corners were cut. (My 2008 Corolla had an infamous ECU issue that constantly fried abruptly). And this is not exclusive to the automotive industry. Aviation (Boeing/Airbus), electric cars (Tesla), and the list goes on and on and on. Cash is king. And QA/Testing is where the corners are cut. Organizations would rather push crap out and let society do their testing than spend the money up front.

And as far as Toyota standing with you, look at the frame issues that Taco owners have been dealt (and replaced) while mysteriously us 4Runner owners have received the shaft for the same issue. I agree, I trust Toyota more than the other manufactures, but they are far from blameless and are not exactly 100% in their trustworthiness.

In all fairness, Toyota has made a ton of strides from the screwups, but mark my word. This forum is going to be BUSY when the new 4Runner comes out, and it will be for many "mysterious issues".



You can book it.

 

That's a big if. I spoke to a guy I know a few months ago who had an f150 EcoBoost. With about 75K miles on it he had already done 3 turbo replacements. I trust that Toyota will get it right though.

 

My brother is on his 2nd F150 EB. No issues yet. I don't recall how many miles he traded in at, though.

I definitely have a lot more faith in Toyota, though.

 

Me too!