2000 Toyota Tundra vibration/shake

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Comments

  • reydanreydan Member Posts: 5
    I love foreign cars and trucks. I have owned Toyotas in the past with no problems. The front end (or whatever it is) shimmy problem in the new Tundra is perplexing, to say the least. The real disturbing part, is Toyotas initial denial of the problem, and the fact that they haven't contacted current owners to tell them they will resolve the problem as soon as they find a fix.

    I am close to purchasing a new pickup. I have already driven the new Tundra. It is an impressive pickup and a great ride. I will not however, purchase a vehicle with a known problem. Especially, when the manufacturer has been so lackluster with a response to their customers.

    If the problem is resolved, before I am ready to purchase, Toyota has my business. If they post some kind of acknowledgement of the problem, and a guarantee to fix it when resolved, they have my business. If not, I'll march right over to the Ford Dealer and resolve the issue myself. How many others are perched on the fence waiting to see what happens. Can Toyota afford to lose any business just when they have made some inroads in the American truck market?

    Car manufacturers better listen up. Today's consumers are well informed and savvy. We know more about pricing, quality and customer support than ever before. I wrote this with the hope that someone at Toyota might just read it. Are you listening Toyota?
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    Ford has problems too. Piston slap in the 5.4 L, and also a vibration problem similar to the Tundra and Silverado. Fords vibration does not affect as many trucks % wise as GM and Toyota but they do have the same problem. You will never buy a truck with no "known" problems, it is a fact of life. Buy the one that fits your needs the best and pick a dealer that will help you solve what ever problem may come up. Just my $.02 worth.
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    I'm not sure venting at Toyota in this forum will ensure your heard. Try sending your message directly to their marketing/consomer affairs office.
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    There are now 10 Tundras on Travis Air Force base. I've talked to every one of the owners and I fly with 2 of the guys. None have any vibration problem. The worst complaint so far has been the clock position/angle. The truck frame is very stiff and you feel the bumps more than you would in a car, this may feel like a vibration problem but it's random as opposed to a constant vibration harmonic that occurs on every type of road surface at a certain speed. If your afraid to buy because of what you've read on these topics then you'll never buy any truck at all. Every make and model of truck has at least a couple of topics dedicated to some horrific defect. Test drive the truck you intend to buy and put it through it's paces. After you buy don't be a hypochondriac about every truck problem you read. Some owners will talk themselves into believing problems exists where none do. I'm guilty of this. After months of reading GM owners post about vibration problems I started looking and feeling for a problem that wasn't there. I felt pretty silly when I realized how far out of my way I was going to find some phantom defect. E-mail me if you want any info, good or bad. I'll tell you exactly what I like and don't like about the Tundra.
  • kimexpokimexpo Member Posts: 17
    Did you hear people discuss anything else but "vibration " with this Truck (?).

    Blame it to the tires mounting personnel, road surface, the wind, the exhaust, the brakes, warped rotors but ...themselves.
    I hope Toyota will learn the lesson that Audi had
    learned with their Audi 5000 "sudden acceleration"
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    Let me guess, you own a Silverado....right?
  • batesbo1batesbo1 Member Posts: 5
    Answer to post No. 121: I did contact Toyota's Consumer (Public Relations ) Group on their site, and asked them what was causing the vibration problem, and what was in the works to fix it, etc. In summary, their response was that they were not aware of a problem!? I am not a Toyota basher(I currntly own a 4 Runner)but that is obviously a misleading answer. I would very much like to buy a Tundra, but I just can't bring myself to part with $28 thousand for a truck that perhaps already has a design flaw of some kind. Like others have said here: Toyota, if you are reading these posts, you must realize that hiding the problem and the fix is the wrong approach.
  • guess1guess1 Member Posts: 3
    I've had my Tundra for 4 weeks. No vibration, no mysterious paint chipping, no nothing except driving bliss! The ride is stiff, stiffer than my 89 3/4 ton Sierra (the paint literally fell off that GMC). I can find nothing wrong with my Tundra except I do agree the clock placement is bad. Also, don't like the fact that it doesn't have an under the hood light. Other than that, best truck I've ever owned. I'm coming from 22 years of Chevy's & GMC's (one '94 dodge Ram that did shake under idle). I can honestly say anybody out there considering a Tundra, go to several dealers, test drive as many as you can, 4wd, 2wd, TRD pkg. different wheel config's etc. Go drive the Fords and Chevy's. Don't rely on a BBS to pick a truck. You're about to spend some major bucks, make sure you've done your homework. It took me more than 4 months to get make my decision. I was leaning towards a SuperDuty, but after several repeat test drives of the Tundra, I just liked it better. Everybody's different.
    For those of you that are experiencing legitimate problems, vibrations; you shouldn't stand for it. Hound the dealership all the way up to the owner, hound Toyota, write letters. let them know that you want it fixed or you want your money back or you want another truck. Remember, your the customer! I bought a 94 dodge ram (1st model year), wasn't even new, was a demo with 4k miles. I made them repaint the bed rails and tailgate and give me a lifetime warranty on that truck. they did, and they repainted the bed 3 times in one year. Finnally, after they couldn't get the rough idle smoothed out (7 trips to dealer), I made them take it back. You can too!
  • jyukonjyukon Member Posts: 5
    I've been a happy new Tundra owner for the last ten hours. Thanks to the internet, I found out about all of the risks before taking the plunge and emptying my wallet. I was especially careful to look for vibration in the model I chose and found none at all. This truck handles great. Reydan, keep in mind that disgruntled owners are much more likely to spout off in these forums than satisfied owners, since they need an outlet to vent. I believe the vast majority of Tundra owners are happy campers.
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    Your absolutely right! The ten local Tundra owners I have spoken with are elated with their trucks and have zero vibration problems. Any report of a problem in the Tundra topic is embellished and repeated fifty times by the Tundra bashers.
  • lemonjeep2lemonjeep2 Member Posts: 32
    This forum has helped me to know what to watch out for during test drives (all were smooth). We are confident that we will be happy Tundra owners soon, this is the nicest driving rig out there.

    FYI: If you want to read about problems, go to a jeep site. We are getting our "99 Jeep Grand Cherokee lemon lawed soon. This vehicles are having driveshafts replaced, differentials rebuilt, trannys worked on, fuel pumps replaced, front ends rebuilt, windshields replaced, window motors replaced, brake rotors replaced, power seats replaced, engines reprogrammed (they stall), and more all within THE FIRST YEAR of ownership. Now THESE are serious problems, not to discredit the Tundra vibration. Our new Jeep spent over 60 days in the shop in less than a year, talk about a lousy ownership experience.

    After driving the Tundra limited and finding that it had most of the luxuries that we were used to on the Jeep and was a smoother ride, we decided that it was the vehicle for us.
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    No one here can help you. If my new $26,000 truck had a problem I would take every action necessary to get it fixed or replaced or my money back. You continue to post over and over again to us about this problem. Only direct action, on your part, will solve this problem.
    Is there anybody else out there that would simply tolerate this on a new $26k truck without taking legal action?
  • joe190joe190 Member Posts: 2
    Hey Robbie,

    Don't you have anything better to do than look for people who have legitimate problems with their trucks and pester them? Your major skill seems to be in letting people know how cool you are by slamming other people. Congratulations, you are officially a Toyota Fanboy.
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    Sorry to sound rough, but sniveling online will never get the problem solved. I've had to deal with defective products before. I can't imagine whining about it in cyberspace as oppossed to doing something real and constructive about solving it. At least the chevy guys with vibration problems have the backbone to make GM buyback their defective products. Holding hands via cyberspace and singing Kum bai ya might make us feel warm and fuzzy inside, but it won't get anything solved.
  • blkyodablkyoda Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed a harmonic vibration that vibrates the Steering wheel and the truck at between 1900Rpm And 2000Rpm in any gear at different speeds could this be the shake that you people have been describing? Or is this something different? Has any body had what I have described?
    Thank You in advance for any responses
  • modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    Let me get this straight. When a Toyota owner posts his problems in cyberspace he's whining. When rewellbaum2 posts everywhere how much garbage Ford and Chevy produce it's constructive. I guess it's just hard for him to swallow that maybe a Toyota could actually have a problem.
  • rooster9rooster9 Member Posts: 239
    27jr, what else are you getting on your Tundra? I'm considering buying one in the near future, and want to know what some people are paying. Can you list all the options you are getting on your truck please?
  • tundrasaursrextundrasaursrex Member Posts: 49
    I'm with you....seems like RWELLBAUM is growling and biting at anybody with a post he doesn't agree with. Kind of an angry person. He's had no problem with his Toyota's.....Great. My Tundra has bee terrific too! ... but I'm not drinking the purple Koolaid! If Legacy2 (or anyone else for that matter) wants to share his experiences on the Tundra, THIS IS THE PLACE.

    Maybe we can all learn something or help someone---isn't that what it's all about????

    In the mean time Robbie, chill out man, and let the people vent!
  • meredithmeredith Member Posts: 575
    One more time.... for the TRULY Thickheaded....

    This is an AUTOMOTIVE information site. We don't care WHAT you say, but saying it in an inappropriate or profane manner WILL get the post deleted, and, if the behavior is repeated, will get YOU deleted!

    Front Porch Philosopher
    SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
  • rrichfrrichf Member Posts: 211
    Thank you!
  • hollidayassts1hollidayassts1 Member Posts: 9
    I have read nearly all the posts on this discussion because I am in the market for a new full size truck. It seems to me that while the first choice of those sitting on the fence waiting for the tundra vibration to get resolved is, in fact the Tundra... but it also seems that the second choice for many of these people is Ford. I am curious about why that is. What makes Ford the best option as a runner-up? I've driven the F 150 recently and to me, it is just a truck. It works... nothing to make me do back flips, but nothing to make me run screaming for the Exit door, either.

    I drove a Tundra and really liked the drive... but I am still a little stuck on 'BIG' being synonymous with 'Full-Sized'....

    So, why is Ford seemingly the runner-up favorite to the Toyota?
  • trucksrmetrucksrme Member Posts: 381
    Could be cuz toyota copied that look of that Ford inside and out, except for that size anyway. Good luck on this one now!
  • hollidayassts1hollidayassts1 Member Posts: 9
    Okay, so maybe there is a similar look to the Tundra/F-150... still, I have trouble believing that people seem to REALLY want a truck with a name on it that spells 'reliability'... as Toyotas have a tradition of being....and are willing to go with a 'look-alike' just because of the lines... is there a 'blood & guts' reason that Ford is #2 for a lot of wanna-be Tundra owners? Is Ford becomming more reliable as a truck manufacturer... or do they just make pretty trucks?

    I guess this also begs the question: why ISN'T either Chevy/GMC or Dodge the #2 alternative for would-be Tundra owners? I like the way Dodge trucks look... even better than Fords... I think Fords are really very 'swoopy-looking'.. not bad, just different. However, I haven't heard a lot of rave reviews, or even good votes of confidence for the Dodge. I have not heard anything either way on the Chevy/GMC side of things and I don't like the interiors of Chevys anyway... there's a lot of plastic, as in any vehicle these days, but it looks like cheapy plastic and I can see being nickled and dimed to death replacing little snaps and gadgets that weren't made to hold up in the frist place... BUT if the guts fo the thing works, then I could put up wiht a little cheapy plastic, I guess.

    I DID drive the Tundra and I loved the way it handled and its guts...it seemed to have a lot of power and it didn't behave as though it was herniating itself just to get off the line at a stop light. A little on the smallish side, but not too bad of a compromise.... still... I keep hearing this "...I love the Tundra, BUT.... its off to the Ford dealer for me..."

    So I am just curious about the logic behind the order of things... Tundra, Ford....etc, etc...
  • rooster9rooster9 Member Posts: 239
    I would say that they are either a long time Ford fan, previously owned a Ford and don't want to switch brands, or they see the "number one selling truck" so they go out and buy it cause "if it's number 1 selling, it has to be good".
  • truckguytruckguy Member Posts: 15
    I found the handling, ride and feel of the F-150 and the Tundra to be very similar; much more alike than the Tundra & Chevy or F-150 & Chevy. Maybe that's why people who want a Tundra have the F-150 as their second choice.

    I bought a Tundra Limited 4x4 and after 3700 miles have not had any vibration problems.
  • rrichfrrichf Member Posts: 211
    hollidayassts1,
    I've had three Ford F-250, all 4x2, all diesel. No complaint with any. The '99 SD is the first new vehicle that I've owned that didn't have to go back to the dealer to "fix" things that the factory didn't do correctly. There was one MAJOR and CRITICAL flaw, however. There was a couple of spots on the mirror support arms that the paint was flaking off. The dealer replaced both mirrors at 34K miles under warranty.:)

    On the vibration problem.....

    Has anybody had your Toyota dealer set the caster angle slightly greater than specs? (This setting shouldn't affect tire wear nor handling.) It seems to me that if the angle is too small the wheels would get into a fluttering situation and produce the steering vibrations that every one is complaining about.

    Rich
  • rwellbaum2rwellbaum2 Member Posts: 1,006
    I'm not brand loyal and do not believe Toyota cannot possibly have a problem. The point is...DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!! Sure, vent here and tell us the problem, but don't let that be your only course of action. It takes real-time, human interaction between customer and service manager et al to solve YOUR problem.
    Obviously, you don't hang glide. So why are you bagging on that? It's an awesome form of aviation, you can get more info from www.ushga.org
  • hollidayassts1hollidayassts1 Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the input on the Ford/Tundra thing it does shed some light on things for me and I do appreciate the input.
    R
  • page62page62 Member Posts: 30
    Perhaps I can shed a little more light on Tundra vs F150...

    Consumer Reports manages to admit that the F150 is much more reliable than either the Chevy/GMC or Dodge. Given that Toyota buyers rank reliability as a high priority, it's logical they'd go for the Ford as a second choice.

    BTW, I almost bought a Tundra but chose a Ford for a few reasons:
    --the Ford was about $1500 less
    --the Toyota dealer treated me like dirt (this is the second time those jerks at that dealership lost a sale for that reason)
    --the Ford dealer treated me with respect and patience (I like to test drive...and think about it)
    --the Toyota handled and ran like a dream, but I definitely felt much more cramped inside

    Bottom line: no major problems with the Ford. I'm happy.

    And now back to our vibration problems...
  • astaasta Member Posts: 122
    Does anyone on this thread know if Toyota is planning a true 4 door shortbed pickup ala the Ford F-150 Supercrew or Dakota Quad Cab? I'm close to buying the Supercrew but I did test drive the Tundra and liked the engine, ride, and fit and finish of the Toyota better. Just can't handle that ridiculous back seat on the Tundra!
  • hollidayassts1hollidayassts1 Member Posts: 9
    ...ALL very good reasons to trott on over to Ford... especially the '$1500 cheaper' part! Thank you for your perspective...
  • astaasta Member Posts: 122
    hollidayassts1 - The Tundra was the very first truck I drove. I've since tested the Dodge Quad, the F-150 SC, and climbed all around the Chevys at an auto show here in LA. I don't like the Chevy brand much - I own a GM now and the post about using too much cheap plastic on the interiors is right on the mark. I'm sure the Chevy trucks are fine mechanically, but I just didn't like the bodystyle, fit and finish. I did not drive the Chevy however, so I'm not really equipped to deliver a final opinion. As for the Dodge and Ford, I think they're fairly close. My neighbor has had a Ram Diesel for 104K and has had very few problems. Good solid truck all the way. I'm definitely looking for a four door short bed for my needs (cargo, family etc.) I suppose I'm leaning toward the Ford over the Dakota because of the added size on the Ford, and some of the interior conveniences (rising pedals, auto volume decrease with speed reduction, bigger back seat.) The Dodge is great, and I'm really on the fence because that Quad is just a super pickup with a great engine and a better off-road performance than the Ford. But, in my mind, the Toyota has them both beat by a mile for engine performance - the OHC V8 is straight out of the Landcruiser (or is it the Lexus 470) platform - it's just superbly mated to the weight and size of that truck. Suspension is better than Dodge or Ford, interior is much better than both trucks, ergonomically and in terms of materials. it's just that loser back seat which is good for nothing at all. I want a 4 door Toyota shortbed and I want it now! Lacking that, I'll probably buy a F-150 supercrew. I've had good luck with Fords in the past and the post that said reliability is the key element for Toyota shoppers heading to Ford is right. Dodge is after all a Chrysler, and that means you don't what the heck kind of engineering you're buying. Just my 2 cents worth...
  • teg33teg33 Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone who purchased a Tundra recently (Feb/Mar 2000) experienced a vibration problem?

    I'm curious if newer trucks still have a vibration problem. Afterall, Toyota has had several months to hear the complaints and address the root cause of the problem, even if they aren't admitting a problem publicly.
  • arkie6arkie6 Member Posts: 198
    Purchased my V8 Access Cab SR5 4x4 with the factory alloy wheels and P265 Dunlops on 1/14/00 (manufactured 1/7/00) and have not had one hint of vibration in 3600 miles so far.
  • lmurflmurf Member Posts: 13
    on my 2000 Tundra Limited 4wd TRD with Michelins was not bad, but just enough to cause a minor shake of the passenger seat between 65-85 mph. Yesterday I had it back for balancing for the 3rd time, and they finally got it right! The tech took his time with a modern Hunter machine using gram amount weights, and the vibration is gone. I paid $250 to upgrade to the Michelins and was determined to not have a vibration. This fix had cost Chevy or Ford a few dollars, because if Toyota couldn't get it right, I would have been driving a 4DR Silverado 2500 or a F-150 Supercrew in 2001.
    Thanks. LMURF
  • budlitedude3budlitedude3 Member Posts: 14
    Toyota's have just as many problems as the big three. They just sweep them under the rug and pass things off as normal. Since they only sell about 100k of them a year compared to 1.5 million that the big three sell each year, they can get away with it and still look like they are more reliable.

    What a joke that reliability claim is.
  • teg33teg33 Member Posts: 7
    budlitedude3,

    I've seen your opinion numerous times in other threads. It's starting to sound like a broken record. Don't you have anything new to say?
    (PS It really should be relevant to the topic at hand.)
  • budlitedude3budlitedude3 Member Posts: 14
    I don't see anyone begging you to read my posts or to even come to these posts. Don't like my posts, then take a hike to the ToyotaSolutions forum to get answers on all your problem Tundra's.

    My comments here are definitely about the subject at hand. All you Tundra owners walking around in a stupor with your eyes blindfolded shut, saying, "My Tundra is the best truck I have eeeeeeever had". Yeah, maybe so since it's most likely the first and only truck you ever had and you only use it to haul your cricket gear.

    Good luck paying for the repairs "WHEN" your Tundra breaks as it will be at least twice, maybe even three times as expensive to fix.

    Oh, and don't ever plan on rebuilding that engine. They are like all [non-permissible content removed] and Tiawanese parts....use once, then throw away.
  • meredithmeredith Member Posts: 575
    The PICKUPS Conference has gotten WAY too big....

    it is unwieldy to manage, and difficult to use for "newbies." There is entirely TOO much topic duplication, so I will be doing some SERIOUS topic consolidation in the next few weeks, getting us down to not more than 2-3 topics per vehicle type, and ultimately down to 200 topics or less.

    THIS weeks consolidation candidates are: Tundra's, Tacoma's and Rangers.

    In that vein,please consolidate this Tundra topic to Welcome Toyota Tundra - V and continue these discussions there.

    Thanks!

    Front Porch Philosopher
    SUV, Pickups, & Aftermarket and Accessories Host
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