Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives tundra 2000-2006

so during these model years,a truck with V8, 4x4 is any given year considered better than the others?

My brother has an 06 bought used in 08. I can't say if any years are better than others, but his is a darn good truck. He has the 4.7 V-8, 4.10 gears and 4X4 on a regular cab long bed. No carpet and manual windows and locks. Just a basic truck that works well. He is at around 120,000 miles with zero issues. He plans on keeping it another 7-8 years.

The 05 and 06 models have a 5 speed transmission that has proven to be very reliable. The 4.7 liter V8 (2UZ-FE) is one of the best gasoline engines ever made IMO. It's a proven drivetrain and if maintained properly should go over 300,000 miles.

Just remember that it's an interference engine and the timing belt has got to be changed every 90,000 miles. They are easy on oil and wear very well based on hundreds of UOA's over on BITOG

BTW, I just bought an 06 double cab because of the bulletproof drivetrain and the fact that it's smaller than a full size and still fits 4 adults comfortably. I looked high and low for 4 months and found this truck in TX and it only had 42,000 miles on it. I put an Old Man Emu lift and some Cooper ST Maxx tires on it within a week of buying it and it's is freaking awesome. Soaks up washboard and will go anywhere

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Yep. 2005-2006 are the better ones. I had an O6 and it was a great truck. There was nothing, and I mean NOTHING that I ever had to spend a penny on to fix on that truck.

Drum,

That truck is growing on me too -

HS, great looking truck. I have a 2000 with 127,000 and have been very happy with it...just thinking I might keep an eye out for a low mile 2006 as an upgrade as I like the size of these better than the new tundras, people sure seem to rack up the miles on them....

If you find a relatively low mileage 05 or 06 grab it. If high mileage take a look, could still be a good deal. I traded my 05 last year on a new tundra. Miss the old one some times, but was up to 140,000 and decided to start over.

Hey HS, can you tell me how long the box is on your double cab?
thanks

I love the color now. Wasn't sure when I bought it but I leave grown to like it a lot

I'll measure it tomorrow but I think it's 6 1/2 feet

Yes, this...

I have the 2000 V-8 4x4 and think it is a great truck. Very quiet and smooth ride. Surprising power from such a small V-8. Toyota quality is very noticeably higher than the rest.

I have a 2002 2wd TRD V8, and I love it. I wish I would have held out for a 4wd, but it is what it is. The truck had 135k on it when I bought, right at 145k now, and the only thing I have replaced is the brake light switch. I have towed with it, and the little V8 does surprisingly well. On longer trips, I get roughly 19mpg if I baby it, which is fine by me. I dont see me getting rid of this truck, and if I do, I will replace it with an identical 4wd.

To many people ignore this and break a belt and there checkbook somewhere over 100,000. Only extra cost on non interference motor is the tow.

The belt is easy to change or have changed. I had mine done on my 06 at 95K miles and I think it was like $40 IIRC.

I have about 135,000 on my 2002. It is the best overall vehicle I have ever owned. It runs as good as the day I bought it new and there is not so much as a loose thread in the cab, which is more than I can say about our 2004 suburban with the same miles, burns a quart of oil every 1500 miles and has all kind of interior deterioration issues, in addition to numerous axel seals and other repairs.

I run mobile 1, change the oil/filter once a year, and have not had to had to add any oil between changes. All parts are still original except the timing belt that I replaced at 100,000 miles. I am on my second set of Michelin's after 30,000 on the crappy stock tires, now running the MS2s for two years and they still look new. I am just stating to get some rust not he bottom of the driver side door, which is less than the newer suburban. I had the recall done on coating the frame, and it looks great. I plan on driving it at least another 5 years before putting it to part time work at our cabin where it can live out its retirement.

I still look forward to driving it to work everyday. It is very quiet, responsive and smooth across the power band. When stomped on for fun, merging or passing it still gives quite a kick.

Most of my off road driving is on the lake getting to my spearhouse, and it got me there and back all of last winter, which was very snowy here.

Was that the serpentine belt? The timing belt and water pump is about an $800 job unless you do it yourself and parts are still pretty expensive

It's totally worth it to me. I love my 1st gen tundra and plan on driving it a very long time

The biggest problem with the Tundra is that they don't make a 3/4 ton. Our local dealer had a new Quad Cab longbed that we would have bought if it had been a 3/4 but I need the weight capacity.

Same thought's here. Timing belts are not cheap, but a refurbished head is a lot more.

Actually you're right. It was the serpentine belt.

You were typing too fast.

A broken serpentine belt will leave you just as stranded as a timing belt but it's a lot cheaper and easier to fix on the spot if you have a fresh one under the seat. A broken timing belt in the boondocks? Do tow trucks charge by the hour or the mile or both?

Is this motor only in the 05 and 06 or is it different years. We have a 03 access cab, bought it 4 years ago with 53k on it now up to 72k. Darn nice pickups, I do wish I would have bought the 4 door like yours though. I'm 6'2" and don't even want to try to sit in the back.

I have a 2003 access cab 4x4 with 4.7 v8. I bought it in 2005 with 3000 miles on it. Just hit 190k with only scheduled maintainence and timing belt. Truck has been very good to me. Only problem I have ever had is head light bulbs go out more frequently than most. I still drive the truck daily and hope I hit 300k on this one.

Same engine in all 4.7 tundras going back to 2000. It is a very good, if not among the best production V-8s ever made. Mine does not burn a drop of oil in one year change interval with Mobile 1 and over 135,000 miles.

Interesting comment on the headlights burning out. I am on original headlights in my 2002.

I know most people know this but, if you handle the glass part of the bulb and do not wipe it off they will burn out a lot sooner.

I had the pleasure to own an 02 that I bought new and then an 06 that I bought as a certified vehicle. The variable valve timing came about in 04 or 05, I dont recall for sure. This bumped up the hp but the trucks had put on some pounds and I did not see a huge difference. Be very careful about buying an oIder used Tundra since the frame rot issue is a major deal. They inspected my 02 and pronounced it okay but the frame rails were peeling pretty bad. I replaced one 4wd actuator in 160 k of driving along with regular maintenance and that was it. Both of them were fairly thirsty but great trucks.

My '02 Tundra experience. Bought it new in 2002, kept it 9 years and put 136,000 on it. I had this notion that it would be super reliable and low cost regarding repairs - wrong. I had to replace O2 sensors more times than I care to remember. The major issue it had was wiring problems to the trailer. 3-4 attempts by the dealer (and hundreds of dollars), plus my own attempts and it never really got fixed. Then the cost of replacing the timing belt and the water pump wasn't cheap. The frame rusted out badly. Gas mileage was around 17 on the highway, turning radius wasn't tight making it a pain to turn around in close quarters.

The newer ones might be better - I wasn't impressed with 2002.

I'm on my 2nd double cab 4x4 (I traded in my first on an impulse decision and regretted it every day). Both '05, both TRD 4x4 package. My first had 90k (of which I put 68k on) and my current has 140k. IMO this is the best full size, off-road capable truck for the money! Like mentioned above, the 05-06 have a 5spd transmission that has a built in engine braking feature...very nice going down grades. The truck is 7/8 full size but is very roomy on the interior with a full 6.5' box. This is one of the last full size trucks that is extremely capable off-road and isn't to massive to take in the woods; almost every manufacturer has huge, boxy trucks after '07. Here's my current truck, and I'll drive it until the wheels come off.

Great looking truck!

I bought my 2002 with roughly the same miles you got rid of yours at, and i have replaced the brake light switch and changed the oil. Thats it. I have never noticed the turning radius issue, and I get approx 19mpg on the highway.

You might have gotten a lemon, but mine has been fantastic.

I own a 2000 Tundra,V8,4WD with extended cab, originally purchased Oct. 1999. Now, with 135,000 miles. Oil, gas, and, yes, the occasional 02 sensor, together with the timing belt change at 90k, just about sums up the maintenance requirements.

When my teenage daughter started driving it to school, at about 100K miles, I had it thoroughly checked out by a local non-dealership mechanic. I was told "there's nothing wrong with that truck."

BUT, I did stumble across a recall for, IIRC, 2002-2006 Tundras, specifically for lower ball joint failures. Earlier models weren't included.

They replaced the ball joints on my 06. The tech that did it said that the old ones were in great shape. I really regret getting rid of my 06. The Tundras from 2007 on our just too big for my liking.

Very tough trucks. Motor/drivetrain is solid. If you are in the north east, just be wary of the frames. They have a tendency to rot. Toyota has a recall on them and has been replacing them as needed.

I keep a folder on every vehicle I own. I still have the 2002 Tundra folder and it shows I spent $4577 in 9 years on repairs and preventive maintenance - oil changes and tires not included. I forgot to mention that both exhaust manifolds had also cracked.
My Toyota experience was not a good one and nearly all the miles were highway miles.

[quote=slammer]I keep a folder on every vehicle I own. I still have the 2002 Tundra folder and it shows I spent $4577 in 9 years on repairs and preventive maintenance - oil changes and tires not included. I forgot to mention that both exhaust manifolds had also cracked.
My Toyota experience was not a good one and nearly all the miles were highway miles. [/quote


You had some really bad luck. I have similar records and my total was under a grand for 160k miles. This figure includes a timing belt, water pump and a transfer case actuator. I did not include a couple of brake jobs and tires. I also had some trailer wiring problems but these were of my own making and I fixed them myself.

For reliability good handling responsive and fun to drive I think my 2004 4wd access cab is the best of several large and small trucks I have owned. For fuel economy, towing, hauling heavy loads and using snow chains it might have been the worst. I got 13-14 mpg average and as little as 7 or 8 towing a small travel trailer, had to add air bags to haul sand and gravel or firewood. When I couldn't fit std chains to get to an elk hunting area - that was enough.

I drive a 3/4 ton diesel Chevy now that is nowhere near as nimble but doesn't have the limitations.

I have an 06. I have put 40,000 miles on it and just broke 80,000. No issues at all. The mileage is a little poor, but I have a lead foot. I agree with some that the turning radius is poor and requires some thought in tow, My land cruiser, expedition, 4-runner could turn circles inside the radius of the truck. I have no issues pulling boat, trailer and traveling with family

I just returned from a roughly thousand mile trip in my Tundra. I averaged, over the trip, 16.1mpg. I drove a little (less than 10) over the speed limit the whole way, and had no issues. While not stellar, I am happy with that.

Jwood,

Looks like a gray Sequoia in the background. I've got a 2005 Sequoia with 264,000 miles on it. Replaced belts at 90-100k and on my 4th set of tires. Love the Bridgestone Dueler Revo2's, got 73k on my last set. Only problem I've had was having to replace the 4wd actuator at 220k. I think my 11 yr old might get this truck for his first vehicle...

Anybody have any center caps for factory 17" 6 lug wheels they want to get rid of?

Thanks for all the input guys, I finally found what I was looking for a 2006, setup just how I like.

Very clean. Good color, too.

I just totaled my '05 Tundra double cab - A deer decided to run in front of me and got airborn. Total loss.

So after a couple of weeks later, I finally finagled a deal on an '06 with 50K less miles. An upgrade.

Should be in my drive by next weekend -

They totaled it? How much to buy it back? I need a bed in a bad way

Too much...

Airbag assembly all messed up. Hit it at 65 mph. I didnt have a chance.

You change your # Drum?

Kimber7man,

It is a '07 4x4 SR5 Sequoia. I got it for my wife a few years back with 66k on it. I did encounter a sticky actuator out in the woods, but it fixed itself. Other than that it was flawless. We recently traded it for an Acura TSX...something we can travel in and not get 15mpg!