Trying to buy a 21 Tundra Platinum with very little service record......

I found this 21 Tundra Platinum with 58k miles which seem to be in a really good shape based on the video walkthrough I just had with the salesperson.

Only thing that sort of holds me back from buying this truck is that it has a very minimal service records as follows:

09/20/2021 9,863
Parkway Toyota

• Vehicle serviced
  • Maintenance inspection completed
  • Oil and filter changed
  • Floor mat(s) checked
  • Tires rotated
  • Tire condition and pressure checked
  • Cabin air filter replaced/cleaned

02/23/2022 19,610
Parkway Toyota

• Vehicle serviced
  • Maintenance inspection completed
  • Oil and filter changed
  • Floor mat(s) checked
  • Tires rotated
  • Tire condition and pressure checked
  • Cabin air filter replaced/cleaned

09/26/2022 29,776

• Vehicle serviced
  • Maintenance inspection completed
  • Air filter replaced
  • Oil and filter changed
  • Tires rotated
  • Floor mat(s) checked
  • Tire condition and pressure checked

03/15/2024 55,797
Parkway Toyota

• Vehicle serviced
  • Maintenance inspection completed
  • Floor mat(s) checked
  • Brake fluid flushed/changed
  • Front brake rotor(s) replaced
  • Front brake pads replaced
  • Tire condition and pressure checked
  • Brakes checked

Looks like oil change was done at 10k interval for a few times and then no record for like 25k miles... I would hope the owner has at least done the oil changes regularly but couldn't really tell from the service record pattern...

The dealership is ok with me taking the truck to a third party shop for PPI but I am not sure if I should be concerned about the lack of service records even if the inspection come out clean.

I checked the engine sound from the cold start until it was fully warmed up and didn't sound like it had any unusual noise (my last tundra had chain tensioner issue).

Asking price is 45k and I really like everything else about the truck...

I would like to get people's opinion on the service record

 

Could have just had oil changes at a local place or did them themselves most of the time. They seem to have been driving it a decent bit to put 10k miles on it in 5 months, so even if they did do 10k oil changes thats not bad.
$45k is more than i'd want to pay, but that's up to you.

Either way, you're gonna get it and change every fluid in it, aren't you?

 

At 60K, maybe I should change every fluid? I was hoping to just do a hot oil change in case if there is anything built up in the engine and do the rest fluid changes overtime.

another one I have in mind is 20 Limited with 15k miles with good service record at 51k which is over my budget...

 

Coolant should be fine. Brake fluid should be every 2 years or so, maybe you got lucky and they did that when they replaced the front brakes. Might as well plan to do diffs, t-case and trans fluid if you don't have records of them being changed, just so you know they are.

Also, about time for someone to chime in saying you'll need to add a trans cooler

 

appreciate your comment about the trans cooler which I was debating whether I should install it or not as I don't have plan to tow anything in years to come (at least for now).

do you have it installed? I heard they removed it since 2018 or 2019?

 

I have zero service records.

Yes, please install the cooler. Heat exchanger is a BS, Toyota just tried to shave $300 off the truck price for its own benefit. You also better do 2 or even 3 drain & fills after taking the truck home.

 

I am not mechanically inclined and got no space at home to do the job myself... 2 or eve 3 drain fills meaning the engine oil I ssume?

 

ATF

 

I'm in same boat, I changed oil at 900 miles, had front suspension changed at dealership for warranty purposes. At 5k got my free oil change at dealership, very disappointed in the work. Truck hasn’t been back to a dealership since.
I do my own services except tires and alignments, those are at discount tire and a local shop.

 

2018 was the last year of it. Story is 2018 was the first year of the new A/C refrigerant (r1234yf). The air to oil portion of the cooler was previously located in the top part of the a/c condenser. Supposedly the 2018 a/c systems do not work as well, so they dropped the cooler out and made the condenser larger. Doesn't make much sense but either way, that's where we are at. No 19-21 trucks have the thermostat/ air to oil cooler.

And yes, i did add one. I grabbed my truck at 58k miles bone stock. I changed the trans fluid, it was probably original. Looked dark but ok. Then i put together the cooler kit and installed it/changed the fluid again at 59k and haven't looked back. There are a few options for the coolers, from totally plug and play to piece together.

This is the thread i created with the method i chose: https://www.tundras.com/threads/parts-list-for-adding-oem-trans-cooler-to-5-7l.125248/

 

I bought my truck with minimal service records as well. Wasn't a deal breaker for me, i just made sure to be diligent about everything I could control after I bought it

 

It's only 58k miles on a Toyota that is known for reliability.

I wouldn't be all twisted up on it. If the deal is right for you, then just start changing out maintenance items at their scheduled intervals and sleep good at night.

 

Did they do an oil & filter change at 55K? Maybe there was a sticker on the windshield from another shop saying the OC was due at 59K.

 

my dealer told me i needed $2000 worth of brake work as the emergency brake light was illuminated when in reality i needed 1/2oz of brake fluid and hasn't popped up again 6 months later. They also made a point of mentioning they do not look at anything that doesn't appear on the checklist and require a special appointment if i want something not routine checked over, at an additional cost of course.
If i was considering a used vehicle a pre-purchase inspection is arguably more meaningful to me than a binder full of service invoices.

 

If you are not going to tow or do heavy offroading, you do not need to add the trans cooler, unless you just want to spend another $1,000.

 

When I bought my 2020 new the first two or three oil changes were free. Maybe they used the free changes and did it themselves after that?

 

The last place I would ever trust to fix anything on my trucks is a dealership. No, I don't write down everything I do to my trucks. So I guess from what I read here my trucks are worth less to the bean counters. Learning to fix things is a lost art. Cheaper to buy tools than pay labor. Heck we're talking about Toyota.

 

OP you can rest assured that on every visit the floor mat(s) were checked. LOL

Seriously though, I would not worry about it and just buy the last of the v8 trucks.

 

It's likely that the previous owner change the engine oil or took it to another shop and not a dealership so it never got recorded so its unlikely that it went 25k without an oil change. If you buy the truck start doing 5K oil changes and not 10K. With 60K you are going to want to change the trans fluid, just a drain a fill. Have the front and rear diffs checked. If they are clean and a golden color don't change the fluid. Don't be overly concerned about installing an aftermarket trans cooler if you don't plan on towing. If you do plan to tow heavy for distance then install the trans cooler or service the transmission more often. Taking it to a third party for an inspection is a good idea but make sure they have experience in used vehicle inspections. They could find previous accident repairs or abuse.

 

I would plug it in to a quality scan tool and see if it has a bunch of history codes. Many techs don't delete them for whatever reason.

 

I appreciate everyone's input!

I drove 4 hours to test drive the truck. It felt a little sluggish and the suspension felt a bit too bouncy.
Took it to a third party mechanic for PPI and they found a oil leak so I walked out of the deal.

I hope I can find the next Tundra soon....

 

Good decision to take it to a third party for inspection. Be patient and the right truck will show up.

 

Such is life! I found my truck by driving past the dealer, it wasn't even listed on their website yet so I called that afternoon and it was mine two days later. Never know when the right one will pop up

 

Do you know where was the oil leak? Was it the cam tower? I started looking for 20/21s again and didn't realize that was still an issue.

 

After spending $50k on my CPO 2019 in 2021, I’ve kept all of my owner performed maintenance record in the Toyota app. I’ve got the “lifetime Powertrain warranty” if service is performed as directed. I also take a picture of the oil and filter I use and have it in a folder on my phone. Not sure why as I’ll never use the warranty, but the next owner may find comfort in it.

 

Cam tower leaks in newer low mileage Tundras is a rare thing. Most likely from the timing cover that was more common on newer Tundras.