Picking between a 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen

New to Toyota, new to Tundras. Have been primarily a Ford guy which has bit me more than I care to admit. Never again. Between transmissions and cam phasers and turbos and AC systems and bad sunroofs and water pumps and heater hoses and tstats and.. and.. and..

I digress. I've always heard and read about the legendary Toyota reliability, and could use some of that right now. I'm reluctant to buy a 3rd gen, even with the 2025's as I read post after post on the FB groups about folks being towed and broken down. My original plan was to lease a 25 Limited and throw some tires on it but i'm concerned. I've always also loved the 2.5 gens, specifically a Platinum or 1794 or TRD Pro, and if I got a 2.5 gen I would finance it and it would free me up a little to do things like lift it or modify it however I wanted. I would probably get something like an 18-20 or so, with ~50-75K miles on it just for reaching the right price point.

I'm torn on what will work out the best. I can't stomach another unreliable vehicle in and out of the shop. My wife is hellbent on new for the warranty, and I'm leaning towards used 2.5 gen for the reliability.

What says the hive?

 

2nd gen for sure. I might be a bit biased lol... but its definitely the better option. If a factory warranty is a must find a 2nd gen that's a certified used Toyota. It will still have the warranty till 100k. I would recommend getting a 2014-2018. 2019-2021 model got rid of the transmission cooler which was a huge bummer if you tow or run bigger tires. 2014-2018 still have the transmission cooler while being what we call the 2.5 gen (post facelift). If LED headlights are a must for you then 2018 and up is the only year that offered them, but you can always just get aftermarket LED headlights. Make sure to keep up with maintenance (especially change your coolant and transmission fluid on time) and your truck will last forever!



Here are some common tundra 5.7 issues to be aware of and to look for when buying one.

-The good ole cam tower leak. Look around the front wheel wells above the shock mounting plate. You can see the side of your engine from here. See if there is any oil leaking from either the valve cover or a little lower where the cam tower is. This is a common oil leak on the tundras

-Front cover leak. Look around the front of the engine where the belt system is. That is your front cover. See if there is any oil leaking from the seal of the front cover to the rest of the engine.

-Timing chain tensioner. The timing chain tensioner (typically on the driver side) can go out and you would end up hearing a ticking noise from the engine usually when cold. Only way to inspect this is by listening to it or taking off the front cover which you wouldnt do unless you hear it ticking.

- Coolant leaks. There is 3 common coolant leaks on the tundra. First one is on the radiator. Some of the seals between the plastic and aluminum parts of the radiator can degrade and cause a leak. You can look for this by just getting under the truck and looking up at the radiator. The second one is the water pump. To look for this one you will also have to look under the truck and find the water pump. If you see the pink crusty coolant around the water pump that means its leaking. The final leak is the valley plate leak. This is underneath the intake manifold. So to get to this you would have to take off the intake manifold, but you can also just get under the truck and see if there is and pink coolant dripping down near the front of the transmission/rear of the engine area.

 

Thanks for the detailed response! Huge help, appreciate it. Off to do more research on these issues. How DIY'able are the fixes for these?

 

I was JUST like you. Lifelong Ford guy that finally had enough. I was done with turbos. I just wanted a reliable V8, and there's not a single new truck that I trust, so I ended up with a '21 1794. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Only downfall, shes a thirsty girl.


Oh also, if you get a CPO, you'll get a 12/12 warranty with it. That might sweeten the pot...

 

The 3 common coolant leaks can be done DIY. The radiator leak would require a new radiator which if you know how to drain and fill the cooling system its super easy to do. its just 4 bolts holding the radiator plus 3 or 4 hoses total. The water pump requires a bit more disassembly and can be done if you are somewhat mechanically inclined. The valley plate leak is the hardest one to address, but if you can do the water pump you can do this one too, just takes a bit more time and patience.
Here is a good video on how to do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU14pWnVObc&t=2967s&ab_channel=FayeHadley

The Oil leaks and chain tensioner is not a DIY project unless you are comfortable tearing down an engine. If you can do a head gasket you can do this, but a head gasket is not a walk in the park.
Here is a video on that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bsULQcMxlg&ab_channel=TheCarCareNut

 

If reliability is what you seek then a 2nd gen is the way to go. You'll pay for a good one, but it will be worth it.

 

I have a 2014 (2.5 gen) Tundra and LOVE IT!!! 160K miles and no problems. Just for preventive maintenance I had a new serpentine belt put on and a new tensioner. It runs great and is great!!!

 

Neither. Find ya a nicely restored '78 F250 with a built 460 and don't look back!

 

Yep, same. I don't trust anything out there right now unfortunately. GM and Ram are an absolute mess too. I've had 5 Fords, and 4 of the 5 have been absolute dumpster fires. Never again.

 

Thanks again! Massive massive help. Off to YouTube I go!

 

Went through the exact same thing in March. My 2018 was totaled so I was in a dilemma. I really love the 2.5 gen but my wife didn’t want me to get the “old” truck. The price difference was about 5k as all the lower mileage 2.5gens were around 48k so I ended up finding and picking up ‘24, gold certified for 53k. Really enjoying the ‘24 however can’t deny not thinking about the old girl every now and then.

And some photos for memories.

 

I've been contemplating something similar lately and trying to decide what direction is best. The 2nd gens have been tested for a while and are holding steady, but the price difference isn't much different than a slightly used or even new 3rd gen. Late 2nd gen with 50k or less miles for $40k or new/almost new 3rd gen for $50k. There's good aftermarket support for the 2nd gen readily available versus the 3rd gen still getting developed. But the 3rd gen has newer infotainment system and e-locker. I know I can still work on the 2nd gen myself; whereas the 3rd gen seems harder (I haven't looked closely).

 

My Gen two so far has been excellent! Purchased with 112,000 on the clock and now 160,000 on her. no problems only maintenance per. the book. Will probably last me until at least 300,000 miles and @ 5,000 miles per year that's another 30 years! Live in the rural Redwoods and try to drive my Wrangler mostly (2001 Sahara 4.0L) first Jeep and so far so good. But, it it ever gives me problems it will be sold as I'm used to reliability. 5th toyota product, buddy of mine has been a Toyota Tech for 30 years and said he would not buy a new Tundra or Tacoma.

 

Love my 14.

 

Mechanically the gen 2 is solid, but the truck will start to show it’s age over time, if you like newer things get the gen 3

 

All great feedback. Thanks guys!