A well-maintained Tundra is expected to last between 150,000 to 250,000 miles on average. But reaching 300,000 miles is not out of the norm. Plus, there are at least two documented cases of a Tundra–both 2007 models–reaching over a million miles.
Key Points
- Two Toyota Tundra owners reached the million-mile mark, but most drivers should expect to see their Tundra top out at around 300,000.
- Common problems in high-mileage Tundras are exhaust manifold leaks and ball-joint failure.
- Repair prices for the Toyota pickup are low.
Toyota’s Flagship Pickup Offers Reliability and Ruggedness that Should get the Trucks to Well Over 200,000 Miles
The Toyota Tundra has a reputation for reliability and has even proven useful as a military vehicle in war zones. The modern Tundra and its diesel cousin, the Hilux, are so ubiquitous on contemporary battlefields for one reason: Whether shot up or shrapnel shredded, they keep going. And, of course, this ruggedness and reliability equal longevity.
Many reputable automotive sources have reported on the lifespan of a Toyota Tundra, and from the overall analysis, you can expect a Tundra to last between 150,000 to 250,000 miles on average. Reaching 300,000 miles is not out of the norm, if the truck is well-maintained.
Popular fan forums like Tundra Talk support this number, with many Toyota Tundra owners mentioning their trucks reaching between 250,000 and 300,000 miles.
Also, one recent report on the auto industry’s longest-lasting vehicles includes six Toyotas in its 16-vehicle list. The Tundra is ranked in ninth place, with 3.7% of all Tundras sold expected to last over 200,000 miles.
In one case, a 2007 Toyota Tundra famously reached 1,000,000 miles in 2016 (yes, one million), owned by a man who regularly drove the Tundra 125,000 miles annually since he purchased it new.
Toyota took the truck back to disassemble and inspect its inner workings, while gifting the previous owner a brand-new Tundra. So, nobody knows how far it could have gone. A second 2007 Tundra hit a million miles in 2019, although this one did not have the original transmission when it reached the threshold.
The average Tundra owner, however, should expect their Tundra to reach somewhere around the 200,000-mile mark. But they shouldn’t be shocked to see the odometer hit 300,000 miles and keep churning along if they choose to push it that far.
Maintenance is key, so when buying a used Tundra where pristine maintenance schedules may not have been observed, drivers should probably expect more expensive problems to start popping up around the 200,000-mile mark.
Maintenance and Repair Considerations Center around Exhaust Manifolds and the Timing Belt
The Tundra, as such a long-lasting vehicle, has relatively few issues when it comes to a maintenance schedule. It is simple: ensure the oil is changed, make sure the tires are road-worthy, but owners should be certain to change the timing belt at 100,000 miles or their engines’ could see their lifespans shortened exceptionally. Once an engine is out of time, its parts each become individual ticking bombs, waiting for failure.
Reported problems are similarly scant, but issues do exist. The most common concern is the exhaust manifold. Exhaust gaskets frequently fail for some drivers of Tundras produced from 2000 to 2012, leading to a ticking sound coming from under the hood, and an exhaust leak.
This usually happens for most drivers around 95,000 miles, though the reported range is anywhere from 5,000 to 250,000 miles.
Another problem to look out for is an issue with failing lower ball joints, which received premature wear from imperfections in manufacturing. The recalls related to this issue affect model years from 2002 to 2006, though there have been reported instances of ball-joint issues outside this range.
If the ball joint fails, drivers will see dramatically reduced suspension performance, possibly making the Tundra uncontrollable.
Other reported issues with Toyota’s pickup include air injection pump failure and faulty oxygen sensors, though these are less frequent than the ball joint and exhaust manifold problems. In all, however, problems with the Toyota Tundra are few.
The trucks are consistently rated among J.D. Power’s most reliable. Repair Pal quotes the average cost of maintenance at $606—not bad for something that might take you to a million miles.
The Tundra’s Rugged, War-tested Durability and Dependability Make it one of the Longest-lasting Peacetime Trucks Ever
How many trucks can go a million miles? Not a lot. The Tundra is one of them. And though most drivers shouldn’t expect to see their odometers roll over back to six zeroes, they wouldn’t be asking for too much if they wanted to see it hit 300,000.
Properly maintained throughout its lifetime, this is what most Tundra drivers should be getting, though shorter and longer outliers exist.
Realistically, 250,000 miles for a well-maintained Toyota Tundra is as sure as the sunrise before repair bills and age-related wear lead drivers to retire those wheels.
Photos: Toyota
