2022 Tundra Owners Approve Motor Even though Problems Keep Piling

When the production of the new Toyota Tundra began in 1999, it really showed just how great Toyota’s reliability, quality control, and extreme attention to detail was. For the next 21 years, Toyota proved that the Tundra was not just some other pickup. Rather, it was a pickup designed for the outdoors, getting your hands dirty, and drinking gas like its water. Remember this was the late ‘90s. Things were great, and the music was even better. One thing that did get better was Tundra’s drivetrain.

For the most part, Toyota Tundra used the I-FORCE v8 in different displacements complementing its trims. However, the new re-design of the 2022 model gives it not only a different look but a different engine as well. The 2022 Toyota Tundra can come in two drivetrains. A twin-turbocharged v6, or a twin-turbocharged hybrid v6. Both of these two drivetrains are immensely more powerful than the previous v8 engines pushing out better torque and horsepower. Also, a v6 means better MPG for both the hybrid and non-hybrid models. On average, you can expect to average anywhere from 17-23mpg combined with the Tundra hybrid.

On paper, this sounds great, but upon release and delivery of the new 2022 Toyota Tundra, some people started experiencing breakdowns. One driver broke down not a few miles from the dealership after he picked up his truck. Just recently, another problem surfaced of side plastic trims on seats cracking after getting in and out. Granted, it’s a hit or miss with the 2022 Tundra. You either get a very well-built Tundra that’ll serve you for many years, or you get a lemon that will be the reason why you keep getting calls from the dealer.

However, a recent post on Facebook’s 2022+ Toyota Tundra group showed that owners, regardless of issues, actually like the new engine setup. Even skeptical owners who loved the v8 said they loved this new drivetrain. Ken Cofer asked the group, “How do you guys like the new motor?” To my surprise, the entire comment section, all 20 comments, were filled with nothing but positive compliments on this engine.Granted, the problems on Tundra’s are the turbos rather than the engine itself so I don’t see that as too surprising.

Alan Bickford said, “I still have my two older 5.7 Tundras but this one...would suck them in the air filter and spit them out the exhaust. Love the power.” It’s true, while a smaller engine, the v6 drivetrain makes way more horsepower compared to the later v8s.

Michael Molnar said, “It's awesome, I thought I'd miss a v8, but no because it hauls ass and it's quite sure, but that’s it.”

The positive comments keep going on and on and it’s funny because if you go to one forum, it’s a discussion of how unreliable the 2022 Toyota Tundra is, your go-to to another and its praises and glory. I think that the only reason why we are seeing so many tundra problems is because of scale. Let’s say Toyota sells 100,000 Tundras this year. If only 5% of those have problems, that’s 5,000 defective Tundras. 5% doesn’t seem a lot of 5,000 surely is. Any problem for Toyota is a problem at scale because of how high their quantitative numbers are.

This means that without any proper controlling aspects, whether it be wastegates, seat trims, or brake rotors, Toyota cannot redeem itself as the number one truck maker in America. The only reason why the older Tundras were good was because of numbers and reliability. We didn’t look at cosmetic looks or interior amenities. True the new Tundra looks really nice from the outside and the interior is something out of the Starship Enterprise but if you base a car’s reliability on that, you are not going to get really far.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below what your thoughts are on the new 2022 Toyota Tundra’s drivetrain.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun for daily Toyota news.