2003 tundra (1 Viewer)

[LuvCruzer]

might be looking at a 2003 Tundra for sale at a dealership. Mileage is over 230k and price is $9500. What should I be looking for? We are in the Midwest so definitely rust issues.
Thank you for any suggestions

 

[joseywales]

My ‘03 Sequoia is a 240,000 mile ex-California rig, and even at that age, it is still a pleasure to drive. Are you getting an inspection done or just eyeballing it yourself? The only real “known” issues I can think of would be the Typical Toyota lower balljoints, and the afore mentioned rust. Frame especially of course.

 

[LuvCruzer]

My ‘03 Sequoia is a 240,000 mile ex-California rig, and even at that age, it is still a pleasure to drive. Are you getting an inspection done or just eyeballing it yourself? The only real “known” issues I can think of would be the Typical Toyota lower balljoints, and the afore mentioned rust. Frame especially of course.

I Would be just eyeballing it. It was a trade in at a Toyota dealership

 

[joseywales]

If it’s at a Toyota dealer, they should have run it through their inspection process. Ask if they will give you 6 months of warranty if you pay full price. I wouldn’t be afraid of the mileage if there are service records and things like timing belt are up to date. As I said, mine at 240,000 is nicer to drive than my 2019 with 90,000 on it. I attribute that to the Japanese design vs the USA design. It’s just a more comfortable truck.

 

[Nframe]

Frame rust is your biggest enemy. Crawl underneath it and check it thoroughly. Also check the steering rack (dealership should do this) for leaks. These are a pain in the ass to swap out.