2022 Toyota Tundra Hybrid

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by JSH

First, most repairs in European brands are due to electrical issues not failures of the core drivetrain. Turbo failures are pretty rare from any manufacturer and generally go the life of the vehicle.

European brands also tend to do a lot better with proper maintenance. People in the USA have a bad habit of second guessing the manufacturer and using incorrect oils and other fluids. Either because it is something they have always used or just because they are cheap and don't want to spend the money for the advanced synthetics.

We also have a bad track record when it comes to doing regular maintenance outside of changing the oil. People will change the oil every 3,000 miles at the quick lube but never changing the transmission fluid and then are surprised when a dual clutch transmission fails. They never change their brake fluid then complain when an ABS module fails.

European brands engineer their products based on regular maintenance being done on time and properly.

Thanks to you I got my brake fluid changed yesterday in the Avalon! So the transaxle fluid, the radiator fluid and the brake fluid have all been changed recently, as well as all the filters. Anything else (besides oil)? There are no rubber belts inside or outside the engine.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by JSH

First, most repairs in European brands are due to electrical issues not failures of the core drivetrain. Turbo failures are pretty rare from any manufacturer and generally go the life of the vehicle.

European brands also tend to do a lot better with proper maintenance. People in the USA have a bad habit of second guessing the manufacturer and using incorrect oils and other fluids. Either because it is something they have always used or just because they are cheap and don't want to spend the money for the advanced synthetics.

We also have a bad track record when it comes to doing regular maintenance outside of changing the oil. People will change the oil every 3,000 miles at the quick lube but never changing the transmission fluid and then are surprised when a dual clutch transmission fails. They never change their brake fluid then complain when an ABS module fails.

European brands engineer their products based on regular maintenance being done on time and properly.

So the rest of the car dies faster than the turbo can?

My Touareg said the transmission fluid never needed changing or even inspected. Maybe they too didn't think the rest of the car would outlast a never serviced 8 speed. I personally did trust the Aisin transmission more than any other part. The turbo did outlast the rest of the fuel system, but at 80,000 miles that's not saying much.

I'm sorry, I just don't think anything from Volvo, VAG, BMW, MB is above average reliable on any level of the car, certainly not Toyota reliable.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

So the rest of the car dies faster than the turbo can?

My Touareg said the transmission fluid never needed changing or even inspected. Maybe they too didn't think the rest of the car would outlast a never serviced 8 speed. I personally did trust the Aisin transmission more than any other part. The turbo did outlast the rest of the fuel system, but at 80,000 miles that's not saying much.

I'm sorry, I just don't think anything from Volvo, VAG, BMW, MB is above average reliable on any level of the car, certainly not Toyota reliable.

For most cars the engine outlives the body (or the desire of the owner to keep putting money into a car that isn't worth anything on paper) A simple brake job can scrap a car.

Was that "lifetime" transmission oil recommendation from the dealer or the service manual? A believe a year or two it came from the factory but then was changed to every 60K miles. DSGs require a fluid change every 40K and that service is $800 - $900 at my local VW dealer. (The service kit is $160 from IDIParts + a device to suction out the oil and some special tools)

https://www.blauparts.com/blog/how-t...d-8-speed.html

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I just don't think anything from Volvo, VAG, BMW, MB is above average reliable on any level of the car, certainly not Toyota reliable.

VW and MB lost their hands on how to make a die-hard engine. As far as Toyota goes, even though some folks might look at its austere approach as some sort of outdating, its worldwide success says for itself. Just look at how some Toyota model leads the new car sales in more countries than any other automakers.

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by JSH

For most cars the engine outlives the body (or the desire of the owner to keep putting money into a car that isn't worth anything on paper) A simple brake job can scrap a car.

Was that "lifetime" transmission oil recommendation from the dealer or the service manual? A believe a year or two it came from the factory but then was changed to every 60K miles. DSGs require a fluid change every 40K and that service is $800 - $900 at my local VW dealer. (The service kit is $160 from IDIParts + a device to suction out the oil and some special tools)

https://www.blauparts.com/blog/how-t...d-8-speed.html

The Touraeg is one VW that doesn't use a DSG. It has an Aisin 8 speed (at least my year 2012 did). I believe it's the identical transmission they use in the Cayenne Turbo with 500+hp and 0-60 under 4 sec. I had asked the service department because the dealership throws in a lifetime powertrain warranty on their used cars as long as you follow the service schedule. I asked him when we need to do the transmission and he said never. I was like, "as long as you guys are paying for it when it dies OK."

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

The Touraeg is one VW that doesn't use a DSG. It has an Aisin 8 speed (at least my year 2012 did). I believe it's the identical transmission they use in the Cayenne Turbo with 500+hp and 0-60 under 4 sec. I had asked the service department because the dealership throws in a lifetime powertrain warranty on their used cars as long as you follow the service schedule. I asked him when we need to do the transmission and he said never. I was like, "as long as you guys are paying for it when it dies OK."

I know the Touraeg has a traditional automatic. That doesn't stop VW from calling all their automatics DSG.

Just doing what the VW dealer says is often a bad idea - especially for diesels. That is why I asked what the actual VW service schedule says. Hopefully you have a statement in writing from your dealership that the transmission fluid never needs to be checked or changed.

(The first VW dealer I visited just used the regular gasoline spec engine oil in the TDIs and said to change it every 5K miles instead of 10K.)

Service schedules are sometime hard to find online, but this one from VW says check the transmission fluid every 40K miles.

https://pics.tdiclub.com/data/516/2010_Touareg.pdf

This one says change it every 40K miles
https://www.normreevesvw.com/volkswa...ule-irvine-ca/

It is your transmission. I don't trust anything a VW dealers says and after my experience with the dieselgate and CPO warranty I don't trust VW will actually honor their warranty terms.

[Hersbird]

I traded the Touareg in on the Pacifica Hybrid. The Touareg wasn't inspiring long term confidence in me with $5000 worth of warranty work in a year. Thank God it was part of the dieselgate or it would have all been out of warranty.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I traded the Touareg in on the Pacifica Hybrid. The Touareg wasn't inspiring long term confidence in me with $5000 worth of warranty work in a year. Thank God it was part of the dieselgate or it would have all been out of warranty.

From reading some threads on tdiclub it sounds like the long crank at start-up is due to the high-pressure fuel pump losing pressure after sitting for a while. Which to me sounds like the beginning of a HPFP failure - which if it failed takes out the entire fuel system. $$$$$$

I don't have a lot of confidence in my TDI either. I was on the fence about buying a car with large tuning modifications done after production. The dieselgate warranty made me think that risk was acceptable but my warranty experience with local dealers makes me think I don't want the hassle.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary

Thanks to you I got my brake fluid changed yesterday in the Avalon! So the transaxle fluid, the radiator fluid and the brake fluid have all been changed recently, as well as all the filters. Anything else (besides oil)? There are no rubber belts inside or outside the engine.

I can't think of anything else. I would just go by Toyota's factor service schedule.

Did you change both the inverter and engine coolant? I think (but I'm not positive) that they are separate systems.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by alexshock

From the description it looks like Honda's IMA.
Strange choice, as Honda nowdays uses something similar to HSD, while IMAs does not prove significant economy.
(According to this community, Insight becomes more efficient when you remove IMA)

On my 1st-gen Insight, without IMA, the car will not negotiate any amount of road grade without down-shifting, even to 2nd-gear, on an interstate highway.
The car WILL get the mpg my CRX got ( 52-mpg ), at 10-mph faster cruising speed ( 65 compared to 55 ), with AC-'ON', where the CRX couldn't do 52-mpg WITH air conditioning 'ON.'
The minimum $1,600 it would take to restore the battery, I'm going to bank for a used EV.
And for the little I'd get for the Insight, it may just become a shade-tree, mini- RV trailer body.