A 10k service on a 2024 Toyota Tundra after two years of intensive use by The Car Car Nut reveals issues with oil, differential, more.
The 2024 Toyota Tundra should be an absolute lock for the title of America’s most reliable full-size pickup. But as one of YouTube’s favorite master technicians shows in a detailed breakdown video, Toyota’s rock-solid reputation for reliable trucks is on shaky ground indeed. What he finds after giving the truck a thorough inspection is alarming.
YouTube Mechanic Heavyweight Digs Into a 2024 Tundra
The YouTuber in question is none other than Ahmed at The Car Care Nut. He’s tackled common problems and complaints for hundreds of models across the spectrum. But this Tundra pickup is special, mostly because it’s his own personal vehicle that’s just passed 10,000 miles on the odometer. Already, he’s running into one or two issues, so this relatively fresh Tundra heads to the lift, where he can inspect the undercarriage.
No sooner does the flashlight turn on than he discovers what looks an awful lot like the start of an AC leak. The tell-tale signs of fluid slowly leaking from the condenser is the first order of the day, and it wouldn’t be the last. As he walks down the length of this Tundra’s undercarriage, he notes the paint on the sides and corners of the bed looks, in his words, “horrible.” It’s bad enough that when he mistakenly turned too tightly into a box trailer he was towing, he didn’t bother to have the rear panel repainted. Already, two markedly un-Toyota-like criticisms.
Out With Old Oil, In With Fresh Problems
No surprise, the oil drained from this twin-turbo engine looks black as sin — It’s just a byproduct of high-compression GDI engines we’re forced to contend with in 2026. The oil in this change is less than 2000 miles old, Ahmed claims. It stands to reason that sub-optimal short-term towing trips that create rapid and repeated heat cycling are already doing a number on this engine. One shudders to imagine what 10,000-mile oil changes like the OEM recommends might do to a truck like this.
The problems were far from over. Unbolting the differential fluid filler bolt revealed fairly normal-looking oil inside, though it did dribble fluid right over a wire hanging out right by the fill port. Behind the front diff and the transfer case, at the rear differential, another problem was spotted.
Bombshell: Rear Differential Woes Confirmed
Sure enough, even if the fluid from the drain port looks acceptable, the magnet on the drain bolt has already collected some metal filings on its tip. Of course, Ahmed makes no secret how much he tows with this Tundra, but to see this at just 10,000 miles, and in metal chunks so large they flake off under light finger pressure, is something expected out of OEMs without half the reputation Toyota has.
Further digging with a borescope reveals evidence consistent with complaints from other Tundra owners. From the looks of things, the rear differential on this Tundra is close to toast at just 10,000 miles. Potentially, manufacturing debris could’ve been left in the differential housing from the moment it left the production room floor.
Even then, the issues aren’t finished, and the next one comes from a relatively mundane place, the windshield wipers. Gone are the days when changing wiper blades on a Toyota truck was easy. Now, the proprietary system Toyota uses to secure the blade to the wiper arm visibly gives master technicians a headache.
More Gremlins in the Interior
Moving inside, the cabin air filter looks like it’s been through 50,000 miles, fully saturated with larger pieces of fluff and various debris. Given the amount of air this truck displaces going down the road, there’s really no avoiding this. Still, it’s a firm warning to never let that little piece of maintenance go unresolved.
As a cherry of sorts on top, he notes hearing a new squeak or rattle inside this truck almost every time he drives it, along with little annoyances such as a volume knob for the infotainment screen detaching and going airborne during a drive. At a time when one of Toyota’s main criticisms is interior quality, it’s a particularly damning indictment of their flagship pickup.
For a man who took such pride in owning this Tundra when it was new, going so far as to edit his own hype video for it, seeing the state of it after just two years left Ahmed feeling dejected — an almost personal betrayal. His answer the question “should you buy this truck?”: he says an extended warranty is an absolute must at this juncture. Does that mean you’re better off with an F-150, a Silverado, or a Ram? You’ll have to decide for yourself, but he’s certainly offered considerable food for thought.
Watch the full video below
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