Purchasing a new vehicle is often an exciting milestone, but for one Toyota customer in Ontario, Canada, the experience with a brand-new 2023 SR5 Tundra has turned into a $65,000 nightmare. After waiting eleven months for his truck, manufactured in the US, the owner encountered a series of significant issues, starting from day one.
One of the first shocks was the delivery of the vehicle with only one key. Despite signing the sales contract and completing the purchase, the dealership informed him that the second key was “currently not available.” This left the owner with a brand new, expensive truck and the security concern of having only a single key, especially with multiple potential drivers. After two months and five calls to Toyota, he was met with complaint file numbers but no resolution or even a timeline for receiving the missing key. Frustration mounted as requests to speak with someone in a higher position were denied, and the dealership claimed helplessness, citing Toyota’s decision to withhold keys due to chip shortages.
However, the missing key was just the beginning of the owner’s troubles. Upon driving the 2023 Toyota Tundra, a deafening cabin noise emerged at speeds above 45mph. Described as sounding like driving with open windows, the noise intensified at highway speeds, becoming “ridiculous” at 100km/hr. The owner had to resort to cranking up the radio and fan to try and drown out the overwhelming sound. This level of noise intrusion makes comfortable highway driving nearly impossible, turning what should be a pleasant new truck experience into an agonizing ordeal.
Further inspection revealed another critical defect: leaking window seals. A visible gap in the seals allowed water to run directly into the doors. Confirming his suspicions with a hose, the owner discovered water entering the rocker panels inside the cab. This significant leak issue raises serious concerns about potential long-term damage from rust and mold, compromising the vehicle’s integrity and lifespan.
Disturbingly, online research revealed that these problems – excessive cabin noise and leaking window seals – are not new to the 2023 Toyota Tundra. Complaints from owners stretch back three years to the release of the new Tundra generation, indicating a long-standing, unaddressed design or manufacturing flaw. Despite Toyota’s awareness of these defects for years, no permanent fix appears to be in place. Even a dealership attempt to replace a faulty back window seal only resulted in the installation of the same defective part, offering no improvement and highlighting the systemic nature of the problem.
Faced with unresolved issues and dismissive customer service, the owner expresses deep disappointment and regret, declaring this 2023 Toyota Tundra will be his last Toyota vehicle. Feeling “screwed” by Toyota, he believes he was intentionally sold a defective vehicle, a stark contrast to his previous positive experiences with six other Toyotas. His brand new truck, plagued with noise and leak problems, sits largely unused, a constant reminder of a significant financial investment gone wrong and Toyota’s apparent lack of accountability. This experience serves as a cautionary tale for anyone considering a 2023 Toyota Tundra, urging potential buyers to be aware of these reported issues and the potential for unsatisfactory resolution from Toyota.
