So I bought a 2023 Tacoma

[terryjm1]

“I can show you post where tunes are shown to be EPA complaint.”

I have no knowledge of how Toyota works. However, I do suggest you get that confirmed by Toyota, ideally in writing. But, if you already did it, I guess it doesn’t matter. In forum research, for GM, it’s a different story. I have seen warranty rejection letters from GM indicating the warranty claim is void due to tuning.

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

That will net you zero LR points. Just sayin'

Because it's got to be either or? I loved my DI (even though it blew an engine and fucked me). I might grow to love this Tacoma. I never loved my Colorado but it has given me almost 300k of repair free driving. You all can be so strange....

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

“I can show you post where tunes are shown to be EPA complaint.”

I have no knowledge of how Toyota works. However, I do suggest you get that confirmed by Toyota, ideally in writing. But, if you already did it, I guess it doesn’t matter. In forum research, for GM, it’s a different story. I have seen warranty rejection letters from GM indicating the warranty claim is void due to tuning.

One of the tuners had theirs tested and showed it was complaint. I've looked through so much data I'd have to go back and find it to make you happy, and as a trip to Texas coming in the middel of a major winter storm that will have to wait. I will come back to this.

 

[Greg_M]

We have a much less impressive stable of vehicles than many of y'all. But my wife drives a Toyota, a 2000 RAV4. I seriously thought about buying one for 'me' before I found the D1. That thing is a beast. We've had it down quad trails, opposite wheels in the air, with a canoe on the roof. 230 k miles on the clock and it wants for nothing. Did the timing belt a couple of months ago because it might have been the original and we felt we should be doing some maintenance. Crazy reliable and 30 mpg loaded, unloaded, uphill or down. Mods feel free to delete lest the secret gets out...

 

[terryjm1]

Don’t take this as a criticism, it isnt. (My tone is very content and pleasant.) If you can get anyone who represents Toyota to document a non-stock tune is both not warranty voiding and epa compliant, I am buying a Toyota.

I certainly agree there are EPA compliant non-OEM tunes. I purchased one and it is documented on their website. https://greendieselengineering.com/ (GDE)

However, and I certainly could be wrong as I don’t have specific Toyota experience, I would be very surprised if anyone officially representing Toyota was willing to go on record that installing a non-Toyota factory tune is no problem for warranty claims. Again, I am buying a Toyota if that is the case. And, yes, that would make me happy.

GDE has written in your purchase order that installing the tune likely will void the factory warranty. Before you pay you have to acknowledge you know that.

Also, I am confident many tuned vehicles of all makes have been successful in getting repairs done under warranty. I’m guessing they don’t even check tune logs for most repairs. However, I am sure tune logs are checked for major repairs such as failed engines.

The fire department I formerly worked for purchased a 2009 (in 2010) heavy duty GMC truck chassis “off the lot.” It was tuned as a tow truck. We had to have it tuned to GMs emergency vehicle tune. So, using that as an example, manufacturers do offer multiple tunes for the same vehicles. Maybe Toyota does as well for personal preference? If you are not buying it from Toyota, I would be very surprised if it didn’t affect warranty coverage.

By the way, that truck purchased by our FD was a complete POS. It was literally the worst vehicle I have ever had knowledge of. It had a DPF but was before DEF. The emissions system was a total nightmare.

As I recount what I am writing, looks like I am the moron who decided to buy a GM diesel for myself.

(EDIT - going back I realize may have missed something. Did you get the tune from and programmed by the Toyota dealership? If that is the case, regardless of whether it is Toyota approved or not I’d say that receipt should do wonders for getting warranty coverage in the event of a major repair. All of my comments about warranty voiding were based on the assumption you were buying an aftermarket tune.)

 

[discostew]

Because it's got to be either or? I loved my DI (even though it blew an engine and fucked me). I might grow to love this Tacoma. I never loved my Colorado but it has given me almost 300k of repair free driving. You all can be so strange....

You had a D2 you said.

 

[terryjm1]

Here is one example, and there are many, of how GM handles failures on tuned trucks. As far as I know GM does not provide “uprated” tunes for a Canyon/Colorado and any tune for a 2.8 Duramax is aftermarket. It cost this guy $15,000. I will say this is by far the most I have heard of for a dealer engine replacement on these trucks. Most of the others were closer to $10,000. A very large portion of that is labor I am sure as it seems the most common approach to engine replacement is to take the cab off the frame.

 

[discostew]

My LRs will always outnumber any other make model I own. The GMC and or possible Toyota get the grunt work. The LRs and Triumphs have a much more fun and enjoyable life. They are treated like royalty. The others are commoners.

I’m always amazed how cheap my Cruze has been to own. I bought it the day before I started working Milwaukee to save money. I was driving a ‘99 Disco 10 miles south to catch a train before that. I did the math and figured the money I saved in gas was more than the $300 car payment.
Just last week I had to fix my heater controls. It was a mildly shitty job but only cost me $15 for a couple links. I’m on my 3rd valve cover for the same problem JLR has with the breather diaphragm, a couple water pumps, a t stat. A heater hose and a coolant reservoir. A battery. That’s it, 240,000 miles. It’s cost me 3 times as much to get my LR2 half that far

 

[terryjm1]

I have found the cheaper the vehicle, usually, the more reliable it is. The Yugo and any old Fiat would be notable exceptions, and the Yugo was really just a cheap Fiat. Any Toyota with a 22r engine will run forever and cost you next to nothing in maintenance.

 

[discostew]

You could buy a brand new Yogo for like $1600 at the end of it. Warranty wasn’t going to happen because it was after the company as a whole went down. I think dealers were just selling inventory as is.

 

[discostew]

I have found the cheaper the vehicle, usually, the more reliable it is.

Because it’s more simple. Look at Kia and all the thefts because they don’t have proper security systems. Now if they have to run better systems the price will go up $1500

 

[bri]

That car got popular after it was in Breaking Bad.

Had a neighbor with Aztec and Fieros.

 

[terryjm1]

Had a neighbor with Aztec and Fieros.

I had a Fiero. It was a lot of fun. 4cylinder with 5 speed manual. A buddy had the V6 with 5 speed. It was even more fun. The 4 cylinder was good for blowing head gaskets.

 

[terryjm1]

You could buy a brand new Yogo for like $1600 at the end of it. Warranty wasn’t going to happen because it was after the company as a whole went down. I think dealers were just selling inventory as is.

I used to pull the heads and other parts from Yugos that were at the pick and pull type places to repair Fiats. They had almost the same engine as Fiats that were out of production 20 years earlier. One redeeming quality of the Fiats was how easy they were to work on.

**Lol, I’d like to note my Fiat/Fiero days were my teen years where I could buy them (broken) for a few hundred dollars and fix them for a few hundred dollars and drive them like an an idiot teenager. My Dad was quite unhappy when me and a buddy would drag them (literally with another car and chain) home. Oh to be young and… I wish I still didn’t know better. My Dad, a Union machinist, hated foreign cars. He was a little less angry about the Fiero.

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

Don’t take this as a criticism, it isnt. (My tone is very content and pleasant.) If you can get anyone who represents Toyota to document a non-stock tune is both not warranty voiding and epa compliant, I am buying a Toyota.

I certainly agree there are EPA compliant non-OEM tunes. I purchased one and it is documented on their website. https://greendieselengineering.com/ (GDE)

However, and I certainly could be wrong as I don’t have specific Toyota experience, I would be very surprised if anyone officially representing Toyota was willing to go on record that installing a non-Toyota factory tune is no problem for warranty claims. Again, I am buying a Toyota if that is the case. And, yes, that would make me happy.

GDE has written in your purchase order that installing the tune likely will void the factory warranty. Before you pay you have to acknowledge you know that.

Also, I am confident many tuned vehicles of all makes have been successful in getting repairs done under warranty. I’m guessing they don’t even check tune logs for most repairs. However, I am sure tune logs are checked for major repairs such as failed engines.

The fire department I formerly worked for purchased a 2009 (in 2010) heavy duty GMC truck chassis “off the lot.” It was tuned as a tow truck. We had to have it tuned to GMs emergency vehicle tune. So, using that as an example, manufacturers do offer multiple tunes for the same vehicles. Maybe Toyota does as well for personal preference? If you are not buying it from Toyota, I would be very surprised if it didn’t affect warranty coverage.

By the way, that truck purchased by our FD was a complete POS. It was literally the worst vehicle I have ever had knowledge of. It had a DPF but was before DEF. The emissions system was a total nightmare.

As I recount what I am writing, looks like I am the moron who decided to buy a GM diesel for myself.

(EDIT - going back I realize may have missed something. Did you get the tune from and programmed by the Toyota dealership? If that is the case, regardless of whether it is Toyota approved or not I’d say that receipt should do wonders for getting warranty coverage in the event of a major repair. All of my comments about warranty voiding were based on the assumption you were buying an aftermarket tune.)

I'll address the edit part first. In looking through countless forums and post before I decided to do this I ran across a poster the said the dealership in his area offered OVTune to it's customers. I am also 99% sure it was OVTunes that showed their tune was EPA compliant.

Also read that yes, GM can tell the ECU has been "modded", and according to 'stew so can LR. Everything I read was Toyota can, but not at the dealership level. All they can see is a reset. Same as disconnecting the battery. The guy who tuned mine stated they use the stock tune and modify it, so at the surface it won't set off any red flags. Now, like I said, I got the "sport pedal" tune, so if I take mine in for service as soon as they drive it into the bay they'll know something has been done. Because of that, and mostly because the pedal is to touchy for a guy who wears boots 90% of the time I'm going to re-flash it to the lite pedal. Doing that installs the sport pedal to the ETC button. Sport mode would be helpful towing. Anyway, after reading post after post on forum after forum I have found not one single instance where someone stated they were denied warranty because of a tune. That all said, I've installed a lift kit, front bumper w/ winch, skid plate that gives me access to the oil filter, rear bumper to replace the POS one it came with. When it come to the warranty the tune is the least of my worries if Toyota wants to be a dick.

 

[terryjm1]

I'll address the edit part first. In looking through countless forums and post before I decided to do this I ran across a poster the said the dealership in his area offered OVTune to it's customers. I am also 99% sure it was OVTunes that showed their tune was EPA compliant.

Also read that yes, GM can tell the ECU has been "modded", and according to 'stew so can LR. Everything I read was Toyota can, but not at the dealership level. All they can see is a reset. Same as disconnecting the battery. The guy who tuned mine stated they use the stock tune and modify it, so at the surface it won't set off any red flags. Now, like I said, I got the "sport pedal" tune, so if I take mine in for service as soon as they drive it into the bay they'll know something has been done. Because of that, and mostly because the pedal is to touchy for a guy who wears boots 90% of the time I'm going to re-flash it to the lite pedal. Doing that installs the sport pedal to the ETC button. Sport mode would be helpful towing. Anyway, after reading post after post on forum after forum I have found not one single instance where someone stated they were denied warranty because of a tune. That all said, I've installed a lift kit, front bumper w/ winch, skid plate that gives me access to the oil filter, rear bumper to replace the POS one it came with. When it come to the warranty the tune is the least of my worries if Toyota wants to be a dick.

Well, it’s a Toyota. Perhaps it will never come up because it won’t need major warranty repairs. Alternatively, the 2.8 Duramax is known to have early trans and engine problems, even in stock form. Toyota, to my knowledge, doesn’t have those issues. Some of the tuners, before the EPA shut most of them down, developed tunes that were way too aggressive which likely should I validate the warranty.

 

[discostew]

Terry just let him believe that Toyota can’t see software levels and part #s. It’s what he needs to believe and you can’t fix stupid.

 

[Rocky]

So the OP got a Taco. The Taco/Ranger/Ridgeline are 80% of the price but 60% of a full size truck.
A year ago I got a 202-F150 and the thing rocks. First month of ownership, moved my kid out and drove to Greenville SC from Boston and back solo in a day. Since then I've done three more similar drives. Wife likes it in the passenger seat, but wont drive it. She'd rather work.... I've towed my Land Rover several times. The 5.0 V8 is a great engine and probably the last chance I'll get of owning a V8.......

 

[DiscoHasBeen]

So the OP got a Taco. The Taco/Ranger/Ridgeline are 80% of the price but 60% of a full size truck.
A year ago I got a 202-F150 and the thing rocks. First month of ownership, moved my kid out and drove to Greenville SC from Boston and back solo in a day. Since then I've done three more similar drives. Wife likes it in the passenger seat, but wont drive it. She'd rather work.... I've towed my Land Rover several times. The 5.0 V8 is a great engine and probably the last chance I'll get of owning a V8.......

I'll be the first to admit that I would rather buy a full sized truck. I paid cash for the Taco, kept my Colorado to drive back and forth to work. I'm 61 so the plan is for this to be the last vehicle I buy with no payments. I just couldn't afford to do that with a 70k+ price tag.

 

[terryjm1]

The reason I have a Canyon is I just couldn’t wrap my head around $60,000 plus for a truck. Full size trucks are very high profit margin vehicles. I got into a conversation about it many years ago with my uncle who worked for Ford. I am sure the profit margins on them now is much higher.