Is the Toyota Tundra high maintenance?
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not especially. The Toyota Tundra is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark, it costs about $1,704 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — about the same as the $1,656 all-vehicle average. ToyotaCare covers 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier.
Verdict
About average
about average to maintain
Per year
$1,704
AAA 2025 benchmark
5 years
$8,520
75,000 miles
NHTSA complaints
—
Tundra maintenance cost: 5 and 10 years
| Period | Miles | Estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per year | 15,000 | $1,704 | AAA half-ton crew-cab pickup, 11.36¢/mile |
| 5 years | 75,000 | $8,520 | AAA's own 5-year window |
| 10 years (floor) | 150,000 | $17,040+ | AAA's 5-year per-mile rate, extended in a straight line |
Method: AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark: 11.36¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Tundra-specific quote. The 10-year figure is a floor: it doesn't add the larger age-related repairs (and later scheduled items such as spark plugs or coolant) that come after year 5.
How the verdict is set: Two inputs. Cost: the estimate against AAA's $1,656 all-vehicle average (more than 3% under counts in the car's favor, more than 3% over against it). Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold against the median of every model in our study (0.48); well under the median helps, well over hurts, roughly double or more hurts twice as much. Both low = "No"; both high = "Yes". Models without a dollar estimate get no verdict.
| What | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ToyotaCare scheduled maintenance | No cost (toyota.com: 'a no cost scheduled maintenance plan') | toyota.com 2026 Tacoma offer page — ToyotaCare footnote |
Tundra service schedule highlights
From Toyota's documents for the Tundra:
- Spark plugs every 40,000 miles
- Inspect front/rear differential every 15,000 miles
Source: 2026 Tundra Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota)
Oil changes
Normal service: 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first
Severe or special conditions: 5,000 miles or 6 months: mostly dirt/dusty roads, or repeated trips under 5 miles in below-freezing temperatures
The guides send owners to the Owner's Manual for oil viscosity and don't list a grade. Toyota schedules a maintenance visit every 5,000 miles or 6 months.
Included maintenance
ToyotaCare
Term: 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier (the current base term is 1 year or 10,000 miles; Mirai gets 3 years or 35,000 miles)
Covers: Normal factory-scheduled maintenance plus 24/7 Roadside Assistance. Roadside runs 2 years with unlimited miles (3 years for Prius, BEVs, PHEVs and Mirai) and covers towing up to 25 miles, but not parts or fluids. ToyotaCare is valid only in the continental U.S.
Source: toyota.com 2026 Tacoma offer page — ToyotaCare footnote
Toyota factory schedule
| Interval | Service items | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Every 5,000 miles or 6 months |
| 2026 Camry Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| Every 10,000 miles or 12 months |
| 2026 Camry Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| Every 15,000 miles |
| 2026 Camry Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| Every 30,000 miles |
| 2026 Corolla Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| 40,000 / 80,000 / 120,000 miles |
| 2026 Highlander Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| 120,000 miles |
| 2026 Corolla Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| 100,000 miles or 120 months (first) |
| 2026 Corolla Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| 150,000 miles or 180 months (first, hybrids) |
| 2026 Camry Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
| Special conditions (towing, car-top carrier, heavy loads) |
| 2026 Tacoma Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) |
How the Tundra compares in its AAA category (half-ton crew-cab pickup)
Same AAA category means the same dollar benchmark, so the complaint rate is what separates them. Luxury models aren't priced.
| Model | Est. per year | Complaints / 1,000 sold | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tundra | $1,704 | — | About average |
| Ford F-150 | $1,704 | 0.427 Best | About average |
| Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | $1,704 | 0.579 Above average | About average |
| GMC Sierra 1500 | $1,704 | 0.922 Average | Somewhat — above average |
| Ram 1500 | $1,704 | 0.968 Below average | Somewhat — above average |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tundra high maintenance?
Not especially. The Toyota Tundra is about average to maintain. On AAA's 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark, it costs about $1,704 a year to maintain and repair at 15,000 miles a year, tires included — about the same as the $1,656 all-vehicle average. ToyotaCare covers 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, for model years 2026 and earlier.
Is the Tundra expensive to maintain?
Plan on about $1,704 a year, $8,520 over 5 years. AAA 2025 half-ton crew-cab pickup benchmark: 11.36¢ a mile × 15,000 miles a year. Covers scheduled maintenance, wear-item repairs, one set of tires and an extended warranty over 5 years. A category average, not a Tundra-specific quote.
How much does a Tundra cost to maintain over 10 years?
About $17,040 at 15,000 miles a year (150,000 miles), extending the AAA 5-year per-mile rate in a straight line. Treat it as a floor: AAA's rate is measured on a car's first 5 years, and older cars need larger repairs.
How often does the Tundra need an oil change?
Toyota's published oil-change interval: 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Check your owner's manual for your engine; severe-service intervals are shorter.
What is the cheapest Toyota to maintain?
Of the 8 Toyota models we cover, the Camry has the lowest estimated maintenance cost: about $1,463 a year (AAA 2025 hybrid benchmark). The RAV4 and Prius share that benchmark; the Camry edges ahead on NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (0.156).
Related
Sources and method
Dollar figures: AAA's 2025 Your Driving Costs category benchmark (retail parts and labor for routine maintenance specified by the vehicle manufacturer, a comprehensive extended warranty, repairs to wear-and-tear items that need service during 5 years of operation, and one set of replacement tires). Schedule, oil interval and included maintenance: Toyota's own documents, linked by row. Complaints: NHTSA's public complaint database, divided by published U.S. sales (CarWhere analysis).
- Your Driving Costs 2025 (brochure: cost per mile by vehicle category) — AAA (maintenance cents per mile by category)
- Your Driving Costs 2025 fact sheet (methodology) — AAA (what the maintenance line includes)
- 2026 Camry Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Corolla Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2025 RAV4 Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Highlander Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Tacoma Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Tundra Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 4Runner Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- 2026 Prius Warranty & Maintenance Guide (Toyota) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- ToyotaCare & Maintenance Plans (toyota.com) — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)
- toyota.com 2026 Tacoma offer page — ToyotaCare footnote — Toyota (opened 2026-11-06)