Toyota Tundra refresh coming with insight from chief engineer

It is no surprise a refreshed Toyota Tundra is coming, but what might be surprising is the amount of changes they could be making.

At a recent event, I spent a lot of time talking with new Chief Engineer Sheldon Brown, recently taking over from Jay Sackett, to learn more about what Toyota is up to with a refreshed Tundra.

[Editor’s note: updated article from 2024]

Toyota Tundra fixes shortcoming

First and foremost, Brown has read forums, watched videos, and read articles on the completely redesigned 2022 Tundra to understand its shortcomings.

These shortcomings include various issues like the lack of recovery points or tow hooks, the rear bumper access issue with the tailgate down, and various quality concerns like the weatherstripping not meeting on the crew cab’s rear windows. He has also seen concerns over windows rattling, center console shaking, and more.

I also believe they will go over the engine again looking for ways to reduce complexity, improve reliability, and learn not just from the U.S. market but also the global market dealership warranty claims. They may even consider adding the gasoline particulate filter used globally with the upcoming level 4 EPA emissions standards coming into effect in 2027 or 2028.

Here’s a full list of the issues I’ve collected from myself and a large owner’s forum.

His focus is going to be to fix these various issues and then move forward with new ideas.

Powertrain changes?

While yes, they have learned a lot from the recall that really was a gut punch to their reliability credibility, the Tundra i-Force in both the hybrid and not hybrid models won’t see many changes.

Gasp! How can you say that with the changes to CAFE being relaxed and no fines? Toyota is playing the long game and won’t care who is in the U.S. President’s office in the next 4 or even 6 years from now. They look at things long-term and instead are looking at global emissions as well as their own corporate pledges for emissions goals.

Instead, no, sorry no V-8 is coming back. And I don’t see the hybrid magically becoming more fuel efficient. Toyota will continue to focus on horsepower and torque for the i-Force hybrid twin-turbocharged V6 engine mated to the 10-speed automatic transmission.

Diesel? Nope. Heavy-duty truck? Forget about it.

One big change coming

There will be several key changes for the refreshed Toyota Tundra, but I think the big change is going to be on the front-end design and adding in tow hooks as either a standard or optional package, not just the ones you can install at the dealer that look like lipstick on a bull.

If you look at the new Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner, especially with the TrailHunter trim, you’ll see a new design where it appears the skid plate is more prominent creating a better placement for adding tow hooks. The current Tundra has a large, blank piece of plastic there.

The Tacoma chassis shows where the tow hook will be attached below the radiator and appears to be a bolted-on extension of the frame.

With internal Toyota team members pushing back on tow hooks due to crash-safety concerns, the next-gen Tundra will get them after engineers like Brown fought for them on the Tacoma and 4Runner.

Small changes

There will also be small changes coming like improvements to the wireless charging system, think adding a simple rubber holder, as well as color and material changes.

I can see Toyota coming out with a unique exterior color.

Also, I think the interior materials and color choices will be changed on various trims to give it a fresh look.

New trim level?

The final big change people are going to see is a Toyota Tundra Trailhunter finally coming to market. Toyota showed this model at a SEMA show I attended a few years ago.

This model incorporates aftermarket parts companies like ARB to create a more robust overlanding rig.

With overlanding being such a hot industry trend and the Tacoma and 4Runner both coming out with a Trailhunter trim, this seems to be a sure thing.

The bottom line

Quality improvements, styling changes, tow hooks and a new trim level will highlight the changes coming. What do you think? Something else you want to see?