Why the 3rd-gen Toyota Tundra tow hooks don’t exist

There seems to be no bigger and more controversial topic among truck fans than the Toyota Tundra tow hooks, or rather, the lack of them. Are you blaming Toyota for this dumb decision? Eh. The blame actually goes somewhere else.

Toyota Tundra tow hooks

Let’s start this with stating the prior generations of the Toyota Tundra all had tow hooks, plain and simple. Therefore, the lack of Toyota Tundra tow hooks in the new truck really caught people off guard.

For many, truck beds, big V-8 engines and tow hooks are all critical parts of a truck. Yet that world is changing, as we saw with the loss of the V-8 engine.

The tow hook situation is a bit more complex.

Crash testing

What changed? Specifically, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests.

In the years since the second-generation 2014 Toyota Tundra, the IIHS has grown in importance. Its crash test ratings are now a big part of automaker’s planning, and as you’d expect, the IIHS keeps making its tests harder to pass with flying colors.

Simply put, automakers strive for the highest safety rating since they know consumers search for them.

Combine this with the growth of a full-size truck becoming a family hauler, and safety is even more paramount to many consumers.

And if you don’t believe consumers care about safety, when the prior-gen Toyota Tundra was given a poor crash rating for the frontal overlap test a few years ago, many people incorrectly assumed the entire truck was not safe to drive. Heck, I even got emails from consumers who wanted to know if they should park their Toyota Tundra since it was “unsafe.”

The fact is, the frontal overlap crash test (imagine hitting a pole at highway speeds) wasn’t even a thing when the 2014 Tundra was being engineered.

You can see the difference in the screenshots from IIHS.org. New model versus old model.

Other Toyota vehicles without tow hooks

Flash forward to 2023, and Toyota engineers were tasked with passing the IIHS tests as well as looking forward to whatever new test the non-profit would come up with in future years.

Now, in order to pass those tests, the tow hooks couldn’t move one millimeter in a frontal crash. Yeah, smash the truck into a barrier and the tow hooks can’t move. That’s a problem, and one Toyota engineers couldn’t figure out a way to overcome, according to my many conversations with then chief engineer Mike Sweers on the matter.

Another thing you need to know is Toyota is one of the most conservative and safety-focused automaker in the world. This means engineers like Sweers were told the truck MUST pass the safety rating, and if it couldn’t do so with tow hooks installed, then you don’t get tow hooks. Period.

It isn’t just the Tundra though. The new Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Hilux, all off-road-focused vehicles, are all without tow hooks.

Will tow hooks come back?

One of the top questions I get from fans often along the lines of “when will Toyota fix their mistake and put tow hooks on the Tundra?” It is a good question.

Recently, I interviewed the new Toyota Tundra Chief Engineer Jay Sackett. I asked him about fixing some of the other issues, such as the side-seat plastic that is cracking, rattling windows and weatherstripping on the rear windows.

Plenty of people criticized me for not asking about the tow hooks. There is a simple reason for that one. I don’t believe Toyota can “fix” the tow hook situation easily.

As I discovered after putting our long-term 2022 Tundra up on a lift, it is clear there is no easy fix for adding tow hooks. Why? The entire front end has to be redesigned and completely re-engineered. There is the active front spoiler that simply gets in the way, and if you remove it, you’ll have to then head to the dealer to clear an error code.

Aftermarket solutions, like these red hooks from aFe Power, seem like a simple “fix” since they bolt right on the truck. However, you still have to reach under the truck to get to them and any sort of upward pulling angle could cause damage to the front bumper.

Besides, if Toyota engineers found a way to put tow hooks on the truck, they would still have to figure out a new way to engineer the truck to pass the front crash safety testing.

The fact is even if Toyota were to magically come up with a solution, you are still looking at millions in R&D, design, suppliers and new tools for the plant as well as changing how the truck is built. Not a small task.

What about the new 2024 Toyota Tacoma front tow hooks?

Now, the new Toyota Tacoma does have front tow hooks. They also have them on the rear of the Trail Hunter with the ARB bumper.

Therefore, you maybe wondering why 2024 Tacoma gets front tow hooks while those other off-road models don’t?

I don’t have official confirmation on this. I’ve emailed and asked Toyota Public Relations and haven’t heard back. My gut feeling, however, tells me engineers recessed the tow hooks far enough and kicked the bumper out to pass the safety test.

Also remember, the Tacoma came out after the new Tundra, and I know Toyota engineers listened to the criticisms over tow hooks.

This goes back to my original point, though: Until the Tundra gets a full front-end redesign, I don’t see tow hooks coming anytime soon.

Cost cutting?

Finally, what if this is just a cost cutting move from Toyota. That’s a common response you’ll see online, yet I see this a cop out answer. Why?

First, the new Tundra is arguably less competitive than its rivals. Making a less competitive truck, in an obvious way, to save a few bucks is just not something automakers do. Instead, they cut costs in ways consumers don’t see.

Second, if this was a simple way to cut costs, why would the Tacoma have them and the Tundra does not?

Third, engineers are truck owners too. They would have found ways to remove costs elsewhere to keep tow hooks in the budget plain and simple.

The bottom line

This generation Toyota Tundra will always be without tow hooks. Plain and simple. Is there hope for the next generation? Maybe, but consumers are going to have to vote with their wallets to make this change. I mean, if the Toyota Tundra sales don’t see significant sales losses and if consumers don’t voice their dissatisfaction with the lack of tow hooks loud and clear, change isn’t going to happen. However, one does wonder if sales dip that low, if Toyota Japan won’t just throw in the towel completely on the full-size truck market. A very slippery slope for Tundra fans.