I have a 2017 Tundra Platinum that I bought new off the lot on April 28, 2017. I loaned it to my brother in north Alabama last summer because I needed to put some miles on it since my 3 years warranty was approaching in which the free oil changes would cease, and I only had roughly 7000 miles on it then. As of today’s date it’s now back here with me with exactly 22,115 on the odometer. I’m right at my target of 7,500 miles per year which gets me a decent State Farm discount. That allows for about 20.5 miles per day, which is plenty. The only mark on it was received in the Fultondale Winn-Dixie parking lot when somebody’s tire lightly scuffed the rear bumper on the corner. Pissed me off. I’m considering buying a Toyota OEM replacement part, not a knockoff. The truck is otherwise cherry. It’s always been garaged and babied and parked in a handicapped spot. How that person skint it is a mystery. My brother didn’t do it, I noticed it the day it happened since I always circle the truck before and after trips to check it.

Since I am the way I am, (a nut) should I do this? It’s bugging me bad. It won’t buff out. Sorta like having a birthday cake with a turd for the candle.

If it makes you feel better, do it ..

Factory part and make sure it aint on carfax. I dont see how anyone would know going by your description of how clean it is

Man, thanks for that advice. I’ll have somebody do a straw-man cash purchase at a dealership and not provide the VIN. That’s an excellent idea.

(Edit: The above statement is known as “deadpan”. That means it’s meant to be humorous but conveyed with a straight face.)

I’m more interested in hearing about your experience with a birthday cake and a turd for a candle.

If your worried about the value of the truck, I seriously doubt a tire scuff is going to affect hardly anything. If you’ve taken care of the truck like you say I don’t think anybody is going to try and use that as a bargaining chip if they were interested in buying it. Just my opinion, I think you’d be wasting your money to replace that if it’s not actually damaged. BUT, I’m funny about my truck and understand that some stuff will bug you to death and nobody else will even notice.

You’re probably going to increase the value of the truck $100 for a $1500 part plus labor

Mileage is the only thing anyone will look at far as a Miner scuff your value will be same.its inevitable someone will come along and screw it up never fails.i gave up on trying to keep my vehicle perfect no mater how hard you try to keep it up some one will hit it and devalue it a little

Do it in the dark of night and don't use your real name! Seriously are you koo koo for CoCo puffs or just fruity for loops ????

Nobody pulled your chain, Sphincter Boy.

That’s a valid point. I’m severely OCD about stuff like that. Can’t shake it. If you ever buy anything from me, it’s a safe bet it’s been really taken care of in the time I had it.

Deadwood, it’s awesome that you love your truck and take care of it so well, I love when I buy something used from someone who cared for their stuff. Myself, I wouldn’t worry with it because I’d assume that as soon as I fixed their would be another ding from somewhere else. However, if you’ve got to fix it for your own piece of mind then by all means do so. Good luck man.

It sounds like something that it going to bug you every time you look at it and even when you don't see it you know it's there. I would fix and it be done with it. Then it gives you something else to get pissed about the next time some asshat dings your door in the parking lot.

It bugs me to drive a vehicle with damage on it. I have to fix it.

There's probably a 12 step program for that.

Fix it if u want but putting those miles on it on purpose is killing the value. Not a bumper. Never put miles on a vehicle for a free oil change or warranty. Thats is ruining the value of your truck. An oil change is 50 bucks but the 15k miles you added to it just dropped its value thousands of dollars. Also, your killing the value by hitting the 7500 mile target a year to get a discount on insurance? Get a different insurance company if u want to save money. Thats one of the highest places. Again, your killing your truck to save on discounts and a 50 dollar oil change. The truck just went from 7k mile show room truck to a 23k mile ordinary vehicle.

Id rather buy a truck with a bent bumper than a replaced one. That way i know whats been done to it. If u can afford a platinum truck, im not sure why your worried about value anyhow sir.

I someone tried to haggle you off of a decent price and used that as the reason, I'd tell him the location of the nearest Toyota dealer where they sell brand new ones because that is what he is looking for. I agree with FreeStateHunter's assessment.

I don't understand the concept of "needing to put miles on it" to get free oil changes??

If I was you, I would sell it and buy another one. I've got 10k cash in hand right now.

Oh lawd,in a world full serious problems.A scuff mark from a tire on a truck that's never driven or only driven for the oil changes is a topic of discussion.You need to relax and don't sweat the small stuff.

Well, here’s the thing on the free oil changes and the scuffed bumper. The truck came with a 3 year, 36,000 mile warranty and the clock started ticking the day I drove it home. I got diagnosed as being pretty sick a few months later. I got admitted to, and am still in a thing called UAB Palliative Care. After discussion about some things with my Pain Management Physician in that group, (shout out to Keith!) I decided to not drive anymore for the forseeable future. I am free to drive if I want to, but I don’t think it’s wise right now.

Fast forward to last summer: I was still eligible for several warranty covered preventative maintenance visits, and heck, they were free and I wanted ‘em! My brother as it happened was going through some family changes right about then and very temporarily had neither a pot nor the window to go with it. I gladly offered him my truck, and a credit card to keep it full because his daily commute is one hour each way and the whole point was to ease his burden. I didn’t squander any miles on a new truck, I did what any brother should have done, and the truck or anything or anybody else comes second when it comes to my brother.

It gets driven when needed or wanted by others and there is no goal on mileage either way. As for the paint and bumper, yes, I was wondering if you guys would fix it or leave it alone. I’m gonna leave it alone. The truck is paid for, I don’t plan on selling it or trading it, and when I cack, my brother might inherit a decent truck. I take care of all my stuff, but I’m not gonna stroke out if it gets bent.

So anyway, I don’t NEED a free oil change, it’s part of the scheduled maintenance. I don’t NEED to watch the mileage, 22,000 is considered low on a 3 Y/O truck.I don’t NEED to be illin’ about a skint bumper, but I’ll concede that I did.

I overstated my concern just a bit, but that;s just part of my schtick. Sometimes I get a bite from folks like Larry, for instance.

I ain’t gonna worry about things that don’t matter.

For the folks that gave their two cents and perspectives, I say thanks. For instance, the $1500 spent to raise the value by a hundred bucks. That was a good analogy and makes sense. :thumbup

X2.