Toyota has announced a massive recall involving over 100,000 vehicles, affecting its popular Toyota Tundra pickup trucks and the luxury Lexus LX SUVs. The recall, one of Toyota’s largest in recent years, concerns engine failure due to a manufacturing defect in the V-6 twin-turbocharged engines. The defect could cause these engines to stall, posing a serious safety risk.
What’s wrong with the engines?
The issue stems from residual machining debris left inside the engine during the production process, leading to potentially catastrophic engine problems. In some cases, this debris causes engine knocking, rough operation, or even total engine failure. While some vehicles only exhibit minor symptoms like difficulty starting, the worst-case scenario is a complete loss of power while driving, which raises the risk of crashes.
Toyota and Lexus vehicles affected by this recall include the 2022 and 2023 model year Toyota Tundras and Lexus LX SUVs produced between November 2021 and February 2023. For Lexus LX, the issue affects vehicles produced between July 2021 and November 2022. According to Toyota, a total of about 102,092 vehicles are potentially impacted by this problem.
The drastic solution: complete engine replacement
In May 2024, Toyota notified the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the defect. However, Toyota struggled to accurately estimate how many vehicles would experience engine failure. Initially, only 1% of the 102,092 vehicles were estimated to be affected. Yet, to ensure safety, Toyota has opted for a sweeping solution—engine replacement in every potentially affected vehicle, regardless of whether or not it shows signs of engine problems.
The recall covers approximately 98,600 Toyota Tundras and 3,500 Lexus LX SUVs, all with the non-hybrid version of the 3.4-liter V-6 twin-turbocharged engine (V35A). Fortunately, hybrid Tundra models are excluded from the recall since their electric motors can provide power if the internal combustion engine fails.
How the issue was discovered
The issue came to light in March 2022, when a customer reported a sudden engine stall due to engine bearing failure. An internal investigation by Toyota revealed that machining debris was to blame. By 2023, Toyota had collected over 166 technical reports and 824 warranty claims related to this problem, prompting a voluntary recall in early 2024.
Toyota’s thorough investigation found that even engines that initially appeared unaffected by the debris were prone to failure after extended use. This led the automaker to extend the recall to all potentially affected vehicles to avoid any risks.
Financial and production impact
Replacing over 100,000 engines is a significant financial burden for Toyota, but the automaker remains committed to maintaining its reputation for safety and reliability. Beyond the costs of manufacturing new engines, Toyota must also cover labor expenses for removing the faulty engines and installing replacements. The company acknowledges that this recall could disrupt production schedules for new vehicles as it redirects resources to address the recall.
However, Toyota’s proactive stance on addressing the issue has been widely praised. The automaker prioritizes long-term customer trust, even if it means absorbing the massive costs of such a recall.
