Tundra engine recall - interesting news

And still nothing for hybrid owners?

 

Correct.

 

I have had more than a few people (interested non-Toyota owners out and about) surprised at "Unfortunately, no, I'm a couple of weeks outside the recall" when they ask if I had the recall motor installed, yet. They'd all heard it was extended through mid-'24.

 

No such thing has been communicated directly from Toyota to dealers or owners.

 

That's what I tell them and ask where they heard it, 'cause I haven't heard it as an owner.

 

Not needing a new engine is a good thing, right?

 

It is. The statement was in reference to people (mistakenly) thinking that the recall was extended into '24.

 

are the hybrid engines disproportionately not affected? I've seen some claims, but perhaps its far less?

 

It's far less because there are far less Hybrid on the road. There have been failures in every year of Hybrid - 2022-2025. There are reports of a 2025 Sequoia HV with a failure.

 

Still should be same though just take sample size out of hybrid owners. EX 100 hybrids sold 2 have an issue 2% fail rate. Is that acceptable since it was only 2 out of 100?

 

What one might perceive as "acceptable" might not be to another. And the percentage might be the same or lower, but again, what is acceptable to one may not be to another.

Toyota has lost reliability points in all new Body On Frame vehicles. There have been short block failures on the Land Cruiser, Tacoma, Tacoma HV, Tundra, Tundra HV, and Sequoia HV. 4Runner is yet to be seen, but not out of the question.

GX 550 has engine failures due to timing chain failures. It is supposedly a low number, but still too many for those of use who have owned Toyota/Lexus over the last 30+ years.

 

does anyone have data on the engine change that occurred in november 2024? I'm currently trying to find that.

 

Im not so much mad about failure im more so about accountability. Just want them to come out and acknowledge thees something else at play other than debris and that they are still trying to determine the cause. In meantime not to limit recalls to a small % of trucks. Just a waste of my time to have my engine rebuilt then only to get another recall to go back in and swap motor out again. I love Toyota and pretty much no where else to go. Just wish management was more fourth coming.

 

There wasn't any part number update. Those occurred in April/May 2024.

The short block did receive a part number update, just unsure as to when that occurred and haven't researched it.

 

100%

The debris issue was an issue, but according to Toyota through the NHTSA, it was resolved at some point in Early to Mid 2023. With similar failures continuing to happen, we can't have 100 percent confidence that the issue was actually resolved.

And most here don't see how Toyota hasn't extended the recall to include the rest of 2023 and some, if not all, of 2024. Hybrids continue to fail as well with no recall in sight for them.

 

Saw this on ihbmud "
Yes great info. 11/21-1/24 same partial engine and short block part number; part number changes after 1/24. 1 and 4 main bearing part number expires 4/24. A camshaft housing part number changed in mid 2023."

 

thanks. I thought I had seen others reference a november engine part change out too that was related, but I must be mis-remembering.

 

If memory serves, the short block part number was updated since January 2024.

 

What we know as unfortunate facts:

1. Toyota is offering only 12 month 12K mile warranties on the long blocks and short blocks. Not very confidence inspiring and now we know why: the problem still isn’t fixed.

2. if you have a truck that isn’t in the recall and have the same exact failure, you get a short block repair, not a long block replacement. You’re getting a 12 month 12K mile warranty on a rebuilt motor put together in a tech’s bay with a tech’s tools. What parts are replaced? They’ll figure it out once they pull the motor apart and “inspect” for damage.

3. Toyota has claimed that the “debris” problem has been “resolved” for about 2.5 years, in 4 or 5 statements, but we all know it still isn’t fixed. 2025s are failing now.

4. Toyota has tried to quietly slide new parts in to this motor, and they don’t want to publicly discuss why redesigned internal engine parts are needed to address an issue they claim results from simple manufacturing debris.

5. Toyota is leaving hybrid owners in the weeds. The only reason hybrid owners don’t qualify for a long block is that the hybrid system provides “motive power” to get you to the side of the road. At that point, the flatbed will take your Tundra to the dealer to have the motor rebuilt (short block) in a tech’s bay. Non-hybrids get crate engines including turbos and everything else. There is no difference between the motors in hybrids and non hybrids.

Caveat emptor. Toyota isn’t doing customers any favors in this recall. They’re doing the bare minimum they need to do to address the NHTSA safety recall. That’s why hybrid owners are left out and why buyers not part of the recall who experience the same failure get rebuilt motors and 12/12K warranties.

 

100% agree

 

data that i've been able to find indicate the failure rate is around 1% of engines. does anyone have other evidence to the contrary on this?

 

Toyota HQ does

 

Everything I have seen has been trying to extrapolate limited social media posts to get a %. Not accurate.

I saw somewhere last year the averages for engine failures for the various makers across all engines made. Toyota was toward the bottom at a few hundred failures per 100k engines. Various other makers were going up thru the hundreds but none were greater than 1000. The overall odds of early engine failure in any vehicle you get is really low no matter what you buy

If it is 1% then then it would have been cheaper for Toyota to just give everyone a new truck whose engine failed in warranty. That would involved loss of life so optimistically Toyota is doing the right thing. But then they demonstrate little faith in the engine by the warranty which makes them look less concerned about its customers well being long term

Bottom line nobody knows but Toyota and they are mute

 

Not to encourage your outrage, but I'm also reading that when a hybrid engine blows, there is NO motive power from the electric engine. They die the same way as the non-hybrids do. Perhaps someone with firsthand experience can confirm.

 

This has been confirmed by multiple Hybrid owners on Facebook.

 

Yes, I remember several hybrid owners with dead trucks, and battery power alone could not move the truck.

And Toyota is screwing customers. If pointing that out when I have some spare time constitutes outrage, guilty as charged. You read responses to these “my motor blew up” threads with people saying how “lucky” they feel to have the OEM engine yanked out or rebuilt in a $65K-$75K truck with a “trust me buddy” 12/12K warranty; or IMO worse yet, saying how “wonderful” it is that Toyota is replacing some motors to address a long standing and well known defect (but remember not other motors from hybrids with identical build dates from the same factory). The repetitive admonishments from these same people saying people like me should shut up because the engine problem was fixed when in fact each and every time Toyota promised the simple debris cleaning issue had been permanently resolved, new buyers were screwed again in the next model year. 2023. 2024. And here were are talking about 2025s going down. This issue isn’t fixed and it isn’t going away.

I still believe Toyota is lying/PRing and that they KNOW there is a design flaw with this motor. Toyota is quietly throwing new parts at the 3.4 to try to solve the problem, but notably missing are any specifics on what exactly is going wrong in two billion plus dollar factories (Japan and Alabama) that they can’t flush metal out of open/unobstructed engine blocks. And let’s remember this debacle started with the 2018 LS500. At this point, I’m sticking around to see how this all ends. If some people read my comments/opinions and decide to hold off on buying a Tundra (or anything else with the 3.4) until the problem is finally resolved, all us Toyota fan boys benefit in the long run because we ought to end up with a really good motor to replace the 3.4.

 

I'm still baffled by why this topic triggers you so badly. You don't even own a Gen 3. Why does it matter to you? And why do you feel compelled to reiterate information that virtually every Gen 3 owner already knows? You have no skin in the game, but you act like you own a whole fleet of Gen 3s.

I don't get why you don't have better things to do.

 

I don’t get why it triggers you so much that he posts about engine failures on a Tundra Forum about Tundra engine failures. I understand it’s upsetting to hear but everything he says is true, whether you can see it or not. Do you just want to hear from each other that there’s no problem and everything is going to be ok? This is exactly what the forum is for. You guys need to man up. It’s only words.

 

Some folks play golf, baseball, run, swim, drag race, autocross, sail, and countless other activities. Seems we know how he gets his entertainment.

 

LOL. What has this guy posted in the last 6 months that hasn't been regurgitated countless times? He adds nothing constructive to this forum, IMO.

But, I'm a fan of free speech, and he's entitled to it. I'm not triggered by him in the least, I just don't get his motivation.

For the record, I'm no Gen 3 fan boy, like Borla and others. I'd take a new Gen 2-2.5, like my 2008 and 2015, over my current Gen 3 any day. Unfortunately they don't exist. So, I'll be content with what I have, and deal with its warts. I WONT spend my time on a forum bad mouthing a truck that I don't own. But, thats just me.