Engine blew at 32K, fighting for full replacement

My 2023 1794 TRD Off-road tundra had catastrophic engine failure going 50 mph. it only has 32,000 miles I Had it towed to the dealership they did give me a loaner. after the truck being there for a few days they want to replace the short block. Dealer told me that Toyota Corporate told them that’s all they would let them do since it’s not in the recall. manufacturing date 5/23. I told him I will not accept that and got a case number with Toyota Corporate waiting on them to tell the dealership that I want a full engine replacement. The dealership is now saying that they want to replace the entire engine. Has anybody been through this or have any advice? I’ve also filed a complaint with the NHTSA I have a caseworker there as well. Hoping Toyota does the right thing and gives me a full engine replacement if they refuse to does anybody have any advice for me. Thanks

 

Plenty on here have been through this. Search the 3rd gen forum and you’ll see the thread discussing this.

 

Keep fighting for a crate engine. Why should 2022 owners get one and you don’t?
Explain to Toyota that a short block fix will greatly diminish the value of the truck.
I have a 8/23 build 2024 with 15K miles.
I am praying that I can get to Jan. 2026 to trade in.
Need to wait till then due to tax consequences.

 

Yeah, thank you guys. I’ll let you know the outcome. I’ve already talked to an attorney for lemon law has to go in more than three times and has to be an ongoing issue. The class actions are probably not worth it because the lawyers take all the money. I guess I could get a personal consumer attorney, but it’s just gonna cost unless they take it on contingency. Does anybody have any experience with Attorneys in this process? Because if they tell me, they only will do a short block I might have to go that route.

 

The manufacture date of these failures is creeping closer and closer to mine! I have one of the last 2023s I think (manufactured 6/2023). So far, so good on the engine, although I have had cracked seat, fuel gauge, acceleration/hesitation issues, etc. - all documented by dealer.

 

I just left my dealership spoke with the service manager, and I spoke with corporate case manager with Toyota. They will not give my manufacturing date tundra, May 2023 a full engine replacement they said procedure and policy is to start with a short block. They said each one of the crate motors is assigned to specific VIN numbers included in the recall he said he could not get me a crate motor if he wanted to, tell me you cannot buy a motor from Toyota or model. You can buy all the parts to rebuild the motor but not a motor. , tell me you cannot buy a motor from Toyota or model. You can buy all the parts to rebuild the motor, but not a motor. Only the crate motors are produced for the specific Vin numbers with the recall. please let me know if anybody calls bullshit on this or is there any other explanation or does that sound correct?

 

This is a bummer.

 

I worked get an attorney and press for a check.

 

From what I watched on the "Car Care Nut" not being able to buy a crate engine unfortunately sounds true. He discusses that Toyota does not sell crate engines then shows all the parts ordered and assembles an engine in that episode. Don't know why Toyota does it this way but agree this is kinda of BS.

 

if you like the truck and get a short block - buy extended warranty asap if you haven't already... jmo

https://www.tundras.com/threads/extended-warranty.106047/

 

Seems a shame. In all the yrs. of buying Toyota I've never bought an extended warranty until now. My mindset when they would try to sell it was "If your telling me this is a great vehicle why would I need an extended warranty". These days with what is rolling off the lines will all the vehicles Toyota, Chevy, Ford , Jeep and so on it appears that it has become almost a necessity.

 

I think Toyota may have no choice in expanding the safety recall as more 23's and 24's who are outside the current window begin to get mileage on them and fail. You might have to go through this twice. Once as a short block and a second time when a VIN gets assigned for a new crate motor. Still sucks Hybrids are not on the recall, that to me is so fundamentally wrong.

 

Thank you for all your comments. I do have extended warranty and a lifetime warranty through dealership, JMA, which is Jim Moran, who everything has been through since he bought Southeast Toyota. which includes 144 months or 999,000 miles whichever comes first lol. The dealership also told me that they might start taking it apart and see that I need more components to the engine than just the short block like the heads and etc., etc. were talking about maybe cleaning the heads. To be honest, this is very unfortunate. The main thing is will I be able to get it appraised for trade-in value for my payoff at this point as I am two years into this five year loan. I have 36 months left. I think I’m done with the Truck going to sell it. Don’t know if I’ll ever buy another Toyota unfortunately. I have a 2001 Sequoia (281,000 miles on it ), and a 2011 4runner just change the oil the brakes and the tires and down the road. Thought about asking them to take my V8 out of the Sequoia and put it in this tundra and just rebuild that block!

 

Really sorry to hear this. I’m a 5/23 Limited TRD owner too and thought we might have just dodged the bullet. By chance were you accelerating to pass or merge when it blew? (just for my own info). I’m only at 22.5K mi and had quit worrying about it awhile ago. Guess it’s back. And agree that the crate recall motor they are using is not for sale. Those are built specifically 99% complete for the recall. Don’t agree they’re built by VIN. If a listed truck that’s scheduled for replacement next year blows up tomorrow, they’re getting an engine now. Even with my extended warranty it sounds like they’d do a short block. I’d go the lawyer route. Toyo couldn’t beat that case in court. With legal pressure you’re getting a crate motor. Good luck. Keep us informed please.

 

To answer your question. Yes, I was accelerating to 50 mph on a downhill. As I came back up the hill that’s when I got the notification engine has stopped power steering has stopped. I had no power brakes I coasted into somebody’s yard. had no more acceleration. I believe if I would’ve been on a busy day on the interstate going 80 mph, I might not have made it, especially in the far left lane. my dad‘s business partner is an attorney. He said the lemon law has no teeth. He’s been through the whole process. As far as suing, Toyota finding an attorney to take it on contingency might be difficult. Definitely don’t wanna come out of pocket for any additional cost. The lawyer route you need damages. From my research I don’t have any real damages yet. My truck broke down. They gave me a like truck to drive while they’re fixing it. at first they gave me a Tacoma for a week now I’m back in a tundra. A 2024 tundra that rides rough. When this first happened my first inclination was have the dealership pay off my truck and get into a new one, but now I’m starting to think this is a bigger problem than we all know. Gonna go back to driving my 2011 4runner for a while and sell this truck as soon as it gets out of the shop. If I cannot get fair market value for it because of the short block, there might be some damages there. More stress and time that I don’t need. Thanks to all hope this helps. You guys are like my support group! Lol!‍♂️

 

Where was your truck made? I have a 2023 hybrid made in Texas, which is not in the recall, just wondering if the recall will be expanded to other plants.

 

No need to worry. There are plenty of suckers out there who think defective tundra is a blessing. They just forget one little detail that new truck doesn't reset warranty and once that one runs out, it's a 60k $ potential brick. Im sure we've read of replacements failing as well.

 

Get it fixed by the most expedient means possible at the lowest cost to you.

Then get rid of it ASAP.

The 3rd Gen Tundra is sadly turning out to be untrustworthy.

 

ALL Tundras (Hybrid and Non) assembled in Texas.
ALL Tundra engines (Hybrid and Non) made in Alabama.

 

So OPs 2023 is not a recall truck? I thought the recall was 22-23. It's us 24-25 guys that bear the risk... No?

I still find it hard to believe that Toyota didn't stop the bleeding before even the recall. I work in the corporate world and stopping the bleed is priority one, with mitigation as a close second. That said, we care about our customers... So...

 

Lawyer is not to sue. To get the outcome you want

Reality is lawyers are expensive for everyone including Toyota themselves . A demand letter on attorney stationary stating full block or check please. That letter typically goes thru a companies risk management group to decide the cheapest and least effort outcome for the company. That is always handling your issue within their off shore customer service group paying $3 an hour until the demand matter letter elevates it back on shore to higher cost centers

 

What if you knew there was a Tundra that had had every type of engine repair done: short block, long block, another short block, and awaiting it's next long block? So this will be the 5th engine installed in it. Turbos and everything that oil touches being replaced each time.

Short block or Long Block (Partial Engine Assembly as Toyota calls it), it doesn't mean it will resolve the issue. The recall Engine Assembly is the best of the three options, but unless you are in the recall, you won't be getting it.

 

November 2, 2021 through February 13, 2023 build dates. It is not all 2023s.

 

To be more concise, the Tundra engine is assembled at TMMAL.

The heads are cast in Troy, MO at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Missouri (TMMMO).
The block is cast in Jackson, TN at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Tennessee (TMMTN).

All final machining is done at TMMAL as well as final assembly.

 

I don't think I'd be a very happy camper if all that happed to me.

 

Warranty ever single time. Loaner given as well.

 

But nothing for "pain" and "suffering".

 

I feel for the OP but the bad part of this and other non-recall engine failures is that these short block replacements take a lot of time... and tie up the master techs who do the engine work and take them away from the recalls. So, our recall replacement dates keep going backwards and we have to keep driving our rolling time bombs.

 

I was concise.
You were concise AND more precise.