Tundra engine recall - interesting news

Thats not true, we just warrantied a 21 TRD Pro with the 5.7 that ate the main bearing

 

Of course... one is pretty much brand new and the other is almost 20 years old. One probably has 12k miles on it and has the "new car smell" and the other is beat to shit.

And your friend is the typical buyer these days: everything new is automatically better.

 

At almost four months and 12k miles, when should I expect the cloud of doom to enter my life? So far I’ve been very happy.

TIA

 

Any info on the cause of failure? I think that's the first bearing issue I've ever heard of on a 3UR.

 

I never said the 5.7L was immune to failures. Every engine ever manufactured has had a few failures.

But I don't remember 100K 5.7L engines every being recalled for a complete engine replacement, and dozens of engine failures being reported that aren't covered under the recall. Nor do I recall Toyota ever treating the exact same engine failures in 2 completely different ways (ie: complete engine replacement versus short block repair)

 

You said "my Gen 2.5 never had the small but very real possibility of eating main bearings and leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere" but that's not true and you just admitted that it did lol I am just poking the bear here, I know what you mean, but NEVER SAY NEVER lol

I am just a parts guys so I know the complaint was metal shavings in the engine oil and knocking. We replaced the 5.7 short block and gears on 3-28-25..

 

So it could have been run with little or no oil - seems weird Toyota wouldn't figure out the problem before agreeing to replace everything.

We've probably all heard the nightmares about early V35 failures being blamed on the owner...

 

We had all his service records...it had oil when it came in...but yeah anything is possible. It's possible all the V35 failures are do to no oil, not likely, but anything is possible. Maybe all these people are committing warranty fraud to get out from under the payment of the truck lol

 

Seems my '23 1794 Hybrid crewmax was built the day after quarterly bonus was announced, were yours was July 5th with hangover folks?

My Gen 3 brakes have not shuddered when they get hot.

My Gen 3 seat panel has not cracked.

My Gen 3 has not had a camera fail that resulted in loss of cruise control.

My Gen 3 rear end does not hop around violently on washboarded dirt roads.

My Gen 3 does not have excessive wind noise.

My Gen 3 never had safety recalls on a defective fuel line or defective e-brake. I did have the transmission that engages in neutral- got me there. My Gen 3 does have reverse light open, not considered as significant.

Lastly, my Gen 3 has the small but very real possibility of eating main bearings and leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere - and this is always in the back of the mind on long trips - reminds me of the "great GM feeling" UGH!

 

I just wish we had a expert in auto engineering and manufacturing here who could answer these questions....

1. Exactly what manufacturing process failure could result in excessive debris in an engine?

2. How can Toyota claim that process was resolved by Feb 2023, when it clearly wasn't?

3. Why have engine failures continued beyond the recall dates, but at an apparently slower rate?

4. Do hybrids actually have "motive power" when their ICE engine fails as Toyota claims, but numerous reports claim otherwise?

5. How can Toyota arbitrarily choose to do a bandaid short block repair on engines that fail from the exact same reason, but aren't covered under the recall?

6. Is Toyota simply blowing smoke about the debris issue, and the true cause of the main bearing failures is actually something else?

 

I've had none of the issues either with the exception of the brake shudder which I probably over reacted to. In my defense, I had just come out of an F150 that Ford had to buy back so I was a little jumpy.
And speaking of Ford, they broke a record today. Not a sales record but a record for recalls. 105 so far this year. The most ever for any auto company for a full year and it's only August. They have 4 months to go. Shocking how much it costs them. Embarrassing for the CEO that has to explain it away year after year and it keeps getting worse.

 

Ironically, my truck was built on my birthday June 20, 2023. Which also happens to be the summer solstice, which is the longest day and shortest night of the year. Maybe the manufacturing workers were sleep deprived.

 

I agree with all this...come clean Toyota.

 

I stayed at a Holiday Inn express last night -
1. Machining the oil passages leave metal chips behind. Failure in subsequent cleaning and/or inspection operation may leave residuals.
4. They *should* assist. Mine will go to electric only when going 60+. That is by design when all is good. All bets off if under ICE power and it seizes - will depend on the software fail mode. The electric is not that much power anyways. You clearly will not accelerate or maintain speed.

2,3,5 and 6 will never know as no manufacturer would ever share that information to the public.

 

Ladies and gents-

This is excellence in internetting. And precisely why some of us "poors" have concerns about the 3rd gens.

 

I know a few folks that bought the new Tunnie and came from a 2/2.5 and have no intention of reversing their decision. Damn nice truck. Just sayin!

 

Understood. But, aren't most of the machining, and post-machining cleaning, processes robotic? And haven't those processes been around for decades? How does something so basic as cleaning an engine block after machining suddenly fail?

I've seen reports that the hybrid ICE engine failures resulted in the same consequences as the non-hybrid failures...sudden loss of all motive power with little or no warning. Basically, engine shuts off, trans automatically shifts to neutral, and you're suddenly coasting to a stop hoping to get off the road before you cause a major accident.

 

What if Toyota is not a bunch lying scumbags and they are telling the truth in the recall?

 

what fun is that?

 

VERY possible, but why are we still seeing the same failures in MY25's?? Yes the rate has declined, but still high for Toyota standards

 

Iterative design. Might be a particularly difficult problem to solve

 

When multiple things are going on at the same time, it can be particularly difficult to narrow things down.
I could see a scenario where legit machining debris were (a) problem that caused another area to fail prematurely.

Maybe machining debris was fixed and we are left with a weak design problem somewhere that is responsible for failures outside of the recall?

 

1. I suspect the processes are performed by automation. Oil passages are not straight. The corners may have flow challenges due to corner effects resulting in chips remaining. Combine a machine visual inspection to look down a hole with poor illumination / reflection challenges, I can understand a marginal process window.


2. Can't share experience there. I can imagine, in the heat of the moment, a person saying no assist even if present. The electric motive power (50hp?) is insufficient.

 

How could they be telling the truth when they claimed this in the recall?

"This recall covers vehicles equipped with V35A engines of a particular configuration that were manufactured during a certain period at particular engine plants. V35A engines of this configuration, manufactured after this production period, were manufactured with new or improved processes that better clear machining debris."

Yet, we continued to see the same failures until late 2024, and even a few 2025 models.

Then there is this yet to be confirmed tid bit, that excludes hybrids from the recall. Yet we've seen reports that it isn't necessarily true.

"Some of these vehicles equipped with a different engine configuration have a Hybrid powertrain system. If engine failure occurs on a Hybrid vehicle, the vehicle continues to have some motive power for limited distances and the driver receives a continuous audible warning, warning lamps, and visual warning messages."

I'd like to think Toyota is telling the truth too, but the body of evidence is telling a different story, IMO.

 

Yeah, I have no experience with the hybrid either, other than test driving one. I have seen guys claim they can go 30-40 mph only on electric for a few minutes. I have no idea if that is true, though.

 

There is a healthy dose of the legal department in these communications.

I absolutely can see them just sticking with a narrative.

 

The failures are in an acceptable range. Blown out of proportion by internet echoing.
Or, Toyota is straight up lying.

 

I have been with Toyota for 21 years. I agree that the issue is blown out of proportion, but I do have a hard time believing Toyota is accepting the failure rate. At least I hope they don't. Toyota has never had this big of an issues before, it's new territory for both Toyota and it's customers.

 

So you think Toyota is lying about the dates and scope of the problem?

 

Maybe not outright lying but not being forthcoming with all the details, and trying to quietly just repair any failures outside of the recall. Just got sucked into a reddit post about 2024s, and was surprised how many people posted that they had just bought a new 2025 and have now just learned about the engine problems. I guess if you don't use social media, nor go on the internet, or do *any* research on a prospective vehicle you are interested in, then you could be forgiven for being blindsided, but who doesn't do a basic search on a new vehicle. I guess Toyota is counting on people like that to keep buying Tundra's, and happily selling extended warranties.