Toyota's Turbo V6 recall effort expands to encompass over 250,000 trucks.

      Caleb Jacobs

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      Before Wednesday, Toyota had recalled over 225,000 vehicles equipped with its 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6. The automaker asserts that machining debris might have been left in the engines, potentially leading to severe failures such as sudden power loss and no-start situations in certain Tundra pickups and Lexus SUVs. This has been a major headache, and unfortunately, the issue continues to escalate, as Toyota just added another 44,000 2024 model-year Tundras to the recall list.

      Toyota issued a press release that might seem familiar to anyone following this ongoing situation. In the statement, the manufacturer noted, “There is a possibility that certain machining debris may not have been cleared from the engine during production.” This same explanation has been given twice previously, and the issues arise when one or more engine bearings fail.

      What’s especially intriguing is Toyota’s reasoning for why this problem has recurred. “The engines involved in this new recall were produced using additional controls for eliminating manufacturing debris,” the release indicates. “We have discovered that, despite these extra measures, the debris remaining might be enough to damage the #1 main bearing and trigger this issue.”

      For those concerned that the problems might extend to later-built Tundras, Toyota reassured, “Engines produced after those included in this recall were made with an upgraded #1 main bearing to help resist certain debris that may remain.” This suggests that while problematic manufacturing debris could still be present in later engines, they are theoretically less prone to failure due to it.

      In addition, hybrid models are still not part of the recall.

      Toyota

      This recall is the smallest of the three so far. The initial recall involved approximately 102,000 2022-2023 Tundras and Lexus LX models, followed by another recall that included an additional 127,000 vehicles. Nevertheless, with this recall affecting just 44,000 pickups, it is particularly significant for 2024 Tundra owners who have faced issues but found that their trucks were manufactured too late to be included in the first two recalls. Fortunately, most remain under warranty, although historical repairs have typically involved replacing affected parts rather than the complete engine.

      In its announcement, Toyota stated that it has completed “more than 77,000” of the Tundra V6 recall repairs to date. Customers should check with their local dealer for the complimentary repair when they are notified that it is available. If you are impacted by this latest recall, be prepared for a potential wait.

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