Toyota Established Its Reputation on Dependability. The Tundra May Be Putting That at Risk.

Toyota Established Its Reputation on Dependability. The Tundra May Be Putting That at Risk.

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      The largest automaker in the world has built its name on unwavering reliability. However, its full-size pickup truck is beginning to undermine that reputation.

      Toyota is facing a crisis with its Tundra, specifically concerning its twin-turbo 3.4-liter V6 engine, which is also used in the Sequoia SUV, Lexus LX, and Lexus GX. Instead of the previously reliable V8, a turbocharged V6 now occupies that space, and it has been subject to numerous recalls that have led to engine replacements, affecting over 270,000 trucks.

      This situation is not merely precautionary—metal debris left during assembly is resulting in abrupt and severe engine failures. An earlier effort to resolve this issue proved unsuccessful, and Toyota has had to replace engines at no cost to the owners.

      In the latest episode of The Drivecast, we explore Toyota's reliability challenges—how this situation unfolded, what's truly happening behind the scenes, and what could lie ahead.

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      Full Transcript

      Caleb: So, Joel, I heard you just had a Tundra and a Lexus GX—both equipped with that troublesome twin-turbo V6 engine, right?

      Joel: That's correct. It’s just a coincidence, I swear! I didn’t plan it that way. They just ended up in the fleet at the same time. The Toyota Tundra was the new TRD Pro in Wavemaker Blue, and I wanted to do a piece about colors, so it worked out great for photos. It’s ironic that we’re discussing these vehicles as I’ve just spent a week in both with these engines. So yes, it's still fresh in my mind.

      Kyle: And neither of them had major issues, right? I would assume there's no news on that front if they had.

      Joel: That’s correct; neither of them failed. I did tow boats with the Tundra, and it performed fine. However, the Tundra featured the TRD performance package and a cat-back exhaust, which my wife found annoying. Her main thought was, “When is this truck leaving?”

      Kyle: That’s a good segue into the discussion. While Toyota's shift to a V6 allows the truck to maintain its capabilities, it brings more complexity than the V8 and has a different sound, especially with that exhaust. The irony lies in Toyota's decision to switch to a V6 for the Tundra while GM, Ram, and Ford continue to offer V8s. Ram recently exited the V8 market but was back with their Hurricane engines. Looking back, did this decision age well? One could argue it has not. So, Joel, how did we arrive at this point with the V6 Tundra being notably less reliable than its predecessor?

      Joel: For those who may not be familiar, we’re currently in the third generation of the Tundra—hard to believe we’re around 30 years into this with just three iterations. The second-generation Tundra, which featured the well-regarded 5.7-liter V8 that this turbo-six replaced, lasted 14 years—long enough to celebrate a bar mitzvah! The new Tundra brought significant updates, including a fully boxed frame and a sturdier transmission, along with the change to a turbo-six. It’s a larger, more competitive truck that retains many features that defined the Tundra’s appeal, such as a low bed height for accessibility and a composite bed that won’t rust. It also includes a spacious cab to compete with other trucks and offers an expanded range of trims with off-road variants. Importantly, it retains the rear sliding glass cab feature, which is rare and convenient.

      Kyle: It’s true that Toyota has historically maintained long product cycles, which is part of the reason for its reliability reputation—they develop a model thoroughly and keep it for many years before carefully introducing the next generation. The current situation isn’t limited to just the Tundra; there’s been a convergence of model changes at Toyota in the past four to five years, leading to many changes aimed at embracing hybrid and electric technologies, which has created some growing pains. However, that doesn’t ease the concerns of owners facing potential catastrophic engine failures.

      Caleb:

Toyota Established Its Reputation on Dependability. The Tundra May Be Putting That at Risk.

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Toyota Established Its Reputation on Dependability. The Tundra May Be Putting That at Risk.

The largest car manufacturer globally has recalled approximately 270,000 engines and still cannot completely clarify the reasons behind their ongoing failures — and this is only the start of the issue.