In a 1976 U.S. television advertisement by Japanese automaker Toyota (TM) , the brand stood by the quality, capability, and toughness of its pickup trucks with a simple tagline.
"If you can find a better-built truck than Toyota - buy it!"
Almost 50 years later, Toyota's pickup trucks and rugged four-wheel-drive vehicles have a loyal following because of the automaker's commitment to quality made in decades past. Many of the brand's Tacomas, Tundras, and 4Runners are still alive and kicking with their owners, even after over 10, 15, or 20 years of ownership.
However, Toyota's stellar reputation has taken a major hit recently, as a major defect affecting one of its most trusted products has triggered a recall that may also deal a major financial blow to the automaker.
Toyota
Toyota's engine troubles
In a recent announcement, Toyota said that over 102,000 Tundra pickup trucks and Lexus LX SUVs spanning the 2022 and 2023 model years will be eligible for a free engine replacement as part of a recall that was first announced in May 2024.
The full recall breakdown by model features 98,568 Tundras and 3,524 LX600s needing to see service bays.
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According to NHTSA documents, the automaker initiated the recall due to metal debris that had not been properly cleaned out of the engines when they were manufactured. As per Toyota, metal debris in the motor can lead to major engine problems like engine knocking, engines running rough, engines not starting, or losing power while driving, which can increase the risk of a crash at higher speeds.
The recall only affects the purely gas-powered models, meaning that the hybrid Tundra and Lexus LX models are unaffected. According to the NHTSA, Toyota has received 824 engine warranty claims that are believed to be associated with the issue. Additionally, Toyota has not reported any injuries related to the problem.
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The not-so-easy road to efficiency
The culprit of the big hoopla is a Toyota engine called the V35A, a 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine offered on various Toyota and Lexus products that were previously offered with big V8 engines.
In the name of efficiency, and to the dismay of many enthusiasts online, Toyota introduced the engine in the 2022 Tundra to replace the gas-guzzling 4.6-liter and 5.7-liter V8 engines, a popular option in the previous model.
In an interview with Drive.ca, Toyota Motor North America executive chief engineer Mike Sweers admitted that he believed that "there’s no replacement for displacement" but still stood by the idea that the Tundra's new turbo V6 motor made it capable of the kind of "truck stuff" that Tundra owners would subject it to.
“It’s a Toyota engine. Our requirements for durability don’t change regardless of the displacement, regardless of the number of cylinders, so the longevity of the engine and the [Quality, Durability, and Reliability] of that engine has to meet the same requirements," said Sweers.
A huge price tag for Toyota
Toyota announced that its dealers will replace the engines at no cost to affected owners. However, Toyota did not provide any information on how much replacing the engines on all these vehicles would cost the automaker.
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A Reddit user named u/Doggmeat1 chronicled their experience with facing a hefty engine replacement repair on their 2022 Toyota Tundra 1794 edition, which was caused by circumstances not covered under warranty. In a separate post, a photo of a service bill showed that the $32,578.90 charge included $19,360.48 for the parts and $10,510.50 for the labor.
Using this information, a rough estimate shows that replacing the engines of the 98,568 affected Tundras alone would cost Toyota close to $1.9 billion without accounting for labor costs, which can vary from dealer to dealer.
Toyota Motor Company, which trades under TM on the New York Stock Exchange, is up 0.16% from the opening bell, trading at $192.60 per share at the time of writing.
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