Top 10 Toyota Tundra Problems by Mileage in 2026: $0 to $30,000, and Exactly When Each One Hits

Toyota has recalled the same Tundra engine three times in three years, and each recall was larger than the last.

NHTSA 24V-381 arrived in May 2024 and covered 102,092 vehicles. NHTSA 25V-767 arrived on 6 November 2025 and covered 126,691, of which 113,079 were Tundras. NHTSA 26V-320 arrived on 20 May 2026 and added 43,566 more. Same defect every time: machining debris left in the engine during production, contaminating the crankshaft main bearings.

The Tundra is not a Tacoma with a bigger engine. The Tacoma guide is a story about corrosion and leaf springs; this is a story about engines — the V35A twin-turbo V6 from 2022, and before it the 3UR-FE 5.7 V8 of 2007 to 2021, with a set of problems the new truck does not have at all.

By the end you will know which of the ten failures is due at your mileage, what each costs in 2026, which claims rest on a document you can pull yourself, and which free programmes have closed and on what date. Claims marked 🟢 rest on a document in the Sources section, with populations and wording taken from it. Claims marked ⚪ are estimates, and the article says where each came from.

I built Pulscar — an AI tool that identifies car problems from a 30-second recording — after spending $6,000 on misdiagnosed repairs, starting with a $380 bill for an "engine knock" that turned out to be a loose heat shield and a $5 zip tie.

How to use this guide

Start with the VIN, not the symptom. The most valuable minute you will spend on this truck is a recall lookup, because the biggest number here is currently free for a large share of 2022-2024 owners and will never be free for anyone outside the campaign. Every entry has the same parts: the tell, what it actually is, the cheap cause that gets skipped, where this does not apply, and the sentence to say at the counter. Two entries include a do-it-yourself path with an honest limit.

One rule overrides everything: the mileage in each heading is when the part starts talking, not when it breaks — and the engine recall ignores mileage entirely. Every other item arrives on a schedule you can read off the odometer. The bearing defect does not: it was built into specific engines during specific production weeks, so a truck with 9,000 miles sits where one with 90,000 sits. NHTSA complaints of engine failure on 2022 and 2024 trucks show average mileages of 10,500 and 17,000.

First: which Tundra do you actually have?

2000-2006, first generation. Model years 2000-2003 sold or registered in 20 named states plus DC fell under safety recall 09V-444. NHTSA investigation PE09-049 covered 2000 through 2006 for frame corrosion and closed in January 2010.

2007-2021, the 5.7 V8 (3UR-FE). Long-lived and well regarded, with two expensive signatures: the secondary air injection system and cam tower oil leaks. The generation where Toyota's warranty enhancements existed and then expired.

2022-2026, non-hybrid V35A-FTS twin-turbo V6. The engine recall generation, and the subject of bulletin T-SB-0032-26.

2022-2026, i-FORCE MAX hybrid. The hybrid is not in the bearing recalls: 24V-381's report explains that some vehicles have a different engine configuration with a hybrid powertrain, and that after engine failure a hybrid "continues to have some motive power for limited distances." It has its own campaign instead, LSC 24TD01, for tire wear on the TRD Pro. And a 2008 Tundra in Arizona is a different ownership proposition from the same truck in Ohio.

The six-minute check that dates your Tundra better than the odometer

1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup. On a 2022-2024 truck look for 25V-767 or 26V-320. The remedy is free and the campaign is live.
2. Read the build date on the driver's door jamb sticker. The engine recalls are defined by production window, not model year: 22 November 2021 to 14 February 2024 for 25V-767, 7 February to 5 August 2024 for 26V-320.
3. Check whether it is a hybrid. That one fact removes the largest item here and adds a different one.
4. On a 5.7 V8, put a torch on the back of the engine where the heads meet the block. Oil weeping toward the bellhousing is the cam tower pattern — a labour job, not a parts job.
5. On any truck over 90,000 miles with a warning light, get the code first. P2440 and P2442 point at the secondary air injection switching valves.
6. Tap the frame rails with a small hammer. A solid ring is healthy metal; a dull thud means the section has thinned from the inside, and both corrosion programmes have closed.

Find your situation: eight ways people arrive here

"2022-2024 truck and it knocks, runs rough or will not start." → Item 1, today. Those are the recall's own words.

"It stalled while driving, 2022-2024 truck." → Item 1. The stated risk is loss of motive power at speed.

"New tires worn on the outside shoulders, TRD Pro hybrid." → Item 2, and the campaign that paid for it closed 20 March 2025.

"I can smell fuel on a 2022 or 2023 truck." → Item 3, and there is an open recall for that path.

"It hesitates when I roll up to a stop and go again." → Item 4, a bulletin rather than coverage.

"Check-engine light on a 5.7 V8, P2440 or P2442." → Item 6, and read the expired programmes before you pay.

"Oil drips at the back of a 5.7 V8." → Item 7, cam towers, with no Toyota programme.

"Hum at 45 mph that changes when I steer." → Item 8, and rotate the tires first.

What actually determines your number

Which engine is in it. Larger than mileage, larger than trim. The V35A and the 3UR-FE have almost no overlapping failures, so half this guide does not apply to your truck and which half depends on this answer.

Whether the VIN falls inside a live campaign. More than 156,000 Tundras sit inside 25V-767 and 26V-320 combined, and for those trucks the most expensive item here currently costs nothing.

Whether a programme closed before you bought. ZG6 gave 2011 trucks ten years or 150,000 miles for the air pumps. LSC D0E expired 31 May 2016. ZH7 gave 2007-2008 trucks the latter of 12 years from first use or 31 January 2019. A second owner who bought in 2021 may never have known any existed. Our guide to warranty extensions covers why corrosion coverage is nearly always a programme with a deadline rather than a recall without one.

Hybrid or not. The i-FORCE MAX sits outside the bearing recalls and outside the hesitation bulletin, and inside a tire campaign non-hybrid trucks never had.

Independent versus dealer. Typically 30-50% on labour-heavy work, and item 7 is nearly all labour. Recall and campaign work must go to a Toyota dealer. The full comparison maps which jobs go where.

Whether you tow. The recall's defect description turns on load: bearings fail where debris adheres and "operation of the engine continues at higher loads over time."

The ten problems, in the order they arrive

1 · V35A main bearing failure — any mileage, 2022-2024 non-hybrid

The tell. Toyota lists four symptoms in its own order: "engine knocking, engine rough running, engine no start and/or an engine stall." Owners describe the knock first — deep and load-related, not a light top-end tick. The knocking guide separates bearing sounds from the rest; the ticking guide covers the cheaper family this gets confused with.

What it actually is. During a defined production period, machining debris "of a particular size and amount may not have been cleared from the engine during manufacturing and subsequently contaminated the engine assembly." Where that debris sticks to a crankshaft main bearing and the engine keeps working at higher loads, the bearing fails.

The scope, exactly as the documents give it. 24V-381 named 2022-2023 Tundra built 2 November 2021 to 13 February 2023, plus 2022-2023 Lexus LX600. 25V-767 expanded it to 2022-2024 Tundra built 22 November 2021 to 14 February 2024, plus Lexus LX and 2024 Lexus GX. 26V-320 added 2024 Tundras built 7 February to 5 August 2024.

The remedy changed between them, and this is where people get the wrong answer. Under 24V-381 the dealer replaced the engine, full stop. Under 25V-767 the owner letter says dealers use inspection software to evaluate the number one main bearing and collect drive data, and replace the engine only "if the inspection software cannot confirm that the bearing will be free from abnormal wear." That letter also sets expectations: inspection about two hours, a replacement engine in three to eight days, the swap about two working days, and a loaner where replacement is required. Letters were mailed 28 August 2026; for 26V-320, interim letters went out 23 July 2026 and the final remedy notice is still to come.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The VIN lookup, and it is free. Owners have paid for this repair before their letter arrived, and the 25V-767 letter carries a reimbursement route through the Toyota Owners portal. Ask before you accept that a past bill is sunk.

Where this does not apply. The i-FORCE MAX hybrid is in none of the three recalls, trucks built outside the production windows are excluded even in the same model year, and a knock on a 5.7 V8 is a different conversation: this item does not exist on that engine.

At the shop — say this: "Please check this VIN against recalls 25V-767 and 26V-320. If it applies, I want the number one main bearing inspection with the drive data, and the result in writing whichever way it goes."

2 · Front tire shoulder wear on the i-FORCE MAX TRD Pro — 5,000 to 30,000 miles

The tell. Tread disappearing from the outside shoulders of both front tires while the centre still looks new. Often noticed at the first rotation.

What it actually is. Toyota's dealer letter is unusually plain: "the original factory toe angle setting for the front wheels may cause excessive and premature wear of the outside shoulders of the tires." Not a suspension failure and not a bad shop alignment — the setting the truck left the factory with. Roughly 8,800 vehicles.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A tread depth gauge across the width of the tire, which settles it in a minute. Outside shoulders low with a high centre is a toe problem; both shoulders low is under-inflation; centre low is over-inflation. Three different bills hide behind one complaint of "the tires are worn."

Fix it yourself — the measurement, not the alignment. Take three readings across each front tire, outer, centre and inner, and write them down. Those numbers turn a vague conversation into a specific one and show whether an alignment changed anything. The honest limit: the correction is a four-wheel alignment on a machine, and setting toe by eye or string on a suspension with this much travel is how people wear out a second set of tires. Measure yourself, align at a shop.

Where this does not apply. Non-hybrid Tundras were never in this campaign, nor hybrids outside TRD Pro trim or the production window. A truck on oversized tires and a lift has its own story.

At the shop — say this: "Here are my tread depths, outer, centre and inner on both fronts. Can you print the before-and-after alignment sheet with the toe figures?"

A bearing knock and a heat shield rattle are four figures apart. Record thirty seconds and Pulscar's AI compares the acoustic signature against catalogued failure patterns, then returns the likely cause, whether it is safe to drive, and the fair 2026 price. Free, no card, no subscription, about ten minutes. The report arrives by email as a PDF, so use the address you actually read. For the noises ranked by what they cost, start here.

3 · Fuel tube chafing against the brake lines — any mileage, 2022-2023

The tell. Fuel smell, particularly after the truck has been sitting. A damp patch underneath. Frequently nothing at all, because the tube has to wear through first.

What it actually is. The recall's own sentence: "The plastic fuel tube routed near metallic brake lines may chafe against the brake lines and become damaged, possibly resulting in a fuel leak." The stated consequence is fire risk near an ignition source. The fix is preventive: protective material and a clamp so the two lines stop rubbing.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The VIN lookup, free, covering 168,179 trucks. Owner letters went out 6 November 2024, so a second owner who bought in 2025 may never have seen one. Our guide to fuel smells separates a vapour nuisance from a liquid leak — which decides whether you drive it to the dealer or have it collected.

Where this does not apply. Trucks outside 2022-2023 and outside the report's production windows: 2 November 2021 to 24 July 2023 for the Tundra, 15 March 2022 to 7 June 2023 for the hybrid. A fuel smell on a 5.7 V8 is a different story — the 2007 Tundra's most-reported fuel system complaint on CarComplaints is a charcoal canister contaminated with fuel, at an average $1,000 and 57,000 miles.

At the shop — say this: "Please check this VIN against recall 23V-566 for the fuel tube and brake line chafing, and while it is on the lift, photograph the routing so I can see the clamp was fitted."

4 · Hesitation from a rolling stop — 10,000 to 90,000 miles, 2022-2026 non-hybrid

The tell. You slow almost to a stop, get back on the throttle, and the truck thinks about it. Toyota lists two variants and its wording is worth having exactly: "Hesitation from a rolling stop" and "Hesitation from a quick stop."

What it actually is. A transmission control problem addressed in software. The bulletin says the Transmission Control Module "logic has been modified to address these conditions" and lists production change effective VINs, so trucks built after those breakpoints already have the corrected calibration.

Why bulletin versus recall decides who pays. A recall obliges the manufacturer to fix the vehicle at no charge regardless of age or mileage. A bulletin does neither: it tells a dealer how to repair a known condition, and payment depends on your warranty status. Item 1 is a recall; this one is not. The warranty extensions guide covers the third category — the extension, a promise to pay with an expiry date attached.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Asking for the current calibration level before anyone opens the transmission, and naming the bulletin on the repair order. The hesitation guide covers the non-transmission causes of the same complaint.

Where this does not apply. The i-FORCE MAX hybrid is excluded by the bulletin's own wording, as are trucks built after the production change VINs. A shudder at steady cruise rather than from a stop is not this — the Silverado guide covers that pattern.

At the shop — say this: "There is a hesitation from a rolling stop. Is this truck before the production change VIN in T-SB-0032-26, and if so can the TCM be brought to the current calibration?"

Why does Toyota keep expanding the same Tundra engine recall instead of issuing one big one? Because each expansion follows the evidence about a different slice of production, and the slices are defined by engine build date rather than by model year. Recall 24V-381 covered engines built up to a point in early 2023 and replaced them outright. Recall 25V-767, filed on 6 November 2025, reached engines built through 14 February 2024 and switched to an inspection-first remedy using software that reads the number one main bearing and available drive data. Recall 26V-320, filed on 20 May 2026, picked up 2024 trucks built from 7 February to 5 August 2024. The 25V-767 report also notes that some engines built after its window "remain under investigation," which is Toyota's own language and worth knowing before you assume a later truck is clear. Pulscar hears the knock; the VIN lookup reads the paperwork.

5 · Front brakes — 25,000 to 70,000 miles

The tell. A thin high squeal at low speed that goes quiet under hard pressure is the wear indicator at roughly 3 mm. Grinding is different: low, gritty, felt through the pedal rather than heard.

What it actually is. Ordinary consumption accelerated by mass. Towing, hills and stop-start work all shorten the interval. The braking noise guide separates the squeal you can wait on from the grind you cannot.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A squeal only on the first two stops of a damp morning is surface rust on the rotor face, and it costs nothing. Ask for pad thickness in millimetres before agreeing to anything; above 4 mm you are buying time you already own. One NHTSA complaint on a 2022 truck records a dealer asking $440 to recondition rotors at 10,000 miles — an illustration of why measurement comes before quote.

Where this does not apply. On a truck used to tow, treat mileage intervals as optimistic and go by measurement. A brake warning light with no noise is an electrical or fluid question, not a wear one — the dashboard guide covers what the light means.

At the shop — say this: "What is the pad thickness in millimetres front and rear, and are the rotors above minimum spec with the figure written on the order? If the pads are over 4 millimetres I would rather wait."

6 · Secondary air injection pump, 5.7 V8 — 60,000 to 140,000 miles

The tell. Check-engine light, often with P2440 or P2442, secondary air injection switching valve stuck open. Some trucks drop into reduced power: Toyota's bulletin on the 2014-2016 version describes vehicles that "may enter limp mode (limited throttle input)," triggered by sub-freezing temperatures.

What it actually is. The system pumps air into the exhaust on a cold start to light the catalysts sooner. Moisture gets into the pumps and switching valves, the valves stick, the light comes on. Toyota's words in ZG6: "the illumination of the check engine light due to moisture/water in the Air Injection Pumps and/or Air Switching Valves."

What was covered, and the exact dates it stopped. Warranty Enhancement Program ZG6, issued 22 June 2017, covered 2011 Tundra and Sequoia: "This Warranty enhancement is applicable for ten (10) years from the date-of-first use, or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first." For a 2011 truck first used in 2011, that ran out around 2021. LSC D0E covered 2012-2013 trucks with the 3UR engine, where "the ECM calibration may cause an emissions control component called an Air Injection Pump to fail," and its instructions carry a line in capitals across the first page: THIS LSC EXPIRES ON MAY 31, 2016.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. The code itself, read before anyone quotes a pump. A stuck valve and a failed pump set overlapping codes, and the valve is cheaper. CarComplaints puts a 2007 pump merely stuck at $1,000 and an average 44,250 miles across 5 complaints, against $3,150 at 97,700 miles across 6 complaints for outright failure — three-fold, behind one light.

What the numbers look like. Across 80 dollar figures pulled from NHTSA's complaint database for Tundra complaints naming the air injection pump or switching valves, the median is about $2,650, the middle half $2,000 to $3,500, the top $6,000. CarComplaints puts 2012 air induction pump failure at $2,980 at an average 78,500 miles across 9 complaints.

Where this does not apply. The V35A does not have this system in this form, so 2022 and later trucks are outside it. In a dry, warm climate the moisture mechanism is far less active — a cold-and-wet item rather than a Sun Belt one.

At the shop — say this: "Which codes are stored, and is this a switching valve or the pump itself? I want the valve tested rather than assumed, and the pump quoted separately."

Which Tundra engine problems are actually covered, and which are yours to pay for? Two are covered right now and two are not, and the difference is written into the documents rather than left to a service adviser. Main bearing failure on the 2022-2024 non-hybrid V35A is covered by recalls 25V-767 and 26V-320, remedied free of charge, with owner letters for the first mailed on 28 August 2026. The fuel tube that can chafe a brake line on 2022-2023 trucks is covered by recall 23V-566, which reaches 168,179 vehicles including the hybrid. Against that, the secondary air injection pump on the 5.7 V8 had two programmes and both state their own end dates, 31 May 2016 for LSC D0E and ten years or 150,000 miles for ZG6. The cam tower oil leak never had a programme at all. Pulscar identifies which noise you have before you find out who pays.

7 · Cam tower oil leak, 5.7 V8 — 80,000 to 170,000 miles

The tell. Oil at the back of the engine, sometimes running toward the bellhousing, sometimes showing only as a burning smell when you get out. Frequently no warning light and no consumption you would notice. One NHTSA report describes exactly that: no leak found over a long period, then a diagnosis and a $5,600 figure, with "no warning lamps or messages" at any point.

What it actually is. On the 3UR-FE the camshaft towers sit on the cylinder head sealed with sealant rather than a conventional gasket. Where that seal lets go, oil escapes at the joint — a sealing surface to be cleaned and resealed rather than a wear part, which is why labour dominates. CarComplaints' 2014 entry for leaking oil lists the recorded solution as "replace all cam tower seals and cam."

The cheap cause that gets skipped. Confirming where the oil is actually coming from before authorising the big job. Valve cover gaskets, the oil cooler joint and the timing cover all leak into the same general area for a fraction of the money, and oil tracks downward and rearward, so the puddle is almost never under the source. Ask for a dye test and a photograph. The oil leak guide maps prices by location; the valve cover job is the cheap end of the same symptom.

Fix it yourself — the diagnosis, not the reseal. Degrease the area, drive it a week, and photograph exactly where fresh oil reappears. That is the difference between a $400 valve cover job and a four-figure engine-out reseal. The honest limit: the reseal is not a driveway job. It means lifting the engine, cleaning a sealing surface to a standard you cannot check by eye, and applying sealant to specification. Get it wrong and you pay the labour twice.

Where this does not apply. The V35A does not have this design, so 2022 and later trucks are outside it. A leak at the front near the crank pulley is a different seal and a different price.

At the shop — say this: "Before we talk about cam towers, can you degrease it, add dye, and photograph the actual source? I want the valve covers and the oil cooler joint ruled out first."

8 · Wheel bearings and the front driveline — 70,000 to 140,000 miles

The tell. A hum from around 40 to 50 mph that rises with road speed and changes when you steer gently left and right. That sensitivity names the side and separates a bearing from almost everything else. The humming guide walks the test in detail.

What it actually is. Rolling elements wear, the assembly develops play, and the noise grows steadily rather than suddenly. On a 4WD truck a second family lives in the same acoustic neighbourhood: CV and front driveline parts. CarComplaints records a 2024 Tundra complaint of CV joints failing in four-wheel drive at $1,600 and an average 12,600 miles across one complaint — a pattern to watch, not a common failure.

The cheap cause that gets skipped. A worn or cupped tire makes almost the same drone. Rotate and drive: if the noise moves, you have your answer for the price of a rotation. CarComplaints' 2011 entry for rims causing tire wear puts one owner's bill at $1,700 at an average 35,000 miles — "the tires" is not automatically the cheap answer either.

The free confirmation. With the truck safely supported on stands rated for its weight, spin each wheel by hand listening for a gritty rumble, then rock it at 12 and 6 o'clock for play.

Where this does not apply. If the noise completely ignores steering input, look further back at the driveline before buying a bearing. On a 2WD truck the CV half of this item does not exist.

At the shop — say this: "The hum changes when I steer, so I think a front bearing rather than a tire. Can we rotate the tires first, and if the noise stays, show me the play by hand?"

How do you tell a real Tundra bearing failure from an expensive guess? Use the two free tests before anyone lifts the truck. For a hum at road speed, steer gently left and right at about 45 mph: a wheel bearing changes note under load and a tire or driveline noise generally does not, which separates a hub assembly quoted around $894 to $1,019 from a tire rotation that costs nothing. For a knock or rough running on a 2022 to 2024 truck, run the VIN before you accept any diagnosis, because recalls 25V-767 and 26V-320 together cover more than 156,000 Tundras and the remedy under both is free, with owner letters for 25V-767 mailed on 28 August 2026. Toyota's inspection reads the number one main bearing directly with software rather than by opinion. Record thirty seconds first and Pulscar will tell you which family of noise you are dealing with before the conversation starts.

9 · Air conditioning — 90,000 to 160,000 miles

The tell. Air that starts cold and fades warm on a long drive, or never gets properly cold. Sometimes a clutch cycling rapidly, sometimes no engagement click.

What it actually is. Refrigerant is not consumed, so a system that is low is a system that leaks. On a truck that spends time on gravel, stone damage to the condenser is a likely first suspect. CarComplaints' 2018 Tundra entry for a leaking A/C condenser records $780 at an average 65,000 miles across one complaint.

The cheap causes that get skipped. A failed relay gives no cold air from an otherwise healthy system, and a blend door actuator produces the same complaint from inside the dash with nothing to do with refrigerant. Both are an order of magnitude below a compressor. The full A/C diagnosis walks the sequence; the compressor cost guide covers the expensive end.

Where this does not apply. A system recharged repeatedly without the leak being located may already have compressor damage from running short of lubricant. The cheap path is then spent, and another recharge buys the same disappointment twice.

At the shop — say this: "Was a leak test performed, and where exactly is it leaking? Can the relay and blend door be checked before anyone condemns the compressor?"

10 · Frame and underbody corrosion — any age in a salt state

The tell. Flaking or scaling rust on the rails, and a dull thud rather than a solid ring when you tap them. Deterioration around the rear cross member and spare carrier. In advanced cases, perforation. No warning light, nothing audible from the driver's seat.

What it actually is. Corrosion of the load-bearing structure rather than the body. Recall 09V-444 describes "excessive corrosion of the rear cross member" that "may cause the separation of the spare tire stowed under the truck bed," and adds that corrosion of the same member "could affect the rear brake lines and the proportioning valve resulting in diminished braking capability." It covered a potential 110,000 trucks from 2000-2003, sold or registered in 20 named states plus DC, and came out of investigation PE09-049.

What was covered on the second generation, and when it ended. Warranty Enhancement Program ZH7 extended frame corrosion coverage on certain 2007-2008 Tundras after a class action settlement approved 21 May 2017 covering 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2008 Tundra and 2005-2008 Sequoia. The dealer letter states the limit: "The coverage offers the latter of 12 years from the Date of First Use (DOFU) or January 31, 2019," and the standard: "If any perforation in the frame is found to be 10 mm or larger, then the frame will be replaced." The companion compound campaign LSC H0F was cold-climate states only and "expires May 21, 2019." Both are gone.

The cheap cause that is free and non-negotiable. The tap test: a small hammer and a torch along the rails, listening for a ring against a thud. Concentrate on the rear cross member, the spare carrier area and the brake line runs, where the recall itself pointed. Scaling rust that flakes off in layers is advanced, not cosmetic.

Where this does not apply. In a dry state this item is close to non-existent. Toyota's own cold-climate list for these programmes was DC, CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI and WV — a useful map of where to worry.

At the shop — say this: "Can you put it on the lift, tap-test the rails and rear cross member, and photograph anything you find? I want a dated rust baseline, not just a pass or fail."

The price ladder: read it from the bottom up

Read it from the bottom up. The two lines at the very bottom end Tundras, and the defence against both sits in the free block at the top: a VIN lookup for one, a hammer and a bucket of water for the other.

Your number, by which Tundra you drive

Two rows invert the guide rather than refine it. A 2022-2024 non-hybrid is the only vehicle in this series where the most expensive possible failure is currently the cheapest thing on the list, because Toyota pays for it. And a 2022-2023 i-FORCE MAX is a different truck from the non-hybrid beside it: outside the bearing recalls, outside the hesitation bulletin, inside a tire campaign the non-hybrid never had.

Best and worst Tundra years to buy, and what the lists get wrong

Search for Tundra years to avoid and the answer is consistent: 2007, 2008 and 2012 are named worst, 2000-2004 gets a caution, and 2014-2021 is the safe zone with 2021 the most refined second-generation truck. That is not wrong. It is built from complaint volume, and complaint volume is a poor proxy for what a repair costs you.

What the documents say instead. CarComplaints' model year comparison puts 74 complaints on 2007, 58 on 2005, 51 each on 2006 and 2008, 34 on 2012 and 30 on 2011 — and rates 2012 the worst despite 2007 having more, on the grounds of higher repair cost and problems at lower mileage. Its most-reported problem across the whole model line is secondary air pump failure on the 2005 truck. That is item 6: those years cluster because of one system, not general unreliability.

Where the lists are actively misleading. They mostly predate or under-weight the engine recalls, and the recalls are the biggest financial fact about a 2022-2024 truck in either direction. A 2022 Tundra whose recall has been performed has had its main bearing read by software and, where necessary, a new engine fitted at Toyota's expense — a better position than a 2021 truck with a good reputation and 60,000 unexamined miles. No years-to-avoid list says so, because it is a VIN-level fact, not a model-year one.

The honest ranking, by what it costs you.

• Best position: a 2022-2024 non-hybrid whose 25V-767 or 26V-320 inspection is complete and documented, especially one that received a replacement engine.
• Also strong: 2014-2021 with the 5.7 V8, in a dry state, with the air injection system already dealt with once. Items 6 and 7 are the known expensive pair and both are visible if you look.
• Buy with the tread gauge out: a 2022-2023 i-FORCE MAX TRD Pro, because 24TD01 closed on 20 March 2025 and whatever wear happened is yours.
• Buy with the hammer out: anything from 2000-2008 in a salt state. Both corrosion programmes have closed, and one NHTSA complainant records a frame replacement quoted at $10,700.
• Genuinely uncovered risk: the cam tower leak on the 5.7 V8, with no Toyota programme at all and $2,300 to $5,600 in owner reports.

What to check on the test drive, in order. Run the VIN first. Roll to a near-stop and accelerate again, twice, listening for item 4. At about 45 mph, steer gently left and right and listen for a bearing. On a 5.7 V8, look behind the engine with a torch before you look at the paint. On any older truck, tap the rails. Five minutes, no cost, and a better filter than any model year list. The same exercise on other trucks: the F-150 by mileage and the Silverado by mileage.

What actually happens at the shop, checkpoint by checkpoint

Checkpoint 1 — the VIN question. "What campaigns show open on this VIN, and specifically 25V-767 or 26V-320?" On a 2022-2024 truck this is the first question and it costs nothing.

Checkpoint 2 — the engine question. "Is this a hybrid?" It sounds trivial. It removes the largest item in the guide and adds a different one.

Checkpoint 3 — the diagnostic fee. "What is the charge, and does it credit toward the repair?" Expect $80-$150 independent, $120-$200 dealer, usually credited. What a diagnostic should cost has the full picture.

Checkpoint 4 — the code question. "Which codes are stored, and are we treating a valve or a pump?" On a 5.7 V8 this question sits between $1,000 and $4,010 in the published figures.

Checkpoint 5 — the source question. "Can you photograph where the oil is actually coming from?" Dye and a camera, before an engine-out reseal.

Checkpoint 6 — the authorisation ceiling. "Call me before anything over this figure." The dispute guide covers what to do when that is ignored; the overcharging guide covers spotting it.

Three diagnostic traps that cost Tundra owners the most

Trap 1: the recall that was described as an oil change. The situation: a 2023 Tundra at 31,000 miles with an intermittent knock under load. What the shop says: "That is normal direct-injection noise on these. Try a heavier oil and come back if it gets worse." What is really happening: the recall's symptom list is knocking, rough running, no start and stall, and 25V-767 covers 113,079 Tundras built between 22 November 2021 and 14 February 2024. A knock there is a VIN question before it is an oil question. Price versus bill: $0 under the recall, against owner-quoted figures of $14,000 to $30,000 outside coverage. Your protective question: "Before we discuss oil, has this VIN been checked against 25V-767 and 26V-320, and can the number one main bearing inspection be performed?"

Trap 2: the pump quoted before the code was read. The situation: a 2012 Tundra at 84,000 miles with a check-engine light and no drivability complaint. What the shop says: "Secondary air injection. These all go. It is about three grand." What is really happening: the switching valve and the pump set overlapping codes and are not the same repair. CarComplaints separates them: a stuck pump at $1,000 and an average 44,250 miles, against outright failure at $3,150 and 97,700 miles. Price versus bill: roughly $1,000 against roughly $3,000, decided by a code read that takes two minutes. Your protective question: "Which exact codes are stored, and has the switching valve been tested rather than assumed?"

Trap 3: the index summary that promised a new engine. The situation: an owner reads a recall listing for a 2026 Tundra and books a dealer visit expecting free work. What the shop says: "Nothing on your VIN." What is really happening: summaries flatten scope in both directions. Recall 26V-433 reads like a Tundra recall; its Part 573 report gives a total population of one vehicle — "Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling one 2026 Tundra truck," for an incorrect load label. In the other direction, 24V-381's summary says the dealer will replace the engine, while 25V-767 does so only where the inspection cannot clear the bearing. Price versus bill: an afternoon wasted, or an expectation of a free engine the remedy does not automatically grant. Your protective question: "Which recall number applies to my VIN specifically, and what does its remedy say I get?"

Three quotes, decoded

These are composite scenarios, not individual customers — the mileages, quotes and outcomes are typical of the pattern each item describes, assembled so the arithmetic is visible. We do not publish invented testimonials, so nothing below is presented as a specific person's story.

Scenario 1 — the knock that was a VIN question. Take a 2023 non-hybrid at around 30,000 miles with a load-related knock. Ask for the recall check first and the truck either falls inside 25V-767 or it does not; if it does, the inspection reads the number one main bearing with software and drive data, and an engine follows where the software cannot clear it, at no charge. Ask for a diagnosis first and the same truck collects a teardown estimate on the way to the same conclusion. Lesson: on this generation the free step is not a shortcut past diagnosis — it is the diagnosis, and it happens to be paid for.

Scenario 2 — one light, two bills. Take a 2012 truck at 84,000 miles with a warning light and no symptom you can feel. Ask which codes are stored and whether the switching valve has been tested: published owner data runs from about $1,000 for a stuck pump to about $2,980 for a failed one, with system-level failure at $4,010. Skip the question and you buy the top of that range on the strength of a light. Lesson: the code is free to read, and on this engine it is worth roughly $2,000.

Scenario 3 — the oil leak that was two repairs. Take a 5.7 V8 at 120,000 miles with oil at the back of the engine. Ask for a degrease, dye and a photograph, and the answer is either a valve cover or the oil cooler joint, in the low hundreds, or it is the cam towers, which owner reports put between $2,300 and $5,600 because the engine has to come out. Lesson: with leaks, the cheap step is finding the source, and it is the step most often skipped.

Your situation right now: four playbooks

"2022-2024 non-hybrid, any symptom or none." Run the VIN today against 25V-767 and 26V-320. If it applies, book the inspection and ask for the result in writing. If you have already paid for engine work on this condition, ask about reimbursement through the Toyota Owners portal.

"5.7 V8, warning light, no drivability complaint." Get the codes read before you get a quote. If they are P2440 or P2442 you are in item 6, and the valve-versus-pump question is worth about $2,000.

"Older truck, salt state, no symptoms." Get underneath with a hammer and a torch this month. Tap the rails and rear cross member, photograph what you find, and date it. Both corrosion programmes have closed, so this is your baseline now, not Toyota's.

"Just bought it and nothing is wrong." Run the VIN. Bank a thirty-second recording while the engine is healthy. If it is a 2022-2023 i-FORCE MAX TRD Pro, take tread depths across both front tires now.

After the repair: verify, then prevent

Verify within a week. Recall work: completion documented against the VIN in writing, campaign number on the invoice. Bearing or hub: the noise gone at the speed where it lived, confirmed with the steering test that found it. Air injection: the light out and the readiness monitors set, not just the code cleared.

Keep the paperwork that proves scope. On a recall the invoice should name the campaign; on a bulletin repair, the bulletin. That one line is what makes a follow-up argument possible.

Photograph the frame annually. Same angles, same spots, dated. Corrosion moves slowly enough that memory is useless and photographs are decisive.

Record the before and after. Thirty seconds from the same position is the cheapest proof of repair that exists. The recording guide has the protocol; the noise index covers what each sound family means.

Prevent the next one. Underbody washes through winter, an annual tap test, and a recall lookup once a year — campaigns reach old trucks more often than owners expect: 25V-322 for the reverse lights covered 443,444 Tundras and its letters went out on 23 May 2026.

Your action plan: 10 minutes, today, this week

Next 10 minutes — free:

1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup and write down every campaign, open and completed.
2. On a 2022-2024 truck, look for 25V-767 and 26V-320, and read the door jamb build date against the production windows in item 1.
3. Confirm whether it is a hybrid. That decides which half of this guide applies to you.

Today:

4. If any campaign is open, book it at a Toyota dealer. Remedies are free.
5. If there is a noise, drive at about 45 mph, steer gently left and right, then record thirty seconds and run it through a free sound check.
6. If there is a warning light on a 5.7 V8, get the codes read before anyone quotes a pump.

This week:

7. On a 5.7 V8, degrease the back of the engine and look again after a week. That is your leak diagnosis.
8. On any older truck, tap-test the frame and photograph it from four angles, dated. That is your corrosion baseline.
9. Bank a healthy baseline recording so any future change is a comparison rather than a guess.

Sources and documents

Primary documents only. Where a claim is marked 🟢 it rests on an item below, and every population, date and quoted phrase was taken from the document itself, opened and read. Claims marked ⚪ are estimates, and the article says at each one whether it came from an opened page or a search-result summary.

1. NHTSA 24V-381 / Toyota 24TB07 · 24TA07 — Part 573, 30 May 2024, amended 25 July 2024. "Number of potentially involved: 102,092." 2022-2023 Tundra (production 2 November 2021 to 13 February 2023) and 2022-2023 Lexus LX600. Remedy: "The dealer will replace the engine assembly with a new one, free of charge." Part 573 report (PDF)
2. NHTSA 25V-767 / Toyota 25TB14 · 25TA14 — Part 573, submitted 6 November 2025. "Total number of potentially involved: 126,691," the Tundra entry reading "Number of potentially involved: 113,079," production 22 November 2021 to 14 February 2024, plus 9,895 Lexus LX and 3,717 Lexus GX. Part 573 report (PDF)
3. NHTSA 25V-767 owner letter — "Using an inspection software, Toyota dealers will evaluate the #1 main bearing and collect available vehicle drive data... If the inspection software cannot confirm that the bearing will be free from abnormal wear due to this condition, dealers will replace the engine." Inspection about two hours, engine lead time three to eight days, repair about two working days, loaner where replacement is required. Owner letter (PDF)
4. NHTSA 26V-320 — Part 573, submitted 20 May 2026. "Total number of potentially involved: 43,566," 2024 Tundra only, production 7 February to 5 August 2024. Expands 24V-381 and 25V-767. Part 573 report (PDF)
5. NHTSA 23V-566 / Toyota 23TB09 · 23TA09 — "Number of potentially involved: 168,179," 2022-2023 Tundra and Tundra Hybrid. "The plastic fuel tube routed near metallic brake lines may chafe against the brake lines and become damaged." Part 573 report (PDF)
6. NHTSA 25V-322 / Toyota 24TB06 · 24TA06 — "Total number of potentially involved: 443,444," 2022-2025 Tundra and Tundra Hybrid, reverse light moisture. Owner letters 23 May 2026. Part 573 report (PDF)
7. NHTSA 26V-433 / SET26A — "Total number of potentially involved: 1." "Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling one 2026 Tundra truck," for an incorrect load carrying capacity label. Proof that a recall summary tells you nothing about scope. Part 573 report (PDF)
8. NHTSA 09V-444 / Toyota SSC 90 · 90M — acknowledgement letter, 25 November 2009. "Potential Number of Units Affected: 110,000." 2000-2003 Tundra sold or registered in 20 salt-belt states and DC. "Excessive corrosion of the rear cross member may cause the separation of the spare tire stowed under the truck bed," and may affect "the rear brake lines and the proportioning valve." From investigation PE09-049, opened 6 October 2009, closed 26 January 2010. Acknowledgement letter (PDF)
9. Toyota T-SB-0032-26, 6 May 2026, "Hesitation from a Rolling Stop," applicability 2022-2026 Tundra — "equipped with specifically non-hybrid V35A-FTS engines... Hesitation from a rolling stop. Hesitation from a quick stop." TCM logic modified; production change VINs listed. Bulletin (PDF)
10. Toyota LSC 24TD01, dealer letter 29 February 2024, updated 4 March 2024 — 2022-2023 Tundra HV TRD Pro, production early April 2022 to late May 2023, approximately 8,800 vehicles including about 400 in Puerto Rico. "The original factory toe angle setting for the front wheels may cause excessive and premature wear of the outside shoulders of the tires." "This Limited Service Campaign will be available until March 20, 2025." Dealer packet (PDF)
11. Toyota Warranty Enhancement Program ZG6 (POL17-02), 22 June 2017, revised 21 September 2017 — air injection pumps and air switching valves, 2011 Tundra and Sequoia. "This Warranty enhancement is applicable for ten (10) years from the date-of-first use, or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first." Bulletin (PDF)
12. Toyota LSC D0E, technical instructions updated 7 January 2015 — ECM update, 2012-2013 Tundra and Sequoia with the 3UR engine, where "the ECM calibration may cause an emissions control component called an Air Injection Pump to fail." First page, in capitals: "THIS LSC EXPIRES ON MAY 31, 2016." Technical instructions (PDF)
13. Toyota Warranty Enhancement Program ZH7, dealer letter updated 2 March 2018 — frame corrosion on certain 2007-2008 Tundra, from a settlement approved 21 May 2017 covering 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2008 Tundra and 2005-2008 Sequoia. "The coverage offers the latter of 12 years from the Date of First Use (DOFU) or January 31, 2019." "If any perforation in the frame is found to be 10 mm or larger, then the frame will be replaced." Companion campaign LSC H0F, cold-climate states only, "expires May 21, 2019." Dealer packet (PDF)
14. Toyota LSC 24TD01 — about 8,800 2022-2023 Tundra Hybrid TRD Pro, premature tire wear; the document gives its own end date of March 20, 2025, so it is closed.

What we looked for and did not find. There is no open NHTSA investigation into the V35A engine, and none into any 2022-2026 Tundra system. We read NHTSA's investigation flat file rather than trusting a search: every Tundra-linked entry with a closing date is historic — ball joints 2004 to 2007, frame corrosion under PE09-049 closed January 2010, and a 2022 pedestrian alert petition, DP22-005, closed 7 August 2023. The only Tundra-linked entries still open are the industry-wide Takata inflator investigations EA15-001 and EA21-002, which reach 2003-2006 trucks and are not Tundra-specific. Toyota's 25V-767 report says some engines built after its window "remain under investigation," but that is an internal review, not an NHTSA action. We could not read Toyota policy bulletin ZTQ, the 2007-2010 counterpart to ZG6: NHTSA's copy is a scan with no text layer, so this guide states no terms for it.

Sounds: the noise index, engine knocking, ticking, humming, noises ranked by cost. Money: what a diagnostic costs, dealer versus independent, signs of overcharging, how to dispute a bill. Sister guides: Tacoma, F-150, Silverado, warranty extensions. And our story explains why I built Pulscar.

Methodology. Document numbers, populations, production windows, remedy wording and programme expiry dates were taken from the Part 573 reports, owner letters, bulletins and dealer packets themselves, downloaded from NHTSA's document server and read as text. Owner-reported repair figures come from NHTSA's public complaints database for the Tundra across model years 2007-2026 and from CarComplaints model year pages; both are owner reports, not audited invoices. Where a figure comes from a search-result summary of a price estimator we could not open, the article says so at the point of use. Prices are US ranges; dealer pricing typically runs 30-50% higher. Recall eligibility depends on your VIN and build date, so verify directly before authorising paid work.

Prices verified: September 2026 · Technical documents verified: September 2026 · Reviewed quarterly

Had the number one main bearing inspection performed, or paid for an air injection pump outside coverage? Email [email protected] with the year, engine and odometer reading — owner data is how these ranges get sharper.