Toyota will replace engines in 100,000 recalled Tundras and Lexus LXs

In June 2024, Toyota recalled about 102,000 units of the Tundra and the Lexus LX built during the 2022 and 2023 model years due to an engine-related problem. At the time, the company said it didn’t have a fix. That’s since changed: it will replace the engine in affected vehicles.

Assigned recall number 24V-381 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall only applies to non-electrified variants of the Tundra, which use a twin-turbocharged, 3.4-liter V6 offered with 348 or 379 horsepower depending on the trim level. The optional hybrid system is built around a 3.4-liter V6, but that engine isn’t included in the campaign as of writing. The six-cylinder is the only engine available on the current LX. All told, 102,092 vehicles are part of the recall but the problem is only found in about 1% of them.

“Certain machining debris may not have been cleared from the engine when it was produced,” according to the Japanese brand, which can cause the main bearings to fail. The consequences are fairly serious: this problem can cause the engine to knock, run rough, not start, or die. The latter symptom increases the risk of an accident. There’s no word on whether any accidents or injuries are linked to the problem.

Several Tundra owners have sent the NHTSA a complaint detailing a problem similar to the one Toyota describes. One claims the engine made “pulsing/mechanical noises” before shutting off. Another states the engine cut off on an exit ramp and couldn’t be restarted. Many of these reports state that the “check engine” light came on before the engine stopped. No engine problems have been logged for the LX.

Toyota’s fix is simple: it will replace the engine in the affected vehicles. It plans to notify customers of affected vehicles by mail by the end of July 2024, and it points out that the Tundra models included in the recall were built between November 2, 2021, and February 13, 2023. If you’ve got an LX, it’s part of the recall if it was manufactured from July 30, 2021, to November 25, 2022.