Toyota Rescuing 100,000 Tundra And Lexus LX Owners

Toyota is taking care of engine replacements after a recent recall for 102,092 MY2022-2023 Tundra and LX vehicles equipped with the 3.4-liter twin-turbocharged V35A-FTS V6 engine. As per the NHTSA documentation, the issue stems from machining debris in the engine that was not properly cleaned out during the manufacturing process, meaning that there are myriads of tiny metal shavings causing friction within the sub-assembly, and it’s happening in areas where the tolerances are a matter of microns.

• 2023 Toyota Tundra

  Base MSRP

  $38,965

  Engine

  3.4L Twin-Turbo V6 Gas

  Horsepower

  348 hp

  Fuel Economy

  18/24 MPG

• 

  2023 Lexus LX

  Base MSRP

  $90,815

  Engine

  3.4L Twin-Turbo V6 Gas

  Horsepower

  409 hp

  Fuel Economy

  17/22 MPG

Specifically, Toyota notes potential engine knocking, which happens when the connecting rod bearings are not doing enough to enable smooth rotation around the crankshaft. In the best-case scenario, the engine runs roughly for a time, but eventually, the worst-case scenario will occur, starting with a loss of power and culminating in total engine failure if left unaddressed. Toyota will begin contacting customers at the end of this month.

How Toyota Will Fix The Issue

If the engine suffers catastrophic failure at highway speeds, the sudden stalling of the rotating assembly could result in a loss of control, and the added vibrations of a prolonged engine knock won’t do bushings and other components any favors. Since it’s such a big issue, it needs addressing immediately, and since the issue stems from a manufacturing defect, it seems that a simple oil flush and filter/oil pan pickup replacement won’t be enough. An updated statement from Toyota shows that the only solution is an expensive one, but not for owners: “For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will replace the engine with a new one at no cost to customers.”

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As generous as this is, Toyota had no choice. Dealers have been selfishly refusing trade-ins on V6 Tundra pickups, and it’s been having a negative effect on the automaker’s reputation. Unfortunately for Toyota, whose reputation has always been grounded in reliability, the latest generation of vehicles is suffering a number of recalls of late. In February, three recalls affecting over 300,000 vehicles were issued. Then, in June, another big recall affected the Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX, and as if things weren’t going badly enough for new trucks and SUVs, older models have also been hit with recalls of late, including the tough-as-nails MY2022-2023 Tacoma. For the older Taco, the issue concerned loose wheel nuts, which is not a reliability issue, but it does suggest that assembly standards may have dropped slightly.

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Is Toyota In Trouble?

There certainly has been an increase in recalls of late, but this is a new engine, and Toyota isn’t going to put a Band-Aid fix on this issue; we doubt Toyota would take the loss of replacing over 100,000 engines if it wasn’t sure that the root cause had been identified. That being said, some automakers have cut corners with recalls before, and they’ve been forced to recall their cars again. Sadly, recalls are a huge part of the ownership experience these days. That’s not always a bad thing – Honda used a mass recall in its early days to win the hearts of American buyers, overcoming stigmas of bias in the process – but it is certainly increasingly concerning that lately, so many recalls are affecting so many manufacturers of all origins. Hundreds of thousands of BMWs are potentially unsafe, a disturbingly large number of Ford pickups face a mystery gearbox issue, and Ram took the unwanted title of the fourth-largest recall of the year last month. The industry as a whole needs a closer focus on quality control and manufacturing integrity, but how CEOs can achieve this without hurting profits remains to be seen.