Toyota Will Replace Up to 102,000 Tundra, Lexus LX Engines
If you own a 2022–2023 Toyota Tundra or Lexus LX 600, you're in luck — well, after a fashion. Following an official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall filed by Toyota this May, Automotive News reports the automaker is now committing to potentially replace more than 100,000 faulty units of its V35A twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6 engine, even if the engine in your rig has yet to fail.
The root of the problem stems from a small manufacturing defect, Toyota explained in filings with the NHTSA. Specific V35A engines from specific assembly plants are prone to overloading pressure on the crankshaft main bearings due to the rotation of the crankshaft within the engine assembly while running. Essentially, this rotating crankshaft pumps metal shavings and other debris into the running engine, prompting the engine to knock, run rough, or even fail completely.
While the initial recall filings appeared this May, Toyota's earlier claim that they were looking for a proper fix seemed ambitious — especially considering the debris creation was an ongoing bug anytime the engine was running. So, because there is no other fix, Toyota is simply replacing that batch of V35A engines. Toyota says that there have been no injuries reported as a result of these faulty engines, though there are hundreds of warranty claims associated with the V35A motor.
Tundras manufactured between November 2021 and February 2023 and LX 600s manufactured between July 2021 and November 2022 are affected by this recall, adding up to 98,568 Tundras and 3524 LX 600s. (NHTSA notes that models equipped with the V35A engine manufactured before or after these dates are not affected by this recall.) Toyota's most recent statement is a bit coy, saying that it will replace the engine "for all involved vehicles" — though its filing with the NHTSA explains that it's difficult to estimate what percentage of the involved vehicles actually contain the defect.
Toyota initially learned about the V35A engine stalling out in March 2022, with a more detailed field report highlighting additional engine failures arriving in July 2022. This field report showed the failure of the crankshaft main bearings; as a precautionary measure, the company made cleanliness process changes at its engine manufacturing plants. Fast forward to September 2023, and a surge of engine failures were coming in from dealerships and Toyota field reports, prompting an investigation into the design validation process of the V35A. Ultimately, after recovering a number of failed engines and analyzing manufacturing processes at its Alabama engine assembly plant, Toyota was able to identify the issue and isolate the production period where it occurred.
Owners of these trucks will be notified of the available remedy by July 29, 2024. It's not immediately clear what the timeline for replacing as many as 102,092 engines will be, but we suspect it will take some time — and heavy coordination with regional dealers.
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