Toyota has issued a recall for more than 43,000 Tundra pickup trucks because of an engine defect that could cause vehicles to lose power while being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall affects certain Toyota Tundra trucks manufactured between Feb. 7, 2024, and Aug. 5, 2024, according to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Toyota said the affected vehicles are equipped with a specific version of its V35A engine that may contain crankshaft main bearings contaminated by machining debris left behind during the manufacturing process.
According to the recall report, debris of a particular size and quantity may not have been fully removed during engine production and could have entered the engine assembly. The contamination can damage engine components and lead to a variety of performance issues.
Toyota identified several possible symptoms linked to the defect, including engine knocking, rough engine operation, failure to start and engine stalling.
“In the subject vehicles, an engine stall while driving leads to a loss of motive power,” the recall notice stated. “A vehicle loss of motive power while driving at higher speeds can increase the risk of a crash.”
The automaker estimates that approximately 1% of the recalled vehicles may be affected by the problem.
Owners of impacted trucks are expected to begin receiving notification letters starting July 6, according to the filing.
Toyota has not yet announced a final repair solution for the recalled vehicles. The company said dealers will receive additional instructions once a remedy has been determined.
The latest recall follows a larger action taken by the automaker last year involving similar engine-related concerns.
In that recall, Toyota recalled more than 113,000 Tundra pickup trucks, nearly 10,000 Lexus LX SUVs and more than 3,000 Lexus GX SUVs after discovering comparable contamination issues during the manufacturing process.
Industry observers noted that Toyota ultimately replaced affected engines in many of those vehicles rather than attempting smaller repairs.
Automotive publication The Autopian reported that the company has not yet released a technical service bulletin outlining how it plans to address the newly recalled trucks.
“With the initial recall, Toyota changed the engines in affected models out for new assemblies,” the publication reported. “It’s possible that manufacturing changes will be made, and we’ll see the same sort of fix here.”
The publication added that the final repair strategy remains uncertain until Toyota provides official guidance to dealers and customers.
The recall involves 43,566 vehicles in total, according to federal documents.
Consumers can check whether their vehicle is included in the recall by entering their Vehicle Identification Number on the NHTSA recall website or through Toyota’s recall information portal.
The NHTSA encourages vehicle owners to respond promptly to recall notices and contact authorized dealers if they experience symptoms such as unusual engine noises, rough operation or unexpected stalling, per the Western Journal.
Toyota has not reported any crashes, injuries or fatalities linked to the defect.
The company said it is continuing to investigate the issue and work with regulators to ensure affected vehicles are repaired as quickly as possible once a remedy becomes available.
