Three years. Three recalls. Still debris.
Toyota just expanded the nightmare surrounding its twin-turbocharged 3400cc V6.
The Latest Blow
Forty-four thousand non-hybrid 2024 Tundras in the US are getting a visit from their local dealer. The engine might contain machining debris inside it. Just scraps from the production line left behind during manufacturing.
Sound familiar?
It’s the third time this specific engine has caused a massive recall.
The debris isn’t just sitting there, doing nothing. It can migrate into the number one main bearing. Destroying it. Leading to catastrophic failure.
“Engines involved in this new recall were produced with additional controls… we found remaining debris could still be sufficient to cause damage.”
That quote does heavy lifting. Toyota added extra checks to clean out the junk. It worked… partially. Enough grit remains to break the engine anyway.
For vehicles built after this specific batch, the company installed a reinforced main bearing. Tougher against grit.
The ones before? Still vulnerable.
The Trail of Broken Bearings
Let’s look at the timeline because the scale of this keeps growing.
May 2024. First recall. 102,00 vehicles including 22-23 Tundras and the Lexus LX. Solution? Replace the whole engine. A massive undertaking for a manufacturer priding itself on reliability.
November 2025. Second recall. Expanded to include the Lexus GX. Total reached 127,00 affected cars.
Now. The 2024 models get pulled in. 44.000 units added to the pile.
So far. Toyota says 77.000 vehicles have actually been fixed. Repairs happen in phases because parts or protocols likely haven’t stabilized. They’ll start calling customers once details are final.
Why It Hurts
Toyota markets this engine as a robust replacement for older V8s. It powers several heavy hitters in the lineup. Not just the Tundra. The Sequoia and others ride on this hardware.
If the “fixes” from previous rounds don’t hold up… what then?
Motor1 noted earlier that this powertrain is a significant pain point. There’s a real risk that future models linked to this engine family could face similar scrutiny.
We wait.
Another engine. Another dealer appointment.
The debris persists despite the extra cleaning.
