The Toyota Tundra might not be the most popular pickup truck in the U.S., but it has a strong fanbase despite the many issues of the third-gen model.
The Toyota Tundra has been part of the automaker’s American-market offerings since 2000, when the first-gen Tundra debuted as a successor to the Japanese-assembled T100 pickup. Since then, it has carved out a solid niche for itself in the American trucking landscape and made the headlines a few times along the way. Be it competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, towing a space shuttle, or hitting a million miles on the odometer, the Tundra is definitely a capable truck, even if it has never been a massive seller compared to its American rivals.
Toyota has opted to take it slow with the Tundra, with the pickup only in its third generation as of 2026. You would think that’s a good thing, allowing Toyota engineers to ensure each iteration of the Tundra leaves the factory with few (or no) issues. Unfortunately, that’s not the case: The third-gen Tundra is sometimes considered the worst generation yet, with the years since its 2022 debut characterized by quite a few issues, some of which severe. From failure-prone engines, noisy brakes, and iffy tonneau covers, here are some of the many problems the third-gen Tundra has faced in its short life.Machining debris in the engine
One of the third-gen Tundra’s highest-profile issues is likely an engine problem, supposedly arising from leftover debris in the V6. The debris, which Toyota claims was left over from the manufacturing process, is allegedly responsible for several common problems with the Tundra’s Turbo V6 engine, including knocking, a sudden loss of power, rough running, and an inability to start. Toyota has issued two recalls related to this debris, one in 2024 and another in 2025.
For what it’s worth, not everyone is buying Toyota’s explanation: YouTube channel I Do Cars got hold of a wrecked Tundra V6 and noted that the wear patterns didn’t necessarily match Toyota’s claims of machining debris. Either way, the supposed debris led to a class action lawsuit being filed in December 2024.
To be fair to the Tundra, the issue isn’t exclusive to it; Toyota has also recalled certain Lexus GX and LX models. The pickup is, however, easily the most affected: Toyota recalled 98,600 Tundras in 2024, with 113,079 in the second round of recalls for the Tundra and Lexus SUVs. It’s worth noting that the Tundra Hybrid has not been part of either recall, even though the engine similarities have caused some owners to express concern about the exclusion. Given that there is evidence of Tundra Hybrids exhibiting similar engine failures, the worry seems quite justified.Loose rear axle bolts
The third-gen Tundra ran into trouble soon after it started making its way to new owners: In June 2022, Toyota recalled 46,176 Tundras and Tundra Hybrids. These encompassed gas-powered Tundras built between November 2, 2021, and June 13, 2022, and Tundra Hybrids manufactured between March 15, 2022, and June 7, 2022. The vast majority (44,928) of these were standard gasoline Tundras.
This issue first came to light in March 2022, when the automaker received two reports of Tundras with rear axle shafts that had completely detached from the main rear axle housing, resulting in damage to the parts. In both cases, the flange nuts that kept the assembly together were missing, although Toyota’s investigation revealed that all fasteners were being torqued properly during assembly.
Eventually, the automaker figured out that the studs themselves were at fault: Some were not being installed properly into the rear axle assemblies. This weakened the joints and created just enough play for the nuts to come loose and allow the axle shaft to detach. To its credit, Toyota addressed the issue quickly and seemingly decisively — the problem hasn’t resurfaced, at least to our knowledge.A detaching tonneau cover
Tonneau covers for pickups can be quite useful, helping improve a truck’s gas mileage and, in some cases, combat water accumulation using drain tubes. But while there are definitely plenty of reasons to use a tonneau cover, the 2022 and 2023 Tundra had a particular tonneau-related headache that resulted in 108,473 Tundras and 21,793 Tundra Hybrids being recalled in March 2023.
The fault involved Toyota’s official triple-fold tonneau cover, available as a standalone purchase or as a dealer-installed option. The cover could (and did) detach at highway speeds, posing a safety risk to other road users, and the issue was traced to a design fault: Essentially, the hardware Toyota used to keep the tonneau cover attached to the bed wasn’t quite strong enough to keep it attached over time.
Toyota’s tonneau cover hardware included brackets, bolts, lock washers, and nuts. The nuts that Toyota used didn’t apply enough force to keep the lock washers compressed, allowing the tonneau cover to fly off in certain situations. Toyota’s immediate solution was for dealers to remove the tonneau covers for safety, with drivers instructed not to use them. A few months later, in June 2023, Toyota determined that the best solution was to replace the mounting hardware on the brackets and tonneau cover, with dealers replacing any damaged covers as necessary.A rattly interior
Not all third-gen Tundra faults have required Toyota to recall its pickup, but that doesn’t mean they’re not annoying all the same. One common complaint that keeps coming up in online discussions is the fact that the third-gen Tundra’s interior is particularly prone to rattles of all kinds.
