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Toyota Updates Its Huge Fuel Pump Recall - Here's The Fix For Your Vehicle

The massive fuel pump recall Toyota has underway now has a fix. Here's what to expect if you own a Lexus LS 500, LC 500, RC 350, RC 300, GS 350, IS 300, ES 350, LX 570, GX 460, RX 350, NX 300, RX 350L or a Toyota 4Runner, Camry, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, and Tundra, Avalon, or Corolla.

Toyota follows the topics at Torque News and one recently caught their eye. Our report on the massive fuel pump recall affecting nearly all Toyota and Lexus models. In our report, we repeated the information that we had found on a Toyota media page, which is now changed. Toyota does have a fix for the fuel pump recall.

UPDATED! How 2 Avoidable Defects Destroyed the Toyota RAV4's Reliability Rating

UPDATED! See the New Update To This Recall Including Some Solutions.

Read The Original Story Here: Toyota's Latest Massive Fuel Pump Recall Would Not Have Happened Were Its Cars Electric

Toyota Fuel Pump Recall
The recall affects nearly 2 million Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles, nearly as many as the company sells in America in a year. The models included in this huge recall are as follows:
2013-2015 Model Year Lexus LS 460;
2013-2014 Model Year Lexus GS 350;
2014 Model Year Toyota FJ Cruiser, Lexus IS-F;
2014-2015 Model Year Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser; Lexus GX 460, IS 350, LX 570;
2015 Model Year Lexus NX 200t, RC 350;
2017 Model Year Lexus IS 200t, RC 200t;
2017-2019 Model Year Toyota Sienna; Lexus RX 350;
2018 Model Year Lexus GS 300;
2018-2019 Model Year Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra; Lexus ES 350, GS 350, IS 300, IS 350, LC 500, LC 500h, LS 500, LS 500h, RC 300, RC 350, RX 350L.

Check Your Vehicle For the Recall Here
If you want to check your specific vehicle to see if it is included in the recall, simply input your vehicle identification number (VIN) here. Toyota will reach out to you by snail mail to alert you if they can find you. That is all automakers are required to do by law. Toyota says that some owners won't be notified until as late as May. Why wait? This is a problem Toyota says can, "...result in a vehicle stall, and the vehicle may be unable to be restarted. If a vehicle stall occurs while driving at higher speeds, this could increase the risk of a crash."

Toyota Ful Pump Recall Update and Fix
The new update is that Toyota has a fix for the problem. It's not going to be easy for Toyota or customers. This isn't just a software update or simple adjustment like many recalls. Rather, Toyota says, "For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will replace the involved fuel pump with an improved one..." That sounds simple, but the fuel pump in your Toyota or Lexus lives inside your gas tank. To get at it, the mechanic may be in for a half-day's work. We checked out YourMechanic.com and found that a fuel pump replacement can take as long as four hours. So, you are not going to be waiting for this job to be completed.

Related Story: Will This Defect Impact Your Toyota's Resale Value? Experts Weigh In

Will Toyota Provide You With A Loaner Vehicle?
Toyota's update on the fuel pump recall did not mention if owners would be provided a loaner vehicle while theirs in service. We suggest phoning your Toyota or Lexus dealer to ask if a loaner will be made available.

Will This Recall Cost The Owner Money?
Other than your lost time bringing the vehicle in for the recall and then returning to pick the vehicle up again, there will be no cost to owners for this recall.

Have you had your Toyota or Lexus in for this recall? If so, tell us in the comments below how long the total job took. Your experience may help a fellow owner plan ahead.

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. John's focus areas are technology, safety, and green vehicles. In the 1990s, he was part of a team that built a solar-electric vehicle from scratch. His was the role of battery thermal control designer. For 20 years he applied his engineering and sales talents in the high tech world and published numerous articles in technical journals such as Chemical Processing Magazine. In 2008 he retired from that career and dedicated himself to chasing his dream of being an auto writer. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin.

Comments

Susan (not verified)    May 19, 2020 - 10:26PM

In reply to by C Mueller (not verified)

I had to reply to this comment because we literally had the same thing happen to us. We have a 2019 Toyota Sienna and last fall we took it into the dealership when the van starting acting up/hesitating and they told us they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Fast forward to May 18, 2020, my family was on a short road trip about 3 hours from home and the Sienna completely dies on us with the same hesitation issues. This time the vehicle wouldn't turn back on--but thankfully we made it to a parking lot before it completely wouldn't work. We had to be towed to a local Toyota dealership who confirmed it was the fuel pump but they tell me they had to contact corporate and have no idea when it will be fixed. After calling multiple times, I finally got a loaner vehicle so we can travel back home with my three kids. This is a very dangerous problem and we were lucky, but seems Toyota has not handled this well.

odie (not verified)    October 1, 2020 - 2:18PM

In reply to by Susan (not verified)

Same scenario but I have a something to add about after getting the new part installed: Bought my new 2019 Sienna 2 years ago and has had bad issues supposedly with the pump. I had been to the shop 5 times complaining and leaving it with them 2-3 days with them finally saying there is no issue. Then it broke down and they had to fix it by replacing the fuel pump. 2 months later the recall came out and so they replaced it again. Still runs horrible. I'm consulting with an attorney now who has a few cases of the same issue "after" the recall part was installed. Bad news, but the issue is beyond the fuel pump. Worse yet is how it affects the engine. Mine has run for 36,000 miles missing, sputtering, and stalling. Not good on the engine. Toyota could care a less. I opened a case with Toyota, they investigated and closed the case saying its just how their vehicles run! Sharing because I feel for anyone having this issue and we all need answers!

Bernadette Grimes (not verified)    June 26, 2020 - 2:27PM

In reply to by C Mueller (not verified)

Something does not make sense, my 2019 Highlander died 2 days ago. During my conversations with service manager, he said that Toyota will not put in the same part as the original one. I called the lawyer for the class action suit in California and he said that is the right answer because if they did put in the same part, they would be liable for a crash or injury to anyone because of this part.

After going back and forth with the service manager, I finally asked him how they would feel if I came to the dealership and began letting everyone who was coming to look at new cars know what I was going through since the purchase of my Highlander. Surprise, he got off the phone to talk to his director and called me back to say that Toyota just came out with the fix part! Really? Isn't that interesting. He said that my car could be fixed by today or hopefully by tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Bernadette Grimes (not verified)    June 30, 2020 - 4:18PM

In reply to by Bernadette Grimes (not verified)

Well, the part finally came in on Monday, June 29 first thing in the morning. It took almost the whole day for the work to be done. This was the first Highlander the mechanic had done. So glad I no longer have that feeling of doom and gloom hanging over each and every car trip I make. It is a shame I had to wait until the car died to get it fixed!

John Syme (not verified)    July 19, 2020 - 3:38AM

In reply to by Bernadette Grimes (not verified)

The original email from Lexus notifying me of the recall in January said the was no fix yet and that I would be notified when one was available. I received an email on June 19 stating a fix had been developed and to make an appointment. So it did just come out.

Bronson (not verified)    December 10, 2020 - 8:01AM

In reply to by C Mueller (not verified)

The mechanics get paid less money to do the warranty work. I think they get paid less money to do any recall work too. I was told that several mechanics worked on my car to do the recall work on my car to replace the Takata air bag wiring harness.

Mimi (not verified)    June 14, 2020 - 8:21AM

In reply to by Susan Rogers (not verified)

Hi I have a Lexus , and I’m very upset! Because they Don’t! Know when they are gonna be able to fix my fuel pump . It could be long term , they said . So in the mean time , I have no car. I wanna join the class action law suite , how do I go about doing that . Thank you

Karen Cook (not verified)    July 9, 2020 - 1:47PM

In reply to by Mimi (not verified)

I refused to my dealership to pay a $35 A-day rental fee, then I called the other dealer near me and they said no you don't have to pay for a rental you are owed a loaner vehicle because you're part of the recall... check it out!

Laura Bramski (not verified)    July 12, 2020 - 4:10AM

In reply to by Mimi (not verified)

I have a Lexus GX460. I called about the fuel pump recall. The answer I received was they do not know when the part will be in. I told service I was comfortable driving my car on a 6 hour trip. I was offered an enterprise rental. I have the rental for 2 days and the part came in. Tell them you want a loaner. You keep your car at your house until they get the part. You need to give them your mileage because they don’t want you driving your car while having the loaner.

Bona Gilliam (not verified)    August 22, 2020 - 6:22AM

In reply to by Susan Rogers (not verified)

Please notify me about any law suits or action being taking about the fuel pump replacement. I just had my 2019 avalon touring fuel pump replaced and they gave it back to me stinking with gas. I am too very disappointed and would never buy another Toyota. I have been buying Toyota’s for the last 30 years.

Kristen P (not verified)    March 15, 2021 - 2:45PM

In reply to by Susan Rogers (not verified)

Oh for sure in regards to your value dropping. I went to trade in my 2019 Rav4 and it dropped so much because of the recall. So we were told to wait until it is fixed and the recall is cleared from my VIN before we trade in to get the most out of the deal (we are doing a lease buyout + trade in). I'm still waiting for the remedy and getting impatient.

Eugenio Robert… (not verified)    May 6, 2020 - 1:13PM

I am still waiting for my Lexus 2019 to have the fuel pump replaced ( 05/06/2020)
I am very disappointed the way they treat customers. WHY?
1) They are not 100% straightforward whether how safe could be to drive my car till there is a remedy, mainly driving it bit below 65 miles, speed limit
2) It is unacceptable how long it takes to fix the problem
Very poor customer service
3) they are not polite enough to let us know when the problem will be fixed

C B (not verified)    May 7, 2020 - 1:52AM

I contacted Toyota and was provided a loaner van. Our van is mobility modified. No way could my husband transport me in a car loaner. The service manager at Classic Toyota told me we could drive the van. I told him no way because the letter said there could be a crash. I told him that's what happened in Dec. 2nd when the van did stop suddenly. We considered it might have been the PCS. But my thoughts now are the fuel pump fault may have caused the PCS to falter. When I saw our van nearing the car in front of us I just knew our lives would end soon. I could see inside the rear window of that car. There was an injury to my neck from the hard impact of the van stopping dead in its tracks. Nobody should attempt to drive a vehicle with a faulty fuel pump. Knowing the fuel pump is faulty, if the car does stop and there is a crash I doubt your insurance company would pay. You would be at fault because you were forewarned by Toyota. I reported the incident and the reply back was a nasty letter filled with false statements. An attorney won't take that on because there wasn't a crash and I was not badly injured though my neck is injured. I am already mobility impaired. I do not trust that the "fix" will resolve the problem.

Blair Y (not verified)    May 8, 2020 - 9:57AM

My 2019 Highlander definitely had issues, and I came near to getting rear-ended when the fuel pump started failing. I took it to my dealership just a couple days before the official recall letter came out. It's been sitting there going on 9 weeks. I was told they have many vehicles waiting for the new fuel pump. Any new word on when the replacement will be available?

H Duke (not verified)    May 10, 2020 - 9:47AM

Yesterday, I almost bought a 2019 Takoma from a Toyota dealership in Rockville Maryland. It was a great price. We saw there was a recall and asked the sales guy about it and he said he thought it had been fixed. Fast forward to the finance guy and he was going to have us sign a statement saying there was no recall - thankfully, we asked about it again and then googled it and saw the class action suit so did not buy the car. Unbelievable that a Toyota dealership can sell a car with a defect like this and not even disclose it to customers. Where are the consumer protections?

Suz (not verified)    May 18, 2020 - 11:25PM

Nope- they state there is no "Remedy" yet. Of course there is. I scheduled/ they canceled I emailed/ they don't respond. I have done Social media..No Response. Calling many times will do nothing.
2014 4-Runner - 2nd RECALL in since last April (airbag Inflator)

BrewBabe (not verified)    May 20, 2020 - 9:31PM

I called my local dealership on my 2019 tacoma. I'm told they have no idea how long it will take to have a fix avail for me. Stating "you'llbe notified by mail" I asked what they considered high speed. They said anything over 45mph. So what does this mean? If I am in an accident because of the fuel pump toyota isnt liable because they gave me the warning?

Guess it's time to visit Nissan to check out their titan. Because of the unresolved recall I can bet my trade in value will be tanked.

Not happy at all about any of this.

Is there a class action suit in progress yet?

Unhappy in tampa bay

Amanda (not verified)    June 22, 2020 - 7:17AM

In reply to by BrewBabe (not verified)

My 2019 highlander was recalled, like yours. A dealership was going to give me 25,000 for it a week ago. The value has tanked, I’m paying notes on a car I can’t drive, I’m paying full coverage insurance, I’m in a rental that is costing Toyota 1,200 a month, and we have to renew our tags..... my husband and I have bought 7 Toyota’s. Never again...

Robert Grebe (not verified)    May 22, 2020 - 6:59PM

I have a 2018 tacoma with 25,000 miles on it while driving to work stopped at a red light it shut down but did restart it has a bad hesitation its bucks like its running out of fuel it has shut down 3 times called the dealership i bought it from and have it serviced had no answers they gave me toyotas head quarters phone number i was put on hold for 2 hrs never spoke two anybody maybe if we all stopped making payments on our loans and they get repoed the banks would not loan money to buy toyota vehicles boy that would hurt toyota!

MITRAJUNE (not verified)    May 25, 2020 - 3:47PM

I put my VIN still shows air bag they have solutions for it. But for fuel pump they do not have it answer . Toyota should know we will sue for wrong full death and mechanical issues that they have not solutions for it. Are they waiting for us to dies?
innocent people what about them. If they do not fix it. We will force them class action law suit is only way.

Mimi (not verified)    June 25, 2020 - 6:43PM

In reply to by MITRAJUNE (not verified)

We all need to do a class action .. seriously! I’m still waiting on my part to come in . What legal action can we take . I’ll call every news channel here in Tampa . I will be heard .. doing monthly payments and still can’t drive my car . This Doesn’t!! fly with me .

jim warner (not verified)    May 26, 2020 - 11:32PM

My 2019 Highlander purchased 7/19 no problem yet with 4400 miles on it. List price of 43000 dollars. I am upset that Toyota to save a few dollars along with NDenso the pump manufacturer chased pennies to China to produce the fuel supply pumps. Now with the shutdown no pumps were manufactured for several months. Most likely why they cannot provide over 3 million replacement pumps. Taking 1/2 day to replace will be a LONG time in fixing. I informed Toyota that in Va. they have 30 days after taking vehicle in to repair if not they buy it back. I do not plan on making 500.00 monthly payments for it to sit on a dealers lot for who knows how long. Right I just drive short distances and use good quality fuel. My understanding is the rubber vanes inside swell due to the exposure to gas eventually to the point of locking up. Cheap rubber material and cheap design all to save a few pennies and who knows what else happens after this incident. Good luck to all and hope nobody is going down the highway with a semi truck on your bumper at 65 mph when it cuts off and no steering or brakes.

Karen Cook (not verified)    July 9, 2020 - 1:30PM

In reply to by jim warner (not verified)

Is this true? If Toyota can't repair it in 30 days they have to buy it back? How can i relay this to my dealer without them thinking I'm just some dumb broad? Is there somewhere I can check on this so I can tell them I know what I'm talking about?

Sybil King (not verified)    May 29, 2020 - 9:30AM

In reply to by t. yue (not verified)

From what I understand there are several class action suits filed for this already. This is why the recall was expanded since the original one in Jan2020.

I have been informed that Reserch and Development at factory is closed during pandemic.

The suits are addressing
.repair
.loss in trade in value
.safety to drivers and others on the road

Toyota claims it is a possibility it could shut down without warning. 1.8 million vehicles between Toyota and Lexus model cars. Ranging from 2013 and 2019. Reports of it actually happening are under 1000. It's frustrating that we pay top dollar for new vehicles and warranty maintenance packages to insure our safety of self and our families and are stuck making payments for a car we dont feel comfortable pulling out in traffic in to go to corner market.

Blair Yager (not verified)    May 29, 2020 - 10:35AM

This is an update to my previous post a month or so ago. I called the number for Toyota and after a lengthy wait got to speak with a live representative. Yes, she's sorry; yes, she understands... the usual. Then she said something that no one has offered before. She told me that a fix could be coming by mid-June. Do I believe it? Not until I get my Highlander back! But it was the first glimmer of hope I've had in 3 months that I've been without it. I could write a very humorous article on the number of loaner vehicles they've put me through between Courtesy Toyota in Brandon and the Enterprise car rental they also had me use. You couldn't make this stuff up.

Teresa (not verified)    July 4, 2020 - 1:56PM

In reply to by Blair Yager (not verified)

We just saw on Toyota site that a repair is available. We bought our Highlander 12 days before the recall was posted but we didn't get notified until May. We also are dealing with Courtesy in Brandon. We plan to call on Monday to schedule the replacement. We were speaking with friends who suggested following the FL Lemon Law for a refund/replacement vehicle. I'll post our experience and watch for any comments on the next step. Not sure we'll ever have confidence in this vehicle.