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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

Destiny (not verified)    November 2, 2020 - 1:31PM

I have a 2016 Toyota Highlander XLE. It is not listed in the recall but my car does some of these exact same things. Spits and sputters until it eventually stalls on me going down the highway/road. And it always does it as soon as I fill my car up with gas and for about 75-100 miles after. I bought my car brand new in 2016 and this started about 2 years ago in 2018. My husband has tried everything he knows to fix it but it is still doing it.

John Goreham    November 4, 2020 - 9:46AM

Hello Readers. Please note that there is an update to the fuel pump recall. Included are some solutions from Toyota. I have included a link to this new info just under the first paragraph of this story. Good luck!

Polly (not verified)    November 10, 2020 - 2:57PM

My 2018 Tundra fuel pump failed. The truck wouldn’t start on most mornings, would stall on my whole driving, and smelled like it was burning very rich. I personally paid over 2600$ to hve my fuel pump changed because of this. Now there’s a recall but dealer is saying my Toyota Tundra isn’t included. Figures!

Ian L. (not verified)    December 9, 2020 - 11:29AM

I just took my 2019 Tundra in for this recall. They had it for about 5 hours total, but this included a light bulb recall and an oil change. No issues before or after the recall repair (so far!). I hope that helps!

Regina Ferrell (not verified)    December 19, 2020 - 1:52PM

In reply to by Ian L. (not verified)

Well, today I just happened to call corporate Toyota to inquire about my remaining warranty on my 2018 Toyota Camry because I’m considering trading it in for a Tacoma. This is how I learned of the fuel pump recall. The lady stayed that my car could be unsafe to drive. She said I can call a dealership for a loaner car. She also told me that the “fix” would not be available until late February of 2021. She asked if I’d had any issues and I told her no. But, afterwards it dawned on me that there had been several times that while driving it that I thought the floor mat must be hung under the gas petal because it was jerking or poor acceleration. I guess this explains it.

Kendra Schilling (not verified)    December 26, 2020 - 4:51PM

In reply to by Regina Ferrell (not verified)

I also have a 2018 Camry - they replaced the fuel pump a month ago after the check engine light came on. Three weeks later it came back on and started sputtering again. They replaced it with the same low pressure defective pump model! Now they say they can't get a fix for it until February 2021. I'm scared to drive it until then!!

daniel58 (not verified)    January 1, 2021 - 12:44PM

In reply to by Kendra Schilling (not verified)

It is clear that the problem is caused by swelling or deformation of the rubber impeller in the pump.

Now it is well-known that Ethanol content in fuel can damage rubber parts. In this case, the Denso pump or portions thereof are made in China; unfortunately, many Chinese rubber & paint coating products we see in North American products are inferior and prone to early failure in many applications - unlike German or American made chemistry-based materials.

Clearly, Toyota is at fault for allowing this to happen in such an important component. The problem could be avoided by using higher quality materials.

I surely hope that Toyota Corporate figures this fact out certainly by Feb. 2021 and get this important fuel pump safety recall problem solved once and for all permanently.

daniel58 (not verified)    January 7, 2021 - 11:37PM

In reply to by Kendra Schilling (not verified)

Toyota has used up all of its potential honest goodwill capital and good intentions. They had better deliver on the goods in a major definitive resolute manner come Feb. 2021 or else it is going to in fact cost them dearly in terms of Toyota future sales of all of their potential affected Toyota vehicles; its not nice at all to play with loyal and honest Toyota car owners like myself who have placed their loyal trust in reliable and trustworthy cars over the years; have another company fulfill the order for the Toyota fuel pump and file for a Toyota breach of contract with the Chinese company who fulfilled the order with clearly defective fuel pumps along with any stipulated penalties or in fact expect in return a mind blowing full blown Toyota class action lawsuit for selling affected Toyota vehicles with known to be defective chinese company manufactured and produced known to be Toyota fuel pumps!

Gabe (not verified)    January 7, 2021 - 8:00PM

Never seen anything like this!! My Girlfriend has been in a loaner car for 3 weeks!! After numerous calls to the dealership, they have no idea when they’ll have a replacement fuel pump!! Anyone else in this situation?

DRuppert (not verified)    February 13, 2021 - 1:53AM

In reply to by Gabe (not verified)

I have a 2018 Camry, I have been in a loaner since December 13th. They swore by February they would have an update. Still nothing. They even tried to put me in a Toyota Yaris, I said oh he** no! It’s ridiculous that we are stuck like this. I do have a loaner, which they were going to make me pay for, but they said they will cover the rental cost. Charging me 12.00 a day, and have to continue my car payment? They better cover it! I cannot believe this.

Jill (not verified)    March 30, 2021 - 1:26PM

In reply to by Gabe (not verified)

I have had a rental for 9 weeks! Lexus parked in my garage. So I filed the Lemon Law-call Corporate office for them to file your complaint-my part MIRACULOUSLY arrived the very next day!!!!

Gayle Vanveen (not verified)    January 25, 2021 - 11:33AM

Turned my 2019 Toyota Camry in December 29, 2020 due to the recall. Have a loaner (rental). As of January 25, 2021, Toyota still has my Camry and states no fix yet.

daniel58 (not verified)    February 9, 2021 - 11:33PM

In reply to by Mike (not verified)

Please let us know if the gas mpg is affected or unaffected. Also please let us know if the problem is really fixed both on a short term and long term basis so that we may know in fact if this supposed Toyota fuel pump fix is not just a temporary fix to a rather serious apparently ongoing Toyota fuel pump recall problem that only required a simple Toyota fuel pump replacement and whether this Toyota fuel pump problem has any potential further problems in the future from this point going forward.

Regina Ferrell (not verified)    February 9, 2021 - 5:19PM

Please let us know if you notice any difference in your mpg after the fix. I called Toyota today and they said that no one has mentioned getting less mpg after the fix, but several have posted that it lowers the mpg. Thanks.

Yaneris Gant (not verified)    March 31, 2021 - 6:52PM

In reply to by Regina Ferrell (not verified)

Had my appointment yesterday to have the fuel pump replaced on my 2019 Camry. Picked it up after work and drove home. Gas smell was not too noticeable. Fast forward to this morning when I got in to go to work and it was so bad! I was lightheaded by the time I made it to my office. On my way there, I was at a red light making a left and as I accelerated to make my turn the car sputtered/hesitated. Not only that, I live less than 5 miles from my job and my gas milage has significantly dropped. I never had to pump gas for 2 sometimes even stretch it to 3 weeks but now it just seems the gas gauge dips a lot quicker than before. This vehicle is no longer fuel-economy and is burning through gas like a V6. I want my car back Toyota!!!

danie58 (not verified)    March 31, 2021 - 7:58PM

In reply to by Yaneris Gant (not verified)

Immediately take it back to the Toyota dealership and document in writing for Toyota Corporate Headquarters that these previously described observed problematic signs and symptoms of these ongoing unresolved Toyota fuel pump remediation issues are still rendering ones 2019 Toyota Camry less than two year old vehicle downright unusable and unsafe to operate on the road is the direct fault and direct responsibility of Toyota Corporate Headquarters since they have not meet their corporate fiduciary responsibility for a responsible and trusted car manufacturer discharging their direct responsibilities in the midst of an ongoing Toyota fuel pump apparent design problem that is rendering ones Toyota vehicle unsafe and unusable to operate on the road at all even after having its Toyota fuel pump replaced officially by them.

Michele Stancin (not verified)    February 19, 2021 - 11:41PM

I live in Edmonton Canada and my car went in on November 16 2020 and 3 months later it Is still at the dealership shop waiting for the part. Cant even drive it. Totally shot. I have a rental courtesy of Toyota. However now I'm just getting more angry. I'm paying for a vehicle I drove for 8 months and am paying for it plus losing months on warranty. Very frustrating

daniel58 (not verified)    February 20, 2021 - 4:32AM

That is not an acceptable response at all; did you contact Toyota Corporate to make arrangements to freeze payments until this matter is potentially resolved.

Jennifer Avery (not verified)    March 19, 2021 - 12:59PM

Terrible GAS SMELL after fuel pump recall BEWARE! On March 18th, 2021, I finally got around to getting the recall performed for the fuel pump.on my 2019 Highlander. I have not been having any problems with my Highlander but happy to get it remedied. Toyota Autonation in Cerritos, CA. Friendly and quick service. Very clean facility. Dropped it off at 9:45am. Picked up at 3:30pm. As I drove away from the dealership with my mask still on I smelled an overwhelming gas smell. I thought it was me and just carried on driving. Within 4 mins I got a headache and thought I was going to be sick. Returned to dealership. Spoke to the Service Manger. He regrettably told me this is a side effect to the recall since the gas tanks are under the back seats. He said it would wear off in a few days. He was kind so I took the answer and left. Got home in 10 mins and with a worse headache and feeling very queasy. Left all car windows open in my garage al night long. This morning I could not take my son to school in that car because the smell has not dissipated even a little bit. This concerns me for other Toyota owners with small children. I hope my comments here do not go unnoticed. I did contact the dealer and I will continue to keep all windows down for this wknd and f/up w/ him on Monday- but I cannot drive the car until that smell is gone for health reasons. I suggest all owner for this recall should be at least warned in advance so they can plan their life around not having a car for a few days. Or maybe the dealer can keep the car longer to air it out? I would like a follow up from the recall department concerning this matter. TY

Mike Kennene (not verified)    March 24, 2021 - 8:43AM

2019 Camry, had mine replaced March 19th. Left me stranded in a busy lane of traffic March 23rd. Same part number, or another bad batch... dunno.

daniel58 (not verified)    March 24, 2021 - 11:31AM

In reply to by Mike Kennene (not verified)

Thanks for heads up on update on your Toyota fuel pump update situation, it sounds like the particular updated toyota fuel pump replacement part number used did not work on your vehicle, send Toyota Corporate HQ an update on your situation in writing and ask them to advise what they intend to do about the ongoing unresolveable problematical Toyota fuel pump situation currently and in the future in writing and send a written copy to NHTSA also as well as effective followup to let Toyota know that they have been advised and brought up to date on your current situation o your current complaint on fuel pump recall situation also as well.

Mike Kennene (not verified)    March 24, 2021 - 8:08PM

*UPDATE* got a call from the dealer this afternoon... the sending unit was bad and was showing more fuel / miles left than there actually was (about 80 miles) so this was an out of gas situation. One more thing to watch out for when taking your vehicle in... check your gas level prior to taking it in, I noticed about an 1/8 of a tank more when I left the dealership last Friday and thought nothing of it. Don't make that mistake.

Susan Storm (not verified)    March 30, 2021 - 5:39PM

My husband took our 2019 Toyota Highlander in today for a scheduled appointment at 9am at the dealer for the fuel pump recall. No idea how long this should take, but it is 4:33pm or over 7 hours later. A couple of hours ago, the shuttle driver said that he was ending his shift. Will keep you posted.

ADavis (not verified)    March 31, 2021 - 10:08AM

Just took my corolla in today. They had it completed in an hour. hopefully I don't need to worry that it was done so quickly, hahaha

Maxine Ammons (not verified)    April 3, 2021 - 1:34PM

Toyota just replaced my fuel pump. They said it would take 3.5 hours. They finished in 1.5 hours Is this possible?