Toyota Has A $500M Monumental Task Replacing Nearly 100,000 Tundra Engines, Dealer Says, “We Have 4 Stores, If 50 Customers Come In All At Once, It Will Be Challenging”

Toyota USA is confronted with a monumental task.

Toyota is gearing up to replace a staggering number of over 100,000 engines in Tundra pickups and Lexus LX SUVs due to a new recall in December. If you own a 2022 or 2023 Tundra pickup, brace yourself for a potentially lengthy wait.

Toyota says they are prepping their dealers now as they prepare to replace more than 100,000 engines and the task won't be easy.

A report from Automotive News (by subscription) says, "With each engine replacement requiring 13 to 21 hours to complete, dealerships must manage workflow so service bays remain available for other warranty and customer work. They'll also have to ensure they have the right loaner cars available. For example, a Corolla won't do for a customer using a Tundra for work." 

It's Toyota's most extensive and most expensive recall in history.

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AN says that since July, when Toyota announced it would replace 102,292 V-6 Tundra and LX engines, the automaker has been consulting with its most experienced technicians and its Toyota and Lexus dealer councils on ways to handle the work without disrupting the service department or inconveniencing customers.

"We spent a lot of time in different trials internally in our own facilities, plus we used a couple of targeted dealers close to us in Plano to get their feedback on some ideas," said Kent Rice, Toyota group vice president of quality.

The Japanese automaker's approach "has been to try and reduce complexity for our technicians," Rice said. "We've spent a lot of time consulting different groups, including dealer councils, and they have been really helpful in their feedback."

Toyota estimates the Tundra recall will cost between $300 and $500 million. 

What caused the Tundra recall?

In the 2022 and 2023 Tundra pickup and Lexus LX SUV models with the V35A twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6 engine, internal passages in either block or cylinder heads were improperly cleaned. Small chips of metal, called "swarf," a result of the machining process, remained inside the engine after assembly. 

The presence of these metal chips poses a serious risk. If they break loose, they can contaminate the engine's oil, leading to severe internal damage and potentially causing the engine to seize. This is a safety concern, especially if the vehicle stalls in traffic. Nearly 1,000 engines made in two Toyota plants have already failed due to this issue.

Customers may have a long wait.

Toyota has to replace the defective engines with new ones. Each engine replacement will require between 13 to 21 hours to complete. With 100,000 engines being replaced, a long line of customers will be waiting to get the work done. 

The report says Toyota would not say how much each engine replacement costs. However, based on what Toyota budgeted for the safety recall, the cost per vehicle is expected to be about $3,000 to $5,000. Tundra owners are concerned because it could potentially affect the resale value of the affected vehicles before they get the engine replacement. 

The faulty engines were produced in two Toyota plants — one in Japan and one in Alabama. Toyota won't say what caused the metal chips to remain in the engines. Still, it could result from a change in the manufacturing or cleaning process, new machinery, or defective tooling, not human error.

Toyota says it will supply nearly complete engine assemblies, including turbochargers, pulleys, tensioners, and other components, to its dealers to save technicians time in the Tundra engine replacement process.

The process is time-consuming.

To get the engine out, technicians must remove the vehicle's hood to access the engine bay. They will then drain fluids and disconnect ancillary parts — such as air conditioning and fuel system hoses, wiring harnesses, and the cooling system. The engine will then be unbolted from the transmission and engine mounts, lifted, moved forward, and tilted back to clear the vehicle's body. 

New vehicle hoists will be installed first.

Rice said the replacement trials identified the need for a hoist that is different from what is used now to extract the engine without having technicians disassemble the grille, radiator supports, and such. He said Toyota is supplying dealerships with the new hoist and a different hook that raises the engine two feet higher than the hoists Toyota currently uses.

The defective Tundra engines may be used again.

The recalled engines will be returned to Toyota in the same packaging the new ones arrive in. Rice declined to say what would become of the recalled engines. However, because the engine block and heads are made of aluminum, they could be recycled to reduce some of Toyota's costs. Automotive News says some engines could be donated to trade schools and used for technician training.

Steve Gates, owner of Gates Auto Family, a 13-store group with three Toyota dealerships and one Lexus dealership in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, said, "We have four stores. If we had 50 customers that came in all at once for the recall, it would be a little challenging."

Customers will have to work with their local Toyota dealer.

Gates told Automotive News, "The dealers I have talked to are saying their customers are telling them they are not going to do this right away because they are not experiencing any problems. "It's probably only a small percentage of the 100,000 engines that will have any problems," he added. "There's some curiosity but no panic."

What should Tundra customers do now?

Toyota plans to notify customers in either late November or early December so that they can begin scheduling engine replacements. The recall will be launched officially in December. Several stores contacted by Automotive News said they had not received their new engine hoists.

Customers will get loaner vehicles. 

Even though Toyota is paying for loaner trucks, some stores may have a shortage. Gates says he does not keep pickups in his store's loaner fleet but said he'll move some from his new vehicle inventory to give customers what they need while their vehicles are in the shop.

Do you own a 2022 or 2023 Toyota Tundra pickup? Have you experienced any engine problems? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

I am Denis Flierl, and have been serving as the Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand, and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru you'll find here ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Hendrick Toyota