Tundra’s Twin-Turbo V6 Recall Hits 250,000 Trucks - And Mechanics Question Toyota’s Story

7-liter V8. That engine rarely had lubrication issues. But the third-generation truck, launched with a brand-new twin-turbo V6, has been fighting recalls almost from day one. Now, with a third recall adding 44,000 model-year 2024 Tundras, the total number of affected trucks has crossed 250,000.

Toyota says leftover metal debris from engine manufacturing is to blame. But independent mechanics who’ve torn these engines apart say the problem runs deeper.

Toyota’s official explanation is straightforward: tiny metal shards left behind during machining can clog oil passages, starving the #1 main bearing of lubrication and causing sudden, catastrophic failure. Owners often report a loud engine, then a dead stop, no warning lights, no restart.

The company has already replaced more than 77,000 engines. But even after Toyota introduced a cleaner manufacturing process in 2024, a second recall showed the fix didn’t fully work. A third recall followed. Now, instead of automatic engine swaps. Toyota is using a software-based inspection that measures crankshaft vibration and checks ECU data to decide which engines are at risk.

That shift hasn’t helped resale values. Some dealerships won’t take unrepaired Tundras as trade-ins, and trucks cleared by software but not fitted with new engines can be worth up to $9,000 less than those that got replacements.

Here’s where the story gets interesting. Engine teardown experts argue that debris alone doesn’t explain why some engines outside the recall range have failed, or why engines built during the cleaner process still died. Their inspections point to a design vulnerability in the V35A’s bottom end.

Under heavy load, they say, pressure concentrates unevenly on the #1 main bearing, squeezing the crankshaft so tightly that the microscopic oil film can’t form properly. That accelerates wear, and any debris that gets into the gap makes it worse, sometimes fusing metal to metal and destroying the engine in seconds.

Hybrid models, which use an electric motor to keep the truck moving even after the gas engine fails, are not included in the recall. For owners who kept their old V8s, that decision is looking smarter by the day.