Toyota Tundra Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls β NHTSA Data
Comparing used Toyota Tundra options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017β2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact Toyota Tundra you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Toyota Tundra has 1,501 owner complaints and 74 safety recalls across model years 2017β2026. The most reported issue area is ENGINE. 2022 drew the most complaints; 2026 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Toyota
- Model
- Tundra
- Model years analyzed
- 2017β2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 1,501
- Safety recall campaigns
- 74
- Crash-related complaints
- 31
- Fire-related complaints
- 15
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2022 (410 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2026 (14 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Poor
Toyota Tundra: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used β lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record β lower risk starting points.
β NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe TOYOTA TUNDRA has 1,501 NHTSA complaints and 74 recalls on record. 31 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 1,501 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 74 federal recall campaigns
- 31 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
74 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017β2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 1,501 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
1,501 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
A minor stone chip instantly escalated into a 12-inch crack that ran all the way to the edge of the glass. The factory acoustic glass is structurally weak and brittle, causing minor road debris to immediately result in a massive crack that compromises the glass integrity on the passenger side view.
The vehicle is either unresponsive or has a severe throttle delay from a stop or a very low speed, creating is a major safety issue. This could leave the vehicle in a position to not be able to accelerate, and risks becoming a hazard to other traffic, particularly at intersections. Understanding that a TSB is available for a transmission code reflash to resolve this issue, dealers are denying the repairs stating that they are unable to reproduce the issue in their limited test drives. It is not possible to predict when these severe hesitations occur, so reproducing the issue occurs on an unknown basis.
The contact owns an Autokato Mid Rise Scissor Lift. The contact stated that while using the Autokato Mid-Rise Scissor Lift, the ramps failed to function as intended. The contact inspected the ramps and determined that the ramps were partially welded. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the Autokato Mid-Rise Scissor Lift had been discontinued.
I was turning left from a stop sign on to a busy road. Immediately after beginning to pull out, the engine stalled and left the truck powerless in the middle of the intersection. I almost got t boned from vehicles traveling both directions. The truck eventually regained power a few seconds after the stall. I had my wife and toddler with me and the situation could have been bad. I no longer the trust the truck which sucks being that it has 2500 miles. Searching online, many owners have had this happen and Toyota refuses to do anything meaningful. This needs to be recall before someone gets hurt, or worse. Iβll be taking the truck in but am doubtful anything will come of it from the dealership.
While Driving at 75mph there was sudden violent shake of Truck and it was not until I reduced the speed to 55 that it stopped. Then it happened again for the second time in the same day. After a week it is still doing the same sporadic but the truck feels jumping. Took it to the Toyota Dealer and they discarded any tire balance issue and they said they need to recreate the issue in order to be able to diagnose the problem. My concern is safety and that sudden violent shake loose the control.
The Anti-Collision System / Automatic Braking System engages, even when turned off. This is a major safety hazard and nearly got me into an accident. With the ACS disengaged, poking the front end of the vehicle out into oncoming traffic while trying to merge, the vehicle locks up completely, disabling the vehicle, rendering it a sitting duck in oncoming traffic.
After stopping at a stop sign and waiting for a clearance, the truck did not respond to throttle input for what felt like 2-3 seconds. The temperature was about 80 degrees, and I had already been driving for 30 minutes when this happened.
The engine in my 2026 Toyota Tundra has significant throttle delay/lag when its cold - even if I let it warm up - it still has significant delay in throttle response - the truck has poor light throttle response and then lurches (even with the most minute progressive throttle input). This almost caused an accident where I nearly got T-boned because the vehicle crept a bit and then suddenly lurched quickly. The vehicle was also hesitant to reach 60mph (even though it was warmed up) after about 10 minutes of driving the vehicle started operating normally. I have a concern for safety everytime I drive this vehicle.
The tailgate remote operation is inconsistent. it usually does not work and the tailgate has to be lowered by randomly applying pressure in different spots. Nothing seems consistent. Once it opens then it may work a few times then goes back to not working. This is true regardless of the "switch" used (Key fob, button on rear of vehicle in tail light assembly, button on the gate itself, switch/button on dash). I had it in the dealer 2 months after taking deliver and they told me it was fixed now a couple months later it is happening again.
While driving, the sunroof suddenly exploded without any external cause. The temperature at the time was approximately 42Β°F. The glass shattered throughout the interior of the vehicle, with pieces falling into my clothing and all over the cabin.I immediately contacted the dealership and was advised to visit the nearest Toyota location; however, there wasnβt one nearby. I had to cover the vehicle with a tarp to continue my 4 hour drive home. Thankfully, I was traveling aloneβhad my family been with me, including my [XXX] infant, this could have resulted in severe injury, as glass would have fallen directly on the car seat.The dealership later inspected the vehicle and found no evidence of any outside influence or impact that could have caused the explosion. Iβm deeply concerned about the safety implications of this failure and would like to understand how Toyota plans to address this situation, as well as ensure this does not pose a continued risk to other drivers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Sometimes at a red light or stop sign, I go to take off and the truck will hesitate for a second or two. I press the pedal down aways and then it lurches and takes off slowly. Been happening regularly.
The truck, randomly experiences hesitation, and or lag when pulling out from a dead stop. Twice it has been so bad as to nearly cause an accident. It also causes out of control acceleration as you don't know when if if the truck will actually accelerate or how much.
There is an inconsistent lag in the response from the accelerator. It proves to be extremely unsafe when it occurs while trying to join traffic or cross traffic. A few times now this lag has nearly caused an accident where my vehicle would have been t-boned if the oncoming vehicle hadn't slowed down quickly.
According to Toyota, the 2022-2026 Tundra is compatible with 35x11.5 tires. These tires were installed by the dealer before my purchase. However, during turns, the tires heavily rub against the sway bar. This issue may be specific to the TRD upgrade package, which includes an upgraded, thicker sway bar. After driving for just 500 miles, noticeable rub marks have developed on both sides of the sway bar and visible marks on the inside of the tire. Tire rubbing can lead to faster tire wear and may even cause the tire to break during operation if the damage continues over time. I have reported this to Toyota Customer service and all they say they do is file a report.
Steering is intermittently difficult, almost as if no power steering. Steering wheel does not return to center after a turn. There were no warning lamps or messages displayed on the vehicle. This is a safety issue in that it could an accident by not responding properly to driver input. Took vehicle to Toyota dealer who diagnosed problem as "Intermediate Steering Shaft Binding." Toyota dealer replaced steering intermediate shaft. Dealer kept old steering shaft.
In a 2020 Toyota Tundra, 1794 Edition (60k miles), traveling at normal highway speed, the moonroof glass panel spontaneously exploded. There was no previous damage or modification to the moonroof panel. Panel explosion was extremely loud and surprising. Large pieces of glass were blown back onto the highway. If the shade was not drawn at this time, large amounts of glass would have also rained down onto the driver and passenger of the vehicle. Clear dash camera footage shows speed under the speed limit, and no impact from any sort of debris.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that there was smoke inside the vehicle. The contact opened the front passenger side door and discovered that the front passenger seat was burned and had melted. The contact stated that the front passenger seat had caught on fire and extinguished itself prior to the contact discovering the smoke. The origin of the fire was from the front passengerβs heated seat function. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. Neither a Fire nor a Police Report was filed. The vehicle remained at the residence. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the front passengerβs seat heater needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also mentioned that the insurance company declined coverage since they deemed it to be a manufacturer's defect. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
IN BACK CEILING LEAKING WORSE NOW...
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while opening the sunroof, the sunroof made an abnormal chainsaw sound. The message "Window Open" was displayed. The contact stated that the sunroof was opening and closing independently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the cables had seized, and the sunroof glass was stressed. The dealer linked the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 004220. The contact stated that the window failed to close. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage or Goodwill assistance for the repair. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000. The VIN was not available.
BODY TOP CELING IS LEAKING.. TOYOTA TRY TO COST ME OVER ONE THOUSAND I CANT AFFORD.. I SEE LOT OF COMMON RECALL FROM OLD TUNDRA HAVE SAME PROBLEM. I THINK TOYOTA IS RESPONBILE TO FIX...
Showing 20 of 1,501 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact Toyota Tundra
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
π Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Toyota Tundra has 1,501 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Toyota Tundra has 74 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 31 of the Toyota Tundra's 1,501 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Toyota Tundra vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two Toyota Tundra vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Toyota Tundra has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
Buyers Also Compare
How does the Toyota Tundra stack up? Compare complaint history with similar vehicles.
π Check a Toyota Tundra by State
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Toyota Tundra.