Toyota Tundra Engine Contamination May Cause Loss of Power

Owners of certain Toyota Tundra pickup trucks may soon receive an important defect notice after Toyota announced a major engine-related safety recall tied to possible internal engine contamination during manufacturing.

The recall, filed under NHTSA Campaign Number 26V-320, affects approximately 43,566 vehicles equipped with Toyota’s V35A engine.

According to Toyota, machining debris left behind during engine manufacturing may contaminate the engine assembly and eventually cause failure of a crankshaft main bearing. In serious cases, the problem can lead to engine stalling and sudden loss of drive power while driving.

What Is the Problem?

Toyota says the affected vehicles contain a specific version of the V35A engine that uses crankshaft main bearings to allow smooth engine rotation during operation.

During a specific production period, metal debris from the engine machining process may not have been fully removed before assembly. If debris of a certain size reaches the #1 main bearing and the engine continues operating under heavy load over time, the bearing can wear prematurely or fail completely.

Toyota warns that this condition may lead to:

• Engine knocking noises
• Rough engine operation
• No-start conditions
• Engine stalling while driving
• Loss of motive power

A sudden loss of power at highway speeds significantly increases the risk of a crash.

Toyota’s Investigation Expanded Earlier Recalls

This latest recall expands upon previous Toyota recalls identified as 24V-381 and 25V-767.

After filing recall 25V-767 in November 2025, Toyota continued investigating newer V35A engines produced at its Alabama manufacturing plant. Engineers examined whether changes to cam housing clearances affected bearing pressure and studied engines collected from the field, including both failed and non-failed examples.

By February 2026, Toyota determined that variables such as timing chain tension and engine loading could increase bearing pressure, but those findings did not clearly separate the newer engines from those already recalled.

From March through May 2026, Toyota and its supplier conducted extensive laboratory and bench testing on #1 main bearings. Engineers introduced metal debris into test bearings while simulating real-world engine loads.

The testing ultimately showed that once debris of sufficient size entered the bearing, adding additional debris did not significantly change fatigue strength. Toyota also found that bearings from the newer production period displayed the same wear patterns previously seen in earlier recalled engines.

On May 14, 2026, Toyota concluded that some engines built before certain bearing improvements were implemented may still contain machining debris capable of damaging the #1 main bearing.

Field Reports and Warranty Claims

As of May 13, 2026, Toyota reported receiving:

• 30 field technical reports
• 360 warranty claims in the United States potentially related to the condition

At this time, Toyota has not publicly reported any crashes, injuries, or fatalities connected to the defect.

Remedy Still Being Developed

Toyota says a repair solution is currently under development.

Once finalized, dealers will perform repairs for affected owners. Toyota has not yet released full details regarding the repair procedure or whether affected engines will require partial or complete replacement.

Owner notification letters are expected to begin mailing on July 6, 2026.

Recall Information

• NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V-320
• Toyota Recall Numbers: 25TB14 and 25TA14
• Vehicles Affected: Certain 2024 Toyota Tundra models equipped with V35A engines
• Potentially Affected Vehicles: 43,566