Toyota’s gas-only trucks and SUVs continue to give the world’s largest automaker a headache.
On Thursday, US vehicle safety regulators announced that Toyota is recalling certain Tundra pickups and Lexus LX and GX SUVs after discovering that engine debris could cause the engines to stall or lose power.
Lexus is the Japanese automaker’s high-end luxury brand.
The affected vehicles — all equipped with six-cylinder engines — may run rough, make knocking noises, or fail to start entirely, according to documents filed with US safety regulators.
The recall covers models built between November 2021 and April 2024, and does not affect versions equipped with hybrid powertrains.
It expands Toyota’s ongoing engine-debris saga.
In June 2024, the company issued a nearly identical recall affecting thousands of vehicles, forcing full engine replacements at a cost estimated between $300million and $500million.
Toyota said owners may notice engine knocking, rough running, and failed engine starts
That earlier recall also targeted certain Toyota Tundra and Lexus LX models.
Toyota did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But longtime mechanic, Toyota owner, and YouTube personality Scotty Kilmer told the Daily Mail earlier this year that the problem isn’t exactly surprising.
‘The new Toyota gas trucks are cr*p,’ Kilmer said during an interview in July.
He argues the company has made a critical misstep by putting smaller, twin-turbo V6 engines into massive, heavy-duty trucks like the Tundra — engines he says simply can’t handle a pickup’s weight.
In 2022, Toyota dropped its long-running V8 engines in favor of the twin-turbo setup and optional hybrid trims, touting better towing capacity and fuel economy.
But Kilmer believes that move came at the expense of Toyota’s hard-earned reputation for reliability.
He also claims he’s noticed cheaper parts creeping into Toyota’s supply chain since the pandemic.
Toyota’s full-size pickup truck, the Tundra, was included in Thursday’s engine recall
Koji Sato, Toyota’s CEO since 2023, has continued the brand’s track record of iterative design and strong reliability, JD Power said
‘They were admitting they were no longer rejecting as many parts,’ he claimed. ‘They were using sub-standard components to build their cars.’
For buyers hoping to avoid trouble under the hood, Kilmer recommends sticking with Toyota’s hybrid models, which have so far escaped the recall.
The ongoing issues mark a rare blemish for a company known for bulletproof dependability.
Toyota has long built its reputation on an iterative approach — refining proven designs rather than rebuilding cars from scratch.
That method has helped Toyota maintain one of the industry’s strongest reliability records. The automaker ranked third overall in JD Power’s 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study.
