The Law Offices of Jon Jacobs | June 2026 | Serving All Counties, Wherever You Are in California
Author: Chad David, Esquire, California State Bar Number 327293
The Law Offices of Jon Jacobs | June 2026 | Serving All Counties, Wherever You Are in California
Data verified by Caroline Alemany, Law Offices of Jon Jacobs on June 19, 2026.
If you own a Toyota Tundra and your engine has knocked, stalled, lost power, or failed outright, you’ve probably noticed something: the recalls keep coming. The same engine has now been recalled three separate times for the same defect. This is the full story of how we got here, what a recall actually is, the history of the Tundra’s engine troubles, the latest surprise addition to the list, and what it all means for owners whose trucks genuinely failed.
First, what is a recall?
A recall is a formal action a manufacturer takes, often after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gets involved, when it determines that a category of vehicles may contain a safety defect. The manufacturer identifies the affected population (usually by model, model year, and production window), notifies owners by mail, and offers to repair the defect free of charge.
A few things a recall is not:
- It is not an admission that every vehicle in the group is broken. Recalls are cast wide on purpose; many recalled vehicles never develop the problem.
- It is not, by itself, a lawsuit or a guarantee that you’re owed anything.
- It is not the same as the defect actually showing up in your vehicle.
What a recall does do is put the manufacturer’s own name on the problem. When Toyota files a recall, it is telling the federal government, in writing, that a specific defect exists in a specific set of engines. That admission becomes very important later.
The Tundra’s V35A engine: a recall history
For decades, the Tundra was a byword for reliability, built around a dependable 5.7-liter V8. Then, in 2022, Toyota redesigned the truck and replaced that V8 with a twin-turbocharged V6 it calls the V35A. Almost immediately, owners started reporting catastrophic engine failures. Here’s how the recalls have stacked up.
Recall #1 — May 2024 (NHTSA 24V-381).
Toyota recalled roughly 102,000 2022–2023 Tundras and Lexus LX 600s. The cause, in Toyota’s own words: metal machining debris left inside the engine during manufacturing can contaminate the crankshaft’s main bearings, causing the bearing to fail, the engine to knock or run rough, and the truck to stall and lose power while driving. The fix wasn’t a software patch or a cleaning, it was to replace the entire engine.
Recall #2 — November 2025 (NHTSA 25V-767).
Toyota expanded the campaign by roughly 126,000 more vehicles, pulling in 2024 Tundras and additional Lexus models. The reason for the expansion is the part owners should pay attention to: Toyota determined that its earlier corrective action had not fully solved the problem. Engines built after the first recall were still leaving the factory with the same debris defect.
Recall #3 — Surprise, here’s another! (May 2026, NHTSA 26V320).
Just when owners thought the matter was settled, Toyota filed a third recall covering another 43,566 2024 Tundras for the very same machining-debris bearing failure. As of this writing, the final repair is still in development, meaning some owners whose engines have already failed have no approved fix available yet.
Four years, three recalls, and counting. That is the backdrop behind the question so many Tundra owners are typing into a search bar: why does this keep happening to my truck?
Toyota V35A Engine Recalls Timeline
| Date | Recall |
|---|---|
| May 30, 2024 | NHTSA 24V-381: |
| November 06, 2025 | NHTSA 25V-767: |
| May 20, 2026 | NHTSA 26V320: |
What a recall does and doesn’t mean for you
If your Tundra received a recall letter but has never given you a problem, it starts, runs, and drives fine, then the recall is precautionary. The right move is simply to get the free repair when it’s available. There’s nothing to pursue, and that’s genuinely good news.
But if your engine actually failed or showed the symptoms in the recall including knocking, rough running, a no-start, stalling, loss of power, or an outright engine replacement then your situation is fundamentally different. The recall isn’t just a warning to you. It’s the manufacturer confirming, in writing, that the exact defect your truck suffered from was built into the engine at the factory.
Signs Your Toyota May Be Included Under the V35A Engine Recall
- Machining debris left in the engine when it was produced.
- Engine knocking.
- Engine rough running.
- Engine does not start.
- A loss of motive power, even while driving at higher speeds.
That combination of a documented manufacturing defect plus an actual failure in your vehicle means you may be owed compensation.
The legal angle: breach of the implied warranty of merchantability
Under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, every new vehicle sold comes with an implied warranty of merchantability. In plain terms, that’s a guarantee that the vehicle is fit for its ordinary purpose: it should reliably and safely do what a truck is supposed to do.
A Tundra whose engine can fail because of debris left in it during manufacturing was, arguably, never fit for that ordinary purpose to begin with. The defect didn’t develop from wear and tear or abuse and by Toyota’s own recall filings, it was present in the engine from the day it was built, which means it was present on the day you bought the truck. California courts have recognized that this kind of latent defect can breach the implied warranty even when the failure shows up later.
This is why an actual failure that lines up with the recall is such a strong position for an owner. You don’t have to prove the manufacturer is at fault from scratch since the recall does much of that proving for you. The manufacturer has already admitted the defect exists and that it stems from manufacturing. Pair that admission with the fact that your specific truck actually exhibited the failure, and you have the core of a breach-of-merchantability claim. Notably, this theory does not depend on counting a particular number of repair attempts the way some other lemon law remedies do. What matters most is that the vehicle was defective and that the defect showed itself in your truck.
Who this is for
This page is written for one specific group: Tundra owners whose engines had a problem that aligns with these recalls. That includes you if:
- Your engine was replaced under one of the recalls.
- Your truck stalled, lost power, knocked, ran rough, or wouldn’t start because of the engine.
- Your Tundra has been sitting at a dealer waiting on a repair or a remedy that doesn’t exist yet.
If any of that describes your truck, the recall plus your real-world failure is exactly the fact pattern worth a closer look.
Talk to us
We focus on California Tundra owners whose engines actually failed in line with these recalls. If your truck stalled, lost power, needed engine work, or had its engine replaced, you may have a clear claim under California’s lemon law protections, and we’d like to hear what happened. A short, no-pressure conversation is enough to tell you whether you have a case worth pursuing.
What to do now
- Hold on to every record. Repair orders, dates, mileage, how long the truck was in the shop, what the dealer told you, any rental or loaner. In these cases, the paperwork is the proof.
- Don’t let symptoms slide. Cold-start knock, a rumble under load, rough running, hard starts, or any loss of power should be documented with a dealer right away.
- Getting the recall repair doesn’t waive your rights. Accepting Toyota’s fix is the right move for safety, and it doesn’t erase a claim for the trouble the defect already caused you.
- Call us for a free case evaluation. The sooner you act, the more options you have. With offices in Sacramento, Temecula, and Beverly Hills, we handle Song-Beverly claims statewide across all of California. Because a lemon law claim is handled largely through documentation and remote filings, you never have to worry about driving to our office.
Fee Case Evaluation
Whether you purchased your vehicle at a dealership in San Diego, commute through Beverly Hills, or are dealing with a defective truck up in Sacramento, our firm represents clients statewide across every corner of California. We go after the manufacturer to pay our fees as part of your settlement when we win. Visit lemonbuyback.com to get started. California consumers only.
Chad David, Esquire, California Bar Number 327293.
Learn More About Attorney Chad David Here >>>
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice, and it does not guarantee any particular outcome. Whether any vehicle qualifies under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act depends on its specific facts and history.
