Lexus LX 600, Tundra Recall Prompts Dealers to Refuse Trade-Ins
Thus far, at least a couple of Toyota dealerships are reportedly refusing to take in Lexus LX 600 and Tundra models with the troubled V6.
Toyota’s decision to move away from naturally-aspirated V8 engines and toward turbocharged V6 powerplants was one that was met with great controversy, as well as some concerns over long-term reliability. This was fair given the fact that Toyota and Lexus have earned stellar reputations for quality over the years, and many openly wondered if they could continue to do so after switching to more complex, harder-working engines such as the twin turbocharged V6 lumps present in the current Toyota Tundra and Lexus LX 600.
Recently, we’ve seen some Toyota Tundra and Lexus LX 600 models wind up in the shop over main bearing issues, which requires a total long block replacement, but a recall was just issued after the automaker discovered that some of these models contain machining debris inside the engine that wasn’t cleared during the production process. The automaker is still working on a remedy for the problem, which can lead to knocking, the engine running rough, a no start situation, and/or a loss of power.
While this is obviously a big concern for Lexus LX 600 and Toyota owners, there have also been multiple reports of select dealers refusing to accept these vehicles as trade-ins recently, too. In fact, Jalopnik has thus far found a handful of owners claiming that this is the case, including at Castle Automotive in McHenry, Illinois, which told one owner that their Tundra is “not something we are currently interested in taking on trade or purchasing,” adding, “there are two severe recalls that do not yet have a remedy.”
Another such story comes from a Tundra.com member, who recently tried to trade in their own pickup with no success. “I called a Toyota dealer late last week and actually spoke to the GM about a used ‘20 Land Cruiser. God as my witness, his response was ‘I’m not interested in buying your Tundra.’ He did recommend I try Carmax, Carvana, and a private sale. I said I would lose trade tax credit that way. But, he wouldn’t budge and stood firm. He had absolutely no interest in my ‘24 Pro built 3/24. I suspect this trend will aggressively get worse in the upcoming days/weeks.”
Making matters worse, others point out that the Tundra, specifically, has been hit rather hard in terms of depreciation, likely over this same issue. It is worth noting that these incidents are thus far seemingly few and far between, and there are likely many dealers that will take these vehicles in as trades, not to mention the fact that not every single example is going to experience these issues. However, it’s still enough of a concern that this topic spawned quite the heated discussion in the Club Lexus forums recently, so be sure and head over there to check out all the comments and let us know what you think about this conundrum Toyota is facing!
Photos: Lexus
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