LeX2K

True but people buy Toyota's to avoid the usual headaches.

LH1

What a disaster.

What about new GX 550 owners? Will they start having issues when they get to 7k miles or so? Yes, I know the GX has slightly different turbos but it seems this engine has multiple different issues.

Car Care Nut wasn't buying the "machining debris" excuse. He put out a 44 minute video a couple weeks ago about this.

SW17LS

This I completely agree with.

Lwerewolf

The (supposed - haven't personally checked) failures of engines built in plants other than the ones listed are reason enough to disqualify the "machining debris" thing, but we'll see.

AJT123

Wait...whhaaaat?

So every single engine has that problem????

The GM issue is worth mentioning but it's not widespread, they aren't all ticking time bombs.

JDR76

I've read in a couple of places that all of the blocks are machined in Alabama, including those for the LX (then sent to Japan for engine build), but I really don't know if that's true or not. I'm at least a little skeptical of it.

On the Tundras forum, there has been a lot of talk of updates Toyota made to the engines in late 2023 and 2024 to address various issues, including different main bearings. Hopefully that means this will not need to be expanded to cover more recent builds. I do, however, expect that they will have to expand it to cover the hybrids of those affected years. I think they're just prioritizing the standard engine models first.

One thing is for sure, if you're willing to stomach the potential risk, this is a great time to pick up a new Tundra!

AJT123

Meanwhile, Tundras like yours are worth a fortune now.

mmarshall

There's probably no such thing as a "simple" engine replacement anymore. First, in an effort to quell engine noise/vibration, the motor mounts themselves are a lot more complex these days, and sometimes filled with fluid. Second, each cylinder now often has its own coil, wiring, and ignition system instead of a single distributor and a single wire to each spark plug. Sometimes you have dual spark plugs in each cylinder instead of one. Then, you have an endless number of vacuum hoses, tubes, sensors, fuel lines/injectors, and other engine-related hardware. In short, it can be a mess.....long gone are the days when shade-tree mechanics could pop an engine in and out in a couple of hours.

Lwerewolf

This has been the case for like... at least 30 years now?

FrankReynoldsCPA

I've seen pictures of these tundras with their engines out and disassembled and it's a total mess. I hope Toyota offers free alcohol rehab services to the techs after this is done.

Motorola

That theory makes no sense since the LS500's engine is already entirely made in Japan. It would be significantly more expensive to ship thousands of engine blocks to the other side of the globe each year than to just machine it domestically.

Lexus manufacturing the ES in Kentucky was a huge deal that involved a lot of PR to quell owners, I doubt owners of Lexus's most expensive vehicle would respond well knowing that their engines are made on the same assembly line as a US Tundra.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

not everyone's goal is to sell millions of ***** boxes in order to make low volume enthusiast cars but i get what you're saying that most manufacturers do it to add some 'excitement' to their line-up even if those enthusiast cars will ultimately only appeal to very few people. i could imagine some car company ceo's having little interest in doing enthusiast cars.

but this speaks to a broader issue in the ice engine / car industry which is regulation. global regulations have really put the car company's 'jewels' in a vice... between fuel economy requirements, emissions requirements, fines, taxes on larger displacement engines, and governments pushing them to do the uh, 'other' propulsion system we're not allowed to mention on car chat.

so if a car company like toyota has had 'tried and true' v8s, v6s, 4 cylinders, even i6's at one time, but suddenly has to make them MUCH cleaner, efficient, but still powerful enough to meet market expectations without going crazy in cost, that's a MASSIVE challenge.

i believe this 'squeeze' is what's making some engines have catastrophic failures. obviously it's not industry wide, but it's definitely affecting some important engines in some big name vehicles.

AJT123

That engine is only there because of CAFE. Still, this is a massive fail for Toyota.

Imagine if they updated the 5.7, they could have easily bumped it up above 6L and over 400hp and then offered a S/C version for real fun.

LH1

Exactly. Should have bumped the 3UR to 6.0L and pair it with the 10 AT. Could've been so simple Toyota.

AJT123

Yep. Who cares if V8s would be old (but updated) designs if they were still around, that's fine by me.

I'm about as angry that the LC500 has a V8 from 2006ish as I get when it starts to rain at night in bed when I'm half asleep.