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When Dakoda Eads’s 2024 Toyota Tundra—with only 54,000 miles began knocking loudly and lost all oil pressure, he knew this wasn’t just another routine service appointment.
In what has become a disheartening trend for many Tundra owners, Dakoda’s Tundra is now at the dealership with a catastrophic engine failure. This story goes beyond the Tundra engine recall.
Here is what Dakoda Eads says on the 2023-2025 Toyota Tundra Owners Facebook page.
“My 2024 Toyota Tundra lost oil pressure and started knocking really badly. 54,000 miles. I had it hauled to the Toyota dealership. They called me today and said it could be over a month and a half because they can even tear it apart and see what’s wrong. Then they’ll contact the Toyota service rep, and get approval and rebuild the engine.”
“I’d prefer a new crate motor instead of getting one rebuilt by techs that have never rebuilt one. I’ve witnessed firsthand the lack of care that they had with simple oil changes and filter changes (oil all over the interior multiple times and plastic parts for the cabin filter laying on the floor, airbox not snapped back together, scratches all over the fenders from their zippers).”
“The bed started cracking down both sides a few months after we bought it, to the point now where the bed panel is starting to separate. I’ve waited nine months and still haven’t been contacted for warranty work on that, so it makes me wonder how this engine warranty will go. The quality of Toyota is seriously disappointing anymore.”
What Happened To Toyota’s Quality?
For decades, the name Toyota has been synonymous with bulletproof reliability. It was the brand you could trust to build a vehicle that would run forever with minimal fuss, a reputation built on the legendary Tundra V8. However, a seismic shift has rattled that foundation, leaving many owners of the new-generation Tundra questioning what happened to the quality they bought into.
Dakoda Eads’ Facebook post paints a vivid and deeply troubling picture of this new reality. The story of one owner’s struggle extends beyond a single mechanical failure; it reveals a multifaceted crisis of faith in the brand’s promise of durability.
His 2024 Tundra, a vehicle with only 54,000 miles, suffered a catastrophic failure. That’s a story we’ve heard countless times.
“My 2024 Toyota Tundra lost oil pressure and started knocking really bad,” Eads wrote. This is a chilling phrase for any vehicle owner, a sound that signals a terminal diagnosis for a modern engine. The 2024 Toyota Tundra engine failure at 54k miles is a headline that goes against everything the brand has stood for.
For a new V6 twin-turbo engine to fail so dramatically, so early in its life, is not just disappointing—it’s alarming. Now, after the truck was hauled to a Toyota dealership, Dakoda has to wait a month and a half just for them to tear into the engine, get approval from a service representative, and then begin the work. This timeline alone is a major concern for anyone who relies on their vehicle for work or daily life.
But the engine failure is only half of the story.
Eads’s concerns go much deeper, hitting at the heart of the dealership service experience. He recounted past issues with what should have been routine maintenance, including “oil all over the interior multiple times” and “scratches all over the fenders from their zippers.”
These are not isolated, one-off mistakes; they are a pattern of negligence that understandably led him to a fundamental question: “I’d prefer a new crate motor instead of getting one rebuilt by techs that have never rebuilt one.”
This highlights a critical and often overlooked aspect of many Toyota dealers: the capability of their service centers to handle complex, in-depth repairs on new technology. The choice between a complete factory-new engine and a potentially risky rebuild by inexperienced hands is a debate every owner in this unfortunate situation will have to face. When your Toyota dealership’s warranty engine rebuild vs a new crate motor decision is a matter of trust and confidence, it’s a battle you shouldn’t have to fight.
Wait, Can It Get Any Worse?
To make matters worse, the engine failure is not the only sign of disappointing Toyota quality control issues that Eads has experienced. He revealed a long-standing, unresolved structural problem with the truck’s bed. “The bed started cracking down both sides a few months after we bought it,” he stated, and after nine months, he still hasn’t been contacted for a warranty repair on that issue.
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The narrative goes from an engine problem into a broader crisis.
The Toyota Tundra bed cracking warranty claim illustrates a breakdown not just in manufacturing, but in the entire customer service and support infrastructure. When a major structural defect is ignored for nearly a year, what confidence can an owner have that a more severe, complex issue, such as an engine failure, will be handled with the urgency and care it deserves?
This story is a reminder that what happens after a vehicle leaves the lot is just as important as the design and engineering that went into building it. When an owner is left to deal with a Toyota Tundra issue of lost oil pressure and knocking while an existing, unresolved warranty claim hangs in the balance, it erodes the brand loyalty that was built over decades.
The issues Eads and other Tundra owners are facing—from the engine to the truck bed to the dealership service—suggest that Toyota may be struggling to keep up with its own pace of innovation, particularly with a brand-new platform like the third-generation Tundra. The combination of design flaws and an already stressed service network creates a perfect storm of frustration for consumers who paid a premium for a vehicle they expected to be trouble-free.
So, what can Tundra owners do when faced with this new, troubling reality?
1. The first and most important step is to be an advocate for your own vehicle. For anyone seeking actionable advice for Toyota Tundra engine warranty repair, I have a few key takeaways.
2. Document absolutely everything. Take photos and videos of the damage, save every piece of communication with the dealership, and keep a detailed log of dates and conversations.
3. Be persistent, but be professional. Do not let your frustration lead you to lose your temper. Speak with the service manager and the general manager, and if necessary, escalate your case directly to Toyota’s corporate customer service. They have a process for handling these issues, and armed with detailed documentation, you can bypass a slow-moving or uncooperative dealership. The adage that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” holds true, but only if you have a well-documented case to back it up.
4. Finally, leverage the power of community. Online forums and social media groups can provide valuable insights, shared experiences, and even potential solutions that the dealership may not be aware of.
Conclusion
I’ve been reporting on the auto industry for a long time, and it’s rare to see a brand’s reputation challenged so directly by its own products. When I read a story like Dakoda’s, it’s more than about the Tundra truck; it’s about a company’s relationship with its customers.
It took Toyota decades to build its reputation, and when that faith is shaken by multiple, compounding quality issues and a slow-to-act service network, it’s a massive problem for the company’s long-term legacy. This isn’t just a minor blip on the radar; it’s a wake-up call for Toyota to re-evaluate its quality control, its dealer service department training, and its commitment to customer satisfaction.
The company must do better to live up to the reputation it has built over half a century, and it starts by taking care of the customers who have put their trust in the brand.
We Want To Hear From You
My question for Tundra owners and all Toyota owners is this: as an owner or a potential buyer, when did you first start to feel that Toyota’s long-standing reputation for quality and reliability was no longer the guarantee it once was? Will it influence your future truck-buying decision?
Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know your thoughts.
Check out another one of my 2024 Toyota Tundra stories: I Had My 2024 Toyota Tundra’s Engine Replaced After It Blew Up, and Now After the Dealer Fixed It, It Runs Like an 80’s Truck Missing a Spark Plug
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news, covering owner stories, and providing expert analysis, ensuring that you are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on X @DenisFlierl, @WorldsCoolestRides, Facebook, and Instagram
Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Dakoda Eads
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Source: torquenews.com
