The Second Tundra Recall Changed the Fix

Two Tundra recalls, same engine, same defect. The first replaces it. The second inspects the bearing and replaces only if needed.

There are two open recalls on the same Toyota engine, for the same defect, and they do not fix it the same way.

Both cover the V35A. Both say manufacturing debris can contaminate the engine. What changed between them is what the dealer does when your truck shows up.

Two campaigns on one engine is not a sign that the first one failed. It is a sign that the manufacturer learned something about the defect between the two, and the second remedy is what that knowledge looks like written down.

The first one replaces the engine

Recall 24V381000 covers certain 2022-2023 Tundra and Lexus LX600 vehicles equipped with the V35A engine. NHTSA's summary is direct: debris from the manufacturing process may contaminate the engine.

The remedy is not a repair. Dealers replace the engine assembly, free of charge. Owner letters went out between December 17, 2024 and February 19, 2025.

The second one looks first

Recall 25V767000 covers certain 2022-2024 Tundra, Lexus LX and 2024 Lexus GX vehicles with the same V35A engine and the same debris problem.

But the remedy is different. Dealers perform an inspection on the number one main bearing using vehicle inspection software and drive data, and replace the engine only if necessary.

That is a real change and it is worth understanding. The first recall assumed the engine had to go. The second one reads the bearing and the truck's own driving data, and decides from there.

Debris in an engine is not a wear item and it does not announce itself. It circulates with the oil and it lands wherever the oil goes, which is why the second campaign points at one specific place: the number one main bearing. That bearing is where the evidence shows up first, and reading it tells the dealer whether the rest of the engine has been living with the problem or not.

What that means if you own one

If you have a 2022 or 2023 Tundra, both campaigns can touch your VIN. If you have a 2024, only the second one does.

And here is the part nobody will volunteer: if your engine was already replaced under the first recall, neither notice tells you whether that replacement engine falls under the second one. That is not a detail to guess at. It is the question to put to the dealer in writing, along with the date your engine was replaced.

The other thing worth asking about is the inspection itself. The second remedy leans on drive data, which means the truck's own history is part of the diagnosis. If your Tundra spends its life loaded, towing, or idling long hours, say so when you take it in. That is context the software does not have.

Both notices also cover Lexus vehicles built on the same engine, which tells you something useful: this is an engine campaign, not a Tundra campaign. The truck is where you notice it, but the part is what is being recalled.

Check your VIN, not your model year

Model year does not decide it. Build date and engine do, and recall campaigns are always resolved by VIN.

The lookup is the same tool the dealer uses, so what it shows you is what they will see. There is no version of this where you are better off not knowing.

Run yours on NHTSA's recall lookup. It takes a minute and it is free, and a recall repair on a truck this size is not a bill you want to find out about the other way.

If your truck comes back clear on both, that is worth knowing too, because it means the next engine noise you hear is a diagnosis and not a campaign.

One more thing about timing. The first campaign's letters went out in December 2024 and February 2025, which is long enough ago that a truck bought used may have arrived with the letter already sent to somebody else. If you are the second owner, the notice never reached you and the recall is still open. That is the case where checking the VIN matters most, because nothing in your paperwork will tell you.

We keep trucks running in Houston, Dallas and Monterrey: thetrucksavers.com.

Original source: NHTSA recall database, campaigns 24V381000 and 25V767000