NHTSA (USA)High Risk
At a glance
What can fail
This page covers 12 recalls, 97 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2018 Toyota Tundra.
14–16 mpg combined
14.7–16.8 L/100km
Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 2 tested variants for this model year.
4/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
The 2018 Tundra's complaint picture is spread across a few systems, with the fuel and propulsion system drawing the most reports. Owners frequently describe engine stalls or shutoffs while driving, often accompanied by hard restarts, and a pattern of rough idle at cold start that gradually smooths out, symptoms owners connect to fuel delivery. The electrical system accounts for a similar share of reports, with owners describing various failures and erratic behavior, though no single electrical symptom dominates the way the stall-and-restart pattern does in the fuel complaints. Vehicle speed control rounds out the top three, with owners reporting unexpected behavior from the cruise and throttle systems. A handful of reports also mention exterior trim pieces, particularly hood and grille assemblies, partially detaching due to mounting clip failures.
97
Total Complaints
4
Crash-Related
3
Fire-Related
4
With Injuries
By System
The 2018 Toyota Tundra has 12 recalls, the most serious being a fuel pump that can fail while driving and stall the engine, raising the risk of a crash.
Several electrical and safety system recalls are worth noting together. The airbag control unit can misread a fault at startup and fail to deploy front or side airbags in a crash. Separately, electrical interference can deactivate the electronic stability control system, reducing the vehicle's ability to maintain control in a skid or sudden maneuver, and on some vehicles this same interference can also disable the pre-collision system and limit the trailer brake controller.
On the steering side, the power steering gear assembly can develop an oil leak that causes sudden loss of power steering assist, making the vehicle significantly harder to steer.
Two headlight recalls cover the same underlying issue: when high beams are switched on, both the high and low beams can activate simultaneously, overheating the wiring and connector, which raises a fire risk. On trucks equipped with LED headlights, a wiring error can cause the front turn signals to flash too dimly to be easily seen by other drivers.
The remaining two recalls involve load capacity labels that overstate how much additional weight the truck can carry.
At a glance
What can fail
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Driver Assistance
Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Based on 4 tested variants; worst-case ratings shown.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
The power steering gear assembly may have been made incorrectly, causing oil to leak from it.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the power steering gear assembly and replace it if needed, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
On some trucks with halogen headlamps, switching to high beams turns on both high and low beams at once, causing the headlamps and wiring to overheat.
What the fix does
Dealers will modify the engine wire harness assembly and inspect headlamp assemblies, bulbs, and connectors for damage, replacing any damaged parts.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The headlight electrical circuit may power both high and low beams at the same time, causing the electrical connector to overheat.
What the fix does
Dealers will modify the engine wire harness and replace any damaged bulb, connector, or headlight assembly as needed, at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A wiring error causes the front turn signals to not flash brightly enough, making them difficult to see.
What the fix does
Dealers will modify the wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The wire harness connecting the front turn signal lights was installed incorrectly, causing the turn signals and hazard lights to be too dim to meet Canadian safety rules. Other drivers may not see when your signals are on.
What the fix does
The dealer will modify the front turn signal light wire harness to restore proper brightness.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail, potentially affecting fuel delivery to the engine.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the fuel pump at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The load carrying capacity label was created with the all-weather floormats counted twice, causing the label to overstate the additional weight by 10 pounds.
What the fix does
Toyota will send owners a corrected label showing the accurate load carrying capacity.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The airbag control unit may incorrectly detect a fault in front or side airbag sensors during startup. If a crash occurs, the airbags may not deploy as designed, increasing injury risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the airbag control unit software to correct the sensor fault detection.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The airbag control unit may incorrectly detect a fault during startup and fail to deploy airbags in a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the airbag control unit software at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Electrical interference can disrupt the yaw rate sensor in the airbag control unit, causing the Vehicle Stability Control, Pre-Collision systems, and Trailer Brake Controller to malfunction or stop working.
What the fix does
The dealer will update the software in the airbag control unit to fix the sensor interference.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Electrical interference in the power supply circuit may disable the electronic stability control system, which helps prevent loss of vehicle control during emergency maneuvers.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a software update to restore proper operation of the electronic stability control system.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The load carrying capacity labels on these vehicles are incorrect, causing them to not meet federal tire and rim safety standards.
What the fix does
Toyota will provide owners with corrected labels at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
