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Kirk Cashen thought his 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro was built to last. Instead, the new truck left him stranded with just 1,528 miles on the dash. The Toyota Tundra’s motor? Dead.

“Currently sitting at Toyota dealership with locked up motor waiting on a cause and then total motor swap,” Kirk posted in the Toyota Tundra Owners Club on Facebook. He wasn’t alone. Other Tundra owners jumped in—some shocked, others not surprised at all.

Owners say Toyota still hasn’t fixed the Tundra motor problem

Toyota issued recalls in 2024 for failing 100k Tundras with failing motors. The automaker pledged full engine swaps for the affected trucks. At the time, the company claimed the issue—metal debris in the oiling system leftover from casting the block—was fixed for newer models. It also said no hybrid models (such as the TRD Pro trim) were affected. So why did Kirk’s 2025 hybrid just lock up completely? Some other Tundra owners called “BS” on the post, but most seemed to believe Kirk.

Brown 2022 Toyota Tundra with a hybrid V6 motor, brick building in the background.
5th-gen Toyota Tundra | Toyota

“That’s amazing they haven’t got this right in 3 years…” commented Tom Hornung.

Joe Kearney didn’t hold back: “100% design flaw. Cradle/oiling etc. Zero—and I mean zero—excuse for it to still be unaddressed in 25s.” He wasn’t done. “If they still lock up in 26s they should be sued into oblivion.”

Other hybrid Tundra owners are worried

Tundra owners who thought hybrid Toyota motors were safe are now second-guessing. “We were also told if we get the TRD PRO hybrid that the issue we had with the Platinum we would never experience with hybrid,” wrote Sara Deane, who owns the same truck as Kirk. She’s only 400 miles in—and watching closely.

Solomon Yaqoot chimed in: “Oh man I got the same exact 25 Mudbath pro and was hoping we were safe?”

Kirk’s response? “Glad I purchased the extended warranty, looks like it might come in handy at this rate.” That’s a very good point: his truck is not part of the recall which comes with a free engine replacement.

Should Toyota Tundra owners expect more motor failures?

This issue isn’t new. Derek Krucelyak pointed out: “Ask Japan-built Lexus LS sedan owners where this same engine launched in 2018… SAME issues as these now.”

Toyota fans are losing faith. “I joined (this group) to follow the trucks as I wanted one in the future,” Joe Kearney wrote. “But I’ll be keeping my 2020 5.7 for a long while longer it looks like.”

Kirk is still waiting for Toyota to replace his Tundra’s motor. But the real question is: Was this the same problem 100k non-hybrid Tundras are facing, require full motor replacements? If so, how many more Tundra owners will be left stranded before Toyota actually fixes the problem?

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer who brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Henry covers Ford models daily, including the F-150. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. He’s an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts. Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont.