It’s usually a great idea to get a second or third opinion on something. However, Toyota probably isn’t pleased by a third-party specialist looking into V6 engine problems. Apparently, the twin-turbo V6 failure might not be related to machining debris. 

Engine specialist looks at a Toyota V6 engine for problems 

An engine teardown specialist decided to take a closer look at the twin-turbo V6 Toyota Tundra engine. Eric Berg, host of I Do Cars, loves investigating engines and could be onto something. 

When the third-generation Tundra launched in 2022, it got a new twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 389 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. 

But the engines started to blow up, resulting in two massive recalls involving over 200,000 trucks and SUVs. Toyota shared that machining debris may have been left in the engine during the manufacturing process. 

Burg managed to get one of these engines that recently blew at 38,000 miles. The first red flag discovered includes metal flakes in the oil pump and idle gear, where they shouldn’t be. The lower oil pan also had metal flakes. 

Then spun main bearings caused a total mess of debris under the bed plate. Two of the main bearings were destroyed, but the rod bearings are clean. 

Berg claims that if the main bearings and rod bearing share an oiling circuit, then they should both have equal amounts of damage. How would debris cause the engine to fail while only targeting the main bearings and not the rod bearings? 

But admittedly, he doesn’t have the history or maintenance records for this engine. But having replacement engines fail supports a design flaw over a manufacturing problem.