The XK50 generation of Toyota Tundra trucks has been in the market for a long time now. Given this long time frame, over a decade to be exact, you would assume that this truck is a completely sorted out unit when it comes to reliability, especially when you got the Toyota badge on the bumper. However, in reality, the sail has been not all that smooth for the Tundra in recent years, especially with the recall scenario. Although the customer complaint number has mostly been on the lower side, never breaching the 100 mark, the number of recalls has seen a rising trend through the years. Clocking in 9 recalls this year, the 2018 Tundra records its worst performance in this aspect in recent times. So knowing that these issues exist, should you be even considering buying one for $36,720 over highly popular full-size trucks like the Ford F-150 SuperCrew, the Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab, and the RAM 1500 Crew Cab? This section should give you an insight.
2018 Toyota Tundra CrewMax User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Complaints
- Service brakes- There are two commonly seen brake complaints on the 2018 Toyota Tundra. The primary issue is with the trailer brake system in which the integrated brake controller disconnects from the trailer while the vehicle is on the move without warning. The dealers are aware of this issue but no plausible fix has been released yet. The second issue is when the brake pedal loses resistance as if there was air in the brake lines. Even though Toyota did initiate a recall (ID-18V122000) for a faulty ESC system, the rest of the brake issues were attended to on a customer basis.
Electric System complaints
- Headlights- Owners have complained about the headlights on the 2018 Toyota Tundra going dim automatically or completely failing in some instances. This specific model year had a known issue with the headlamp connector which could cause erratic behavior or even short circuit in the unit. Owners complain about not receiving the replacement part despite the recall for the fix, given the high number of backorders or that part.
- Electronic stability control- The ABS, traction control, and ESC warning illuminate intermittently on the 2018 Toyota Tundra. Electrical interference in the power supply was traced to be causing the ESC system to shut down intermittently. This issue was later fixed under the recall (ID-18V122000).
Safety Complaints
- Airbags- The airbag warning lights were said to remain illuminated on certain batches of the 2018 Toyota Tundra trucks. The fault was later traced to be a faulty airbag software on the ECU which was updated through a recall (18V685000) later that year.
- Forward collision warning- Unintended emergency braking without any imminent traffic or obstruction has been an issue reported by many owners. Resetting the system is the only known temporary remedy as the issue could not be replicated by the dealer. Owners who got the sensors and wiring harness replaced still complain about this issue recurring.
2018 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Recalls
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
23rd December 2021 |
21E103000 |
Power steering gear assembly may leak oil. |
The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak, which may cause a sudden loss of steering assist and increase the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. |
|
2 |
23rd November 2021 |
21V920000 |
An oil leak may cause a loss of power steering assist. |
The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak, which may cause a sudden loss of steering assist and increase the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. |
|
3 |
2nd September 2021 |
21V688000 |
The headlight electrical connector may overheat. |
The headlight electrical circuits may power the high and low beams simultaneously, which could overheat the electrical connector, increasing the risk of a fire. |
The dealers will modify the engine wire harness assembly and replace any damaged bulb, bulb connector, and/or headlight assembly as necessary, free of charge. Notification letters were mailed on April 25, 2022. |
|
4 |
15th July 2020 |
20V410000 |
Turn signals are not bright enough. |
Due to a wiring error, the front turn signals may not flash brightly enough, reducing their visibility to other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will modify the wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs free of charge. The recall began on August 17, 2020. |
|
5 |
13th January 2021 |
20V012000 |
The fuel pump may fail. |
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail, which may cause an engine to stall while driving and increase the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 4, 2020. |
|
6 |
11th October 2018 |
18V711000 |
Incorrect weight on capacity label. |
Since the incorrect label is not within 1% of additional weight, the vehicle fails to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110. |
All owners will be sent the correct label from Toyota. |
|
7 |
4th October 2018 |
18V685000 |
Airbags may not deploy as intended. |
The airbag electronic control unit (ECU) may erroneously detect a fault during the vehicle start-up self-check. If this occurs, the ECU may not deploy the airbags as intended, in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. |
The dealers will update the software for the air bag ECU, free of charge. The recall began on October 26, 2018. |
|
8 |
20Th February 2018 |
18V122000 |
Electronic stability control deactivates. |
Electrical interference within the power supply circuit may cause the vehicle's electronic stability control system to be deactivated, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will update the vehicle's software, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2018. |
|
9 |
20th December 2017 |
17V831000 |
Incorrect load information on the label |
Incorrect load carrying capacity labels can result in the driver overloading the vehicle, thereby compromising vehicle handling and increasing the risk of a crash. |
Toyota will provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. |
Should you buy a used 2018 Toyota Tundra CrewMax?
The Toyota Tundra has not been the most popular (not even close) full-size truck around but did find over 100,000 takers consistently. The dated design and lackluster engine may be the reason for the low appeal, but it is hard to deny the fact that this truck is probably the most mechanically reliable vehicle that one could buy, period. The complaint numbers are also one of the lowest we have seen in this class. Recall numbers have seen an all-time high this year, but most of them are minor electrical faults or limited to certain batches. Buying a Tundra did never require a second thought and it remains the same even today, which is if you are okay with the dated design and layout.
