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While many people focus on the Big Three when choosing a truck, there is a strong market for the 2020 Toyota Tundra. The automaker claims that this truck is “built to go the distance,” but some drivers wish they had made a different choice. In fact, this model is having trouble with the exterior lighting, service brakes and steering.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2018 2019 2021 2022
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Toyota Tundra
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Electrical System | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Steering | |
| Air Bags | |
| Wheels | |
| Suspension |
Problems with the Headlights?
Seeing clearly on the road should be a top priority, but the Tundra seems to utterly fail on this level.
Here’s one NHTSA review that illustrates some of the troubles. “Front turn signal bulbs are too dim to view during daylight operation. This creates a very serious, avoidable accident risk while oncoming traffic cannot clearly observe turn signal indicators during daylight hours.”
It turns out that this is more than just a complaint, but a true safety concern. Even the automaker was forced to recognize it with a recall. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V41000 states that nearly 200,000 vehicles are equipped with LED headlights with faulty wiring. Because of this defect, the front turn signals don’t run as brightly as they should. This problem could lead to people not seeing when the truck is turning and might cause an accident. Basically, the Tundra is made “to go the distance,” as long as that means simply driving in a straight line.
Problems with the Brakes?
Another vital safety aspect is the service brakes. This system must be in properly working condition to stop the truck before an accident occurs. However, there are multiple problems on this level as well.
One NHTSA complaint states, “The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at 6 mph, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to [dealership] to be diagnosed said it was the ABS actuator. The mechanic was unable to provide a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 800.”
While Toyota isn’t issuing any statements about these problems, there has been one communication about trouble with the brakes after long-term storage. Service Bulletin T-SB-0009-19_Rev also lists other parts that might suffer degradation as a result of storage. Apparently, the Tundra is only made to drive, which is why the company chose the tagline. If a customer wants to store it, it might not be ready to go the distance afterward.
Problems with the Steering?
Whatever is strong and powerful, should also be controlled and harnessed. That’s why a reliable pickup truck must also come with functional brakes, but that’s not the case with the Tundra.
No one expects a truck to handle like a sports car, but it should be able to remain on the road. Yet, owners are struggling with the steering wheel to put it where it needs to be.
An Edmunds review states, “What’s up with new truck driving not straight like F150, Chevy or Ram? Even Honda Ridgeline drives straighter without constant fine tuning. The 2nd replacement potential truck..same issues..won’t drive straight without constant, micro adjustment. Drive F150 and see the difference in Tundra..other rv tow people or without tow long hwy drive people know what I’m talking about. City dwellers may not understand as it’s not noticeable. But long drive.. it’s very apparent.”
While this sounds like a serious concern, Toyota has brushed right over it, by providing information on a much smaller problem. Service Bulletin #T-TT-0578-19 says that there are Bluetooth connectivity issues with the steering wheel controls. It turns out that drivers are having trouble pairing their devices with the functions, but the automaker ultimately blames the phone companies for making changes on their end. Hopefully, no one is hoping to “go the distance” with their favorite tunes at their fingertips.
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Complaint Data
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 01, 2023 |
| State | CO |
| Description | Note: toyota has confirmed this issue, but is unable to resolve this. When the sos button is pressed, the dcm module is supposed to send the proper vin number and location to the call center. The call center does not receive the proper vin number and pulls up the wrong person / location. In my case, if an emergency occurred, they would send emergency assistance to a vehicle located in another state entirely. This is not because the wrong owner is assigned to their system. They can find my vehicle vin with the proper owner information in their system. The issue is that the dcm module (or other system) is actually sending the wrong vin to their system. The toyota sos call center says to see the dealer and the dealer says they are unable to fix this. If this is not isolated to just my vehicle, this could cause a loss of life if emergency assistance never arrives at the proper vehicle location. |
| Category | Seats |
| Date | Feb 09, 2023 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The headrests on the seats slip out of place very easily. It is available for inspection on request. In case of accident, the headrests may fly off the seat very easily, with failure to prevent whiplash injury. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone but me, the owner. There are no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem. The problem was there when I bought the vehicle in 2022. |
| Category | Air Bags, Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Dec 16, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Was struck in front right corner of truck and air bags did not deploy or the automatic braking system did not respond causing me to be thrown in to rearview mirror and breaking the windshiled and causing body harm to my head and spine |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Dec 15, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | This has happened twice now. 1st occurs on the dc beltway in va hov lanes, outer loop just past tysons corner while going 70+ mph in the lane with no vehicles around the collision warning system and break automatically alerted , sensor indicated and dash board flashed break. It resolved on its own. This was in august on a hot sunny day, no rain, no fog. The second occurrence just happened two weeks ago. It was sunny, 55-65 degrees, 35-49 pmh approx 3 vehicles back while turning south from rote 27 in mount airy maryland onto penn shop road, the vehicle did the same thing. Indicated I was going to crash, applied the breaks automatically and almost caused an accident with a vehicle traveling behind me. First time I thought was a fluke- second time- no. Will be sending to dealer. Vehicle has less than 25k. 2020, calvary blue, 4x4, shortened, crew max. |
| Category | Tires:pressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems, Wheels |
| Date | Oct 18, 2022 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 toyota tundra. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the tpms warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the tire pressure sensors had been mismatched on the vehicle due to the wheels being replaced. The contact had been advised that the dealer would not replace the sensors with the correct parts. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,900. The consumer stated bell ford toyota agreed to refund 0 and replace and reset all four tire sensors. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 15, 2022 |
| State | AR |
| Description | Air conditioning compressor partially seizes if air conditioning is turned on while driving and when air conditioning knob is on at time engine is started. Makes very loud noise. When driving, and it occurs, truck will slow suddenly as if the brakes were applied until compressor engages. Dealer mechanic says it sounds like the compressor clutch engaging. Said nothing wrong. Have left truck with dealer several times and they say they cannot replicate the issue. I've recorded the sound several times and have played that to them. They hear it but say that they have to prove that is what is happening. They refuse to replace the compressor. Vehicle is not safe to drive when this happens. This has occurred since truck was purchased brand new. |
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Aug 05, 2022 |
| State | AK |
| Description | Sun roof glass shattered |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jul 19, 2022 |
| State | OK |
| Description | Vehicle stalled and lost power at approximately 45 mph. Warning lights activated and "not ready to drive" message was displayed. Vehicle has had 3 other similar episodes all resulting in the vehicle losing power at high speed. Vehicle was towed to local toyota service dept. Where they said it generated a code for rough idling - low fuel. They did no repairs and offered no explanation. Three miles from the dealership the tundra died in traffic. The safety of my family was certainly at stake and had my wife been driving the vehicle she likely couldn't have steered the vehicle to safety. These are not low speed failures, but rather high speeds. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jun 16, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Breaks and rotors and caliber broke 2 times and the car is brand new, it cost me over 2400. Bought the truck with 0miles- have all paper work. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 26, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Return for modification |
| Category | Electrical System, Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jan 25, 2022 |
| State | WA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 toyota tundra. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number 21v688000 (exterior lighting, electric system) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts are not available. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Dec 20, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Battery dead, truck won't start and won't charge battery. |
| Category | Steering, Suspension, Wheels |
| Date | Dec 03, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I bought a 2020 tundra in mid year of 2020. By december 2020 I started to notice a strong vibration in the steering and from the front end between the low speeds of 20-30 mph and between 60-70 mph. The hotter the vehicle gets the more vibration occurs. Now my alignment seems off and curves to the left when trying to drive straight. I have taken it in to alamo toyota and red mccombs in san antonio on many occasions with similar problems but all they are doing is balancing and rotation of tires. I have sent the dealership videos of the vibration but they indicate it's normal. This certainly does not appear normal and is now more of a safety issue. Not sure what else to do! |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Mar 02, 2021 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 toyota tundra. The contact stated while driving at 10 mph, the four-wheel drive would not engage. The contact stated when trying to engage the four-wheel drive, the vehicle would make a loud noise and not allow the vehicle to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. |
| Category | Steering |
| Date | Mar 01, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 toyota tundra. The contact stated that while driving between 55 to 75 mph, the steering wheel and vehicle severely shook and vibrated. Eventually the failure started occurring while driving at very slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer autonation toyota weston located at 4050 weston rd, davie, fl 33331 who replaced the front passenger's side shock absorber, performed a front-end alignment and balanced the tires however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 600. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 04, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 toyota tundra. The contact stated while driving at low speeds, he started to hear an abnormal noise. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer toyota of santa maria (700 east betteravia rd, santa maria, ca 93454, (805) 928-3881) where the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 8. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Nov 04, 2020 |
| State | OK |
| Description | Fuel pump running while engine is off and key is turned off |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Nov 04, 2020 |
| State | SD |
| Description | I accelerated from a stop making a right turn in a normal manner to keep safely in front of oncoming traffic, I had no power although I kept pushing the accelerator. Multiple lights flashed on the dash. I coasted to the shoulder of the road. After I stopped, all the lights on the dash had gone out but the engine was still running. It responded normally after that. Dealership said a communication code showed but was not related to my issue. I had three other "loss of power incidents" since all at low speed, either starting from a stop or attempting acceleration after a turn. The yellow triangle flashed those times but traffic did not allow me to keep pushing on accelerator. After a short coast power returned. Dealership reported no code. Experience similar to description of behavior of vehicles in toyota fuel pump recall. I believe it is the fuel pump. Dealership and toyota customer service tell me I must drive it until it "fails" and shows a code. Safety issue, accident waiting to happen. |
| Category | Steering, Suspension |
| Date | Oct 15, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | We purchased a brand new tundra and from the minute we drove home there seemed to be a bounce or vibration like running over rumble strips in the front end. We then noticed the bed was mounted to the passenger side by about a half an inch which to me tells they didn't do a very good final check before it left the factory. We took it to the shop and they tried four different tires and the mechanic stated it actually made the vibration worse. Each of three times it was in the shop that they tried to rectify the situation they re aligned the truck. I wondered why each time without much driving and no off road diving it was out of alignment three times within one or two months. An independent mechanic I had a casual conversation with said if they don't find and fix the actual mechanical problem such as a bad cv joint it will go out of alignment as soon as you drive out of the shop. The safety issue that makes it very scary to drive is the truck wanders or floats to the right while driving or braking and at times when braking the steering wheel turns right severely by itself while the truck continues to travel straight. The more you drive and the warmer everything gets the worse it gets. It will even drift right from the wrong side of the road proving it is not due to the crown of the road. It will travel completely right from the farthest point left. The service manager stated he felt what we were describing but that it might be a characteristic of that truck and wanted specialists from toyota to come to the shop to try to locate the exact cause rather than throwing parts at it and never locating the actual problem. Toyota has not offered any assistance to him or us as of yet. We can not drive this truck without feeling we are in danger. We owned a 2015 tundra prior that had no problems at all. Upon researching we are not the only people experiencing these exact issues. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 25, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | When weather gets warm (100f+), it will often take a few seconds to start the car. It cranks over, but won't catch. When weather gets to 110f, it would fail to start after it has been driven, then parked. Wait 90 minutes, and it would starts again. This is a safety issue, because when weather is 110f+, it is very very uncomfortable waiting for a tow truck (they are usually super busy on a hot day) or wait 90 minutes plus in 110f+ weather. Toyota has refused to fix it, as they say they need to wait for a 110f+ day to duplicate the issue, |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Sep 09, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Car will not start in hot weather (115f+). This is extremely dangerous. Both times I got stuck in 115-117f weather outdoor. Toyota dealer say they can't replicate issue as there needs to be a 115f+ weather. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Aug 27, 2020 |
| State | NM |
| Description | Upon filling up with fuel at various fuel stations, when the pump shuts off and is removed from the filler neck, fuel begins to come back out the filler neck and pour out onto the vehicle and ground. Vehicle only has 2000 miles on it and has done this from day one. The spills have ranged from a cup full to half a gallon making a hazardous and potentially deadly situation. Another dealer in nm advised some toyota vehicles have done this due to a defective overflow valve in the fuel tank. My local dealer has had me return several times even though I have video evidence of the defect. Toyota usa has also not been helpful with trying to fix the problem. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Jul 30, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I bought a new 2020 toyota tundra 4x4 crewmax and it is not perform to what a v-8 powertrain of 5. 7 lt, and 381 horse power should be. The accelerator on this 2020 tundra is not functioning properly. It will not accelerate when I step on the gas pedal, which almost stall before it moves. In addiction, I owned a 2007 tundra 4x4 crewmax and there was not a single acceleration problem. The vin# for my new 2020 tundra crewmax is: [xxx]. I believe toyota has installed the accelerator incorrectly or their fuel pump is not working properly on this new 2020 tundra models. Redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). *cc |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jul 17, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 toyota tundra. The contact stated that while driving at 6 mph, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to toyota of dekalb (1890 sycamore rd, dekalb, il 60115 (815) 748-7300) to be diagnosed said it was the abs acuator. The mechanic was unable to provide a cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 800.*dt*jb |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jul 09, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | The front turning indicators are too dim for daytime use. I have had several close calls with vehicles not realizing my indicator was on. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 08, 2020 |
| State | SC |
| Description | My son was driving my 2020 toyota tundra and he was traveling approximately 30 mph and was not paying attention and for some reason the pre collision system did not engage and stop or even slow the truck down he slammed into another truck and that truck was pushed into another car luckily no one was hurt. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 20, 2020 |
| State | CO |
| Description | The integrated brake controller works intermittently. Receive two errors that state "trailer wiring type or connection fault" and "pre-collision system malfunction". After the error is received, the trailer brakes no longer function. If the vehicle is turned off and on again the errors go away and the brakes will function again. The problem seems to occur most often when using the manual switch on the controller. Both truck and trailer are new (less than 6 months old). *tr |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 08, 2020 |
| State | MO |
| Description | I bought 2020 toyota tundra 1794, black. I love this truck, but it annoy me when every time I start the vehicle and drive about 15miles/hour I hear and feel a "clunk" sound under the front drive side, and feel it on the gas pedal. I heard this sound after 5 days since I bought it, I called the dealer and set up appointment. I brought it to dealer where I bought it, they cannot fix it. That problem bothers me all the tine. I don't know that to do with it. |
| Category | Air Bags |
| Date | Feb 13, 2020 |
| State | TX |
| Description | A dump truck came off of the highway and made an illegal turn in front of me. He caused a frontal impact on my vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. I was traveling 55 mph with a trailer attached and slammed on brakes but still impacted him really hard. I was on the feeder or frontage road. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Nov 10, 2019 |
| State | TN |
| Description | Front turn signal bulbs are too dim to view during daylight operation. This creates a very serious, avoidable accident risk while oncoming traffic cannot clearly observe turn signal indicators during daylight hours. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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