2022 Toyota Tundra Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Engine, powertrain, brake, and electrical system issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on Author: Brian Jones

The 2022 Toyota Tundra is meant to provide all of your trucking needs. The automaker claims it is “engineered for adventure,” but many customers are finding more excitement than they signed up for. 2022 Tundra owners are facing a multitude of problems including reduced engine power, throttle lags and surges, stalling, faulty brakes, and electrical problems.

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Most Common Problems with the 2022 Toyota Tundra

Between January 25 and November 17, 2022, 29 consumers lodged complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2022 Tundra. These all relate to 10 components and systems, with many including their problems in 2 or 3 categories.

There are 13 complaints that mention the engine, 12 that include the powertrain, and 6 that list their problem under The Fuel/Propulsion System category. It is clear that many of these are related since most of the fuel/propulsion system problems are linked by consumers to the engine and/or the powertrain.

Primary issues include an engine turbo wastegate that is defective and causes reduced engine power, engine surges, throttle lag, and stalling after an acceleration surge.

Other major problems relate to the brakes and the electrical system.

Two complaints are filed under airbags. The one involves a malfunction warning after turning the truck off. The other, filed under Airbags, Fuel/Propulsion System, and Unknown or Other, mentions multiple problems.

The complaint, by an owner in New York, states that “the truck has been stalling while driving.” It happened 4 times between the middle of March and April 5, 2022, when he filed his complaint. It happened “twice while in traffic and twice while driving on the highway. You have to come to a complete stop, put the vehicle in park, and start the vehicle again.

“One time (that) it happened we were almost rear-ended by a semi-truck driving behind us. Along with that, the airbag malfunction light has been coming on and off every few days. The fuel gauge has been showing all different fuel amounts as well every day.”

Stating that it is “a very dangerous and serious problem,” he says, “ My family is terrified to drive the truck.”

2022 Toyota Tundra Complaint Summary

Complaint Category Number of Complaints
Engine
24
24
Power Train
18
18
Service Brakes
17
17
Unknown Or Other
17
17
Fuel/propulsion System
14
14
Fuel System, Gasoline
10
10
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking
9
9
Structure:body
8
8
Electrical System
7
7
Vehicle Speed Control
7
7

Problems with the Engine

Above all, the engine must be in good working order to create that “adventure” that Toyota is talking about. But there are so many problems with the engine, owners are wondering what sort of adventure they’ve signed up for.

An owner from Pennsylvania experienced engine failure. “I was driving and all of a sudden my engine failed and told me to pull over to a safe spot and restart.”

Several owners have mentioned a fuel gate or turbo wastegate issue. An owner from California states: “The engine V6 turbo wastegate is defective. The problem causes Reduced Engine Power. Toyota and its dealerships are trying to hide the problem from consumers.”

An owner from Texas, states, “While driving forward on (a) freeway 70 mph vehicle, (the) rear parking collision warning came on. Immediately (the) truck lost power and (the) display showed reduced power because (of the) turbo/wastegate issue. Truck lost all power (and) started shaking and trying to brake on its own.”

Toyota released a service bulletin in January 2022 talking about a possible turbocharger failure. Sadly, the only way to fix this is to replace the turbocharger, which isn’t a quick repair.  In February, they released a second communication that confirms that the “turbocharger sub-assembly is not a serviceable part.”

Other engine issues include reports that vehicles hesitate when accelerating as if they are going to stall.

An owner from Connecticut states that “From a dead stop, pressing the gas pedal nothing happens for 3-4 seconds, and then the engine surges. Very stressful pulling out into traffic. I’ve reported it to the dealer service dept and they tell me it’s normal. This condition is not normal.”

Problems with the Powertrain

Most of the powertrain problems reported by owners relate to throttle surge, throttle lag, the throttle not responding, and reduced engine power. At least 3 of these complaints are also listed under Engine. But there are other powertrain issues too.

An owner from Idaho complains about a “significant delay” when pressing on the gas from a complete stop. “The vehicle then overcompensates and launches you into drive aggressively… This could cause a massive crash if people are not prepared for the massive acceleration after waiting a few seconds for whatever engine component is stalling.”

Another, from California, experienced the rear differential locking up. “If I had been on the freeway at a faster speed I could have easily caused an accident. The Toyota mechanics had no idea how it happened, (and) replaced the entire differential. They said it was related to an earlier recall for differential problems.”

Interestingly, while there are 4 recalls for the 2022 Tundra, none relate to the differential.

Faulty Brakes

On the face of it, there are only 2 complaints to the NHTSA about brakes. One, from an owner in New Mexico, states that while driving at about 20 mph the Tundra engaged the automatic emergency brakes even though there was nothing in front of the truck.

The other reports problems with the trailer brake controller. This owner, from Wyoming, experienced “extreme brake fade” because the controller was off. This, he states, was because he didn’t realize he had to set up the trailer in the dash before the controller would switch on.

But there are several more complaints about brake problems in other categories. For example, an owner from Texas says the brakes started to squeak at 9k/10k miles. The “automatic emergency braking sensors or radar tech brakes hard at stoplights when a car is in front of me. When (the) green light is on to go, (it) is too sensitive and it slams on the brakes, jerking my neck/head forward.” This results in vehicles people driving behind him “slamming on their brakes.” Additionally, heat from outside “throws codes” for collision and brakes.

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Problems with the Electrical System

With today’s lineup of vehicles, customers should have access to every top electronic feature available. While the 2022 Toyota Tundra might have great features, they don’t all seem to work well.

There are issues with Toyota Tundra’s cameras and with Apple and Android Car Play. Additionally, an owner from Texas, in a complaint listed under Electrical System and Unknown or Other, states that the vehicle’s engine turned off power steering was inoperable. According to the dealership, this was caused by an electronic control unit (ECU) computer failure.

Camera Problems

The owner from Texas, whose brakes were squeaking, also complained that the screen of the reverse camera goes blank or white “for a good  period of time.”

An owner from Los Angeles has experienced front-view camera failure numerous times. This “resulted in several warning lights appearing on the instrument panel. Due to the failure, the vehicle would come to an abrupt stop while driving at various speeds.” The fourth time he took the vehicle to the dealer, the front-view camera was replaced. Additionally, the tailgate would open inadvertently, all four windows would roll down independently, and he would receive a notification on the phone about the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but, according to the complaint, offered no assistance.

There are 2 recalls relating to the rearview camera. The first, dated April 28, 2022, warns that as many as 18,101 rearview cameras may not display an image. This reduces the driver’s view of what is behind the vehicle and increases the risk of a crash. The second, dated July 13, 2022, has the same warning but is labeled, Rearview Camera Malfunction. The number of units has increased to 31,428, with the 2022 Tundra Hybrid included in the recall.

CarPlay Problems

A review on Edmunds states that areas of the Infotainment system need to improve. For example, “before you put it into drive you need to select your profile in order to use things like navigation. If you choose to turn off Apple/Android CarPlay it constantly pops up a window that says connection failed. Extremely annoying. Remote start setup a little goofy. When you remote start and walk up to your truck and unlock it, it turns the truck off and you need to restart it again. Toyota says this is a security feature.”

A complaint to the NHTSA from an owner in Arizona states that “Apple CarPlay does not mute music when playing back text messages. This does not allow the driver to hear the message sent to them and requires they open up their phone to read the message. The point of Apple CarPlay is to allow the driver to listen to and respond to text messages using their voice. I brought up my concern with Toyota and my dealership and they both said it’s working as designed, despite the fact that Apple CarPlay does not behave this way in any other vehicle.”

Your Lemon Law Legal Rights

If you think your 2022 Toyota Tundra is a lemon you don’t have to live with it. Lemberg Law will assess your problems free of charge because the law makes Toyota pay the legal fees for lemon law cases.

Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you. So, call us on our Helpline or fill out a contact form and we will see how we can’t help you.

About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 30 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.

See more posts from Brian Jones
6 COMMENTS
  • Steve f

    I just recently purchased a 2022 Tundra and I get lag in the throttle and then a lurch. I took it to them because I still have the warranty and they told me it’s because it’s not fly by wire and that is an electronic signal but that it should go away once it learns how “i” drive. I call BS. I have about 700 miles before my warranty expires what should I do?

  • Herbert

    I have a 2022 toyota tundra limited and my first issue was the rear brake rotors had hot spots and I have never pulled anything heavy or braked like an idiot and this was at 28,000 miles. Next was my full lines that started leaking and had to drop off at dealership and they said it was due to two hoses rubbing against each other that one of them ended up tearing and this was at 45,000 miles then not even one month later I had to drop off at 48,000 miles for power loss in the engine and check engine light. Toyota called me and told me they are waiting for a field specialist to diagnose the issue. My truck is still currently at dealership a week later with no info.

  • MR.337

    First of all new cars and trucks smell, heating of plastics, hoses, adhesives etc, no worries there, also most of the complaints that I’ve read are in hot weather states, so welcome to my cadillac deville similar problems, what I can say is if your new vehicle is in the dealership for a month for repairs etc, you can contact your bank or lease company and demand free month payment due to the fact there is a payment agreement when the car is in your possession, soooo if you dont have the vehicle 😉 you don’t have to pay but get permission first and put in a claim with the bank or car company bank.

  • Kevin O

    I purchased my 2022 Tundra TRD Off-Road in May of 2022. Felt a slight vibration, even driving over the smallest of bumps. Was told during my 5,000 mile maintenance that it was normal for that package. Experienced the EPB light come on, but not engage while driving. Hope that was taken care of last Saturday when I also had my 15,000 mile maintenance done. While in for the recent maintenance, I was told I needed an alignment (which I had them perform) AND that my front rotors were warped and needed to be turned. Thought that was a bit soon for both the alignment and rotors with only 15,000 miles. I’m 63 and like to think I drive like an adult. As mentioned above, my mileage is between 15 – 16 mpg when promised 20 – 23 mpg. Also experiencing glitching in the Infotainment system from time to time. I’ve always had Toyota products, latest being a 2016 Tundra, 6 cylinder, TRD which I never had issues with.

    Not sure if there is any recourse here but I will be monitoring closely.

  • Mike.d

    2022 Tundra TRD pro Cab has 700 miles and smells burning plastic inside in cab, in freezing days I have to open windows to get that smell out. Lousy mpg, only hitting 16 but most of the time it sits at 13 and was promised up to 22-24. Also, weird engine indicators coming on for something with the passenger door or seat? The electric engine compartment is right below the seat. Right now, the dealership service department has advised us to monitor the mileage between fill ups. Something isn’t right even when driving at the speed limit and using eco setting. Either something is broken
    Not worth it, truck is garbage!

  • Ken H

    lousy mpg. only hitting 18 but most of the time it sits at 15. was promised up to 22-24. also, weird engine indicators coming on something with the passenger door or seat?) the electric engine compartment is right below the seat. right now, the dealership service department had advised us to monitor the milage between fill ups. something isn’t right even when driving at the speed limit and using eco setting. either something is broken, or we are dealing with false advertisement. curious to see how many other complaints will be coming up. I did read that they are replacing faulty turbos.

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