Motor Almanac

Toyota / Tundra / 2016

2016 Toyota Tundra

Family: Tundra · filed with NHTSA as TUNDRA

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2016 Tundra drew 68 complaints — 0.8× the median of its generation (2007–2021). It does not stand out from the other years of this generation.
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Brakes, holds 30% of the 115 that name a component.
  • 6 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
120
Recalls
6
Investigations
1
NCAP overall
4 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
15–17
Annual fuel cost
$3,650–$4,150
Median mileage at complaint
15,000 mi (n = 81)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
2 / 0 / 3 / 0

What owners report

Brakes

34 complaints · 30% of complaints that name a component · median 5,000 mi (n = 26)

Owner report The trailer brake controller went out. It does not supply electronic braking and the truck no longer recognizes the controller on the dashboard. Multiple on line chats and forums, along with my trailer provider, show awareness of this defect. Online individuals learned of the issue during emergency stopping. This a…
Owner report The integrated brake controller does not apply enough power to the trailer brakes.

Electrical System

26 complaints · 23% of complaints that name a component · median 8,000 mi (n = 21)

Owner report Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while going through prior service paperwork found in the vehicle, he discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact also stated that the vehicle was once sold at a private auction. At the time of…
Owner report Seat heater stopped working. Turns out there is a burnt connector leading to part number 87501-0C020, which appears to be a seat heater amp. One pin of the connector is completely melted. I've purchased this truck brand new from Toyota. Nobody has ever touched this part. Scared that it could have caught fire.

Body & Structure

21 complaints · 18% of complaints that name a component · median 16,000 mi (n = 11)

Owner report Bed is rusting out from the bottom in a fashion that looks very similar to a previous Tundra bed rusting issue that had a TSB and remedy from Toyota. On the driver's side bed bolt closest to the cab, the sheet metal tack welded to the bed has separated and is rusting out. Approximately 7 inches to the drivers side fro…
Owner report I have had multiple incidents where the front hood bulge has blown off going down the interstate and nearly hit other cars. It’s not been worth buying a new one with the risk of them flying off. It’s definitely a saftey concern and a hazard.

4% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2007–2021)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 83.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
200739098
2008327127most complaints
20093816not compared
201016356
201113415not compared
201215621not compared
20138521not compared
20149332not compared
20155114not compared
201612068
20177827not compared
201810048not compared
20197431not compared
20204728not compared
20212412not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

21E103000 · STEERING:RACK AND PINION | STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

Filed 2021-12-23 · 151 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.

Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TH01.

21V920000 · STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | STEERING:RACK AND PINION

Filed 2021-11-23 · 22,462 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.

Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.

17V416000 · AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER

Filed 2017-06-29 · 5 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Tundra vehicles. The affected vehicles have a passenger knee air bag module that was attached to the instrument panel mounting brackets with incorrect bolts.

Risk: The incorrect bolts may cause the air bag module to loosen over time, affecting the performance of the knee airbag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: All of the affected vehicles have been inspected and any incorrect knee air bag mounting bolts have been replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 22, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0K.

17V311000 · WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

Filed 2017-05-11 · 1,325 vehicles

Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles accessorized with Southeast Toyota accessory 20-inch Rockstar wheels installed by Southeast Toyota or a Southeast Toyota dealer. The Rockstar wheels were installed with lugnuts that may crack and detach.

Risk: Lugnuts that crack and detach may cause the wheels to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement lugnuts, free of charge. The recall began June 23, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET17A.

17V051000 · STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS

Filed 2017-01-24 · 72,847 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tundra vehicles equipped with a resin rear step bumper and resin reinforcement brackets (vehicles with chrome step bumpers are not affected). In the event of an impact to the corner of the bumper, the resin bracket may be damaged but not be noticed.

Risk: If a person steps on the corner of the bumper that is damaged, a portion of the bumper may break away, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the resin rear bumper reinforcement brackets with steel ones, and replace the rear bumper tread, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0C.

16V420000 · EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Filed 2016-06-09 · 4,253 vehicles

Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
EA19001AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE2019-04-192024-09-1920V024

EA19001: Electrical overstress

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Tundra 2WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive151917$3650
Tundra 2WD5.7L 8cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive131815$4150
Tundra 2WD FFV5.7L 8cyl FFVAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive131815$4150
Tundra 4WD4.6L 8cylAutomatic (S6)Part-time 4-Wheel Drive141816$3900
Tundra 4WD5.7L 8cylAutomatic (S6)Part-time 4-Wheel Drive131715$4150
Tundra 4WD FFV5.7L 8cyl FFVAutomatic (S6)Part-time 4-Wheel Drive131715$4150

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/CC 2WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★☆☆
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/CC 4WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/RC 2WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★☆☆
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/RC 4WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/EC 4WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/EC 2WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★☆☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 228 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-01-07UNKNOWN OR OTHERSome 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2025-08-20ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSome customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.
2025-06-13ELECTRICAL SYSTEMThe air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYThe condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05STRUCTURE:BODYToyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-12-03STRUCTURE:BODYVehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the …
2024-07-29STRUCTURE:BODYSome 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2024-07-29STRUCTURE:BODYSome 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Tundra, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Tundra model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.