How To Know If Your Toyota Or Lexus Is Affected By The Current V35A Engine Recall

Late last month, Toyota announced the recall of around 102,000 2022 and 2023 model year Lexus LX600 SUVs and Toyota Tundra trucks. The recall involved "machining debris" left inside the engine that could cause malfunctions. This is, of course, bad news if you're driving. It's not as wide-reaching as the ongoing faulty Takata airbag recall, but 102,000 units certainly isn't small. The engine in question is the V35A 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that powers both affected vehicles.

Officially, owners will be notified by mail in July. However, if you or someone you know has one of these cars sitting in the driveway and wants to know if it's affected, there are a number of ways you can get ahead of the game and at least be prepared to send your vehicle off to get fixed. First, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the governmental body in charge of regulating safety recalls, has a tool on its website that will tell you whether or not your vehicle is under recall and what you should do about it. Toyota itself also has some tools in place.

Toyota has its own online tools for running your vehicle's VIN. All fixes are to be provided free of charge at your local Toyota dealer. As of now, both the NHTSA and Toyota report that a fix is underway. The NHTSA also notes that newer production Tundras and LXs are not affected, as the engine production process was augmented in order to negate any further debris. So, if you have a 2024 Toyota Tundra or 2024 Lexus LX600, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. 

Toyota was initially made aware of the issue in the fall of 2023. The company then discovered that the production issues could be traced to Toyota's engine assembly plant in Alabama and limited to Toyota Tundras produced from November 2nd, 2021 to February 13th, 2023 and Lexus LX600s produced from July 30th, 2021 to November 25th, 2022.