Toyota's V35A-FTS, the 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 that replaced the veteran 5.7-liter V8 across the Tundra, Sequoia, Land Cruiser 300, and the Lexus LX 600 and GX 550, has been recalled multiple times since 2024 for the same underlying problem. If you're shopping for one of these trucks or SUVs used, here's what actually matters before you sign anything.
Which vehicles are actually affected
The recall history spans 2022–2024 Tundra, 2022–2024 Lexus LX 600, and 2024 Lexus GX 550, all built with the V35A engine — though the exact VIN ranges differ between recall waves, which is exactly why a VIN-specific lookup (below) matters more than going by model year alone. The first wave targeted units produced between July 30, 2021 and February 13, 2023. It's been expanded twice since, most recently in May 2026, when Toyota added roughly 44,000 more 2024 model-year Tundras to the list. Total vehicles covered across all waves is now approaching 270,000 in North America.
Sequoia and Land Cruiser 300 share the same engine family, so if you're looking at either of those, the VIN check below applies just as much even if your specific vehicle hasn't shown up in a headline yet.
What's actually wrong with it
Manufacturing debris left inside the engine during assembly can lodge against the main and rod bearings, gradually cutting off oil supply to that bearing. In the worst documented cases, this ends in complete bearing failure while the vehicle is being driven. We covered the NHTSA filing on this in more detail elsewhere, but the detail worth repeating here: Toyota's own paperwork admits they can't reliably estimate what percentage of the recalled population actually has the defect. They entered "1" on the required field not because that's a real number, but because NHTSA's form requires an integer and won't accept "unknown."
That's not a knock on Toyota's honesty — if anything it's unusually transparent — but it does mean a completed inspection isn't the same guarantee as a completed repair.
What to actually do if you're looking at one used
Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup before you do anything else. It takes under a minute and costs nothing, and it will tell you definitively whether that specific vehicle is included, regardless of what a seller tells you.
If it is included, ask specifically what the remedy was: an inspection that passed, or a full engine replacement. Those are not the same level of assurance. An inspection that didn't find debris is based on the same detection method Toyota admits isn't fully reliable. A replaced engine is a clean slate.
Ask for the paperwork, not a verbal confirmation. A service history entry or a recall completion letter is worth infinitely more than "yeah, I think that got taken care of."
A low rumble or knock at idle is worth listening for, but don't treat its absence as a clean bill of health. Toyota's own filing says the failure mode doesn't reliably separate cleanly from a distance, so a quiet idle in a dealer lot isn't proof of anything on its own.
Is it still worth buying
If the recall was completed with a confirmed engine replacement, the risk on that specific vehicle is essentially reset. If it was inspection-only, there's residual uncertainty by Toyota's own admission — that's a real point to negotiate on, not just a checkbox to tick. If the recall status is unclear or the seller can't produce documentation, that's not a reason to panic, but it is real leverage, or a reason to walk if the price doesn't reflect it.
Sources
- Toyota V35A recall coverage and affected model years, via Auto123: auto123.com/en/news/toyota-expands-recall-tundra-trucks-lexus-suvs-engines/73918/
- V35A recall expansion and total vehicle count, via autoevolution: autoevolution.com/news/toyota-expands-v35a-twin-turbo-v6-engine-recall-three-models-affected-260935.html
- NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V320 (Toyota V35A)