My 2024 Tundra Started Smoking at 11K, Toyota Bought It Back, Put Me In a Limited For the Same Price, Say What You Want, But Toyota Took Care of Me

Not all Toyota Tundra truck stories needing a new engine end up poorly.

There are many stories about 2022 and 2023 Toyota Tundra trucks getting a new engine from Toyota. I’ve documented what’s going on in my report here. However, I found a unique story from Duane Henderson’s Facebook post on the Toyota Tundra Owners page. 

Imagine buying a new 2024 Toyota Tundra SR5 TRD Sport, and it starts smoking randomly when you start it, and it only has 11,000 miles. You take it to the dealer three times, and they can finally replicate the issue.

Toyota keeps the truck, puts you in a loaner, and then tells you it needs a new engine. However, Toyota makes it right, buys back your vehicle and you get a new Tundra Limited for the same price. Here is Duane’s unique story.  

He says, 

“I have a 2024 Limited 4x4 Off-Road and hands down the best I’ve owned! I’ve owned every other make out there, and this is absolutely a better vehicle than any of them.” 

“Sure, it has little quirks…but don’t they all? I don’t worry about the fuel mileage; I wouldn’t have bought a truck if I had been worried about fuel mileage. And the engine, well, I don’t worry about that either, as it seems Toyota has stepped up to the plate.”

However, the story starts with Duane’s 2024 SR5 TRD Sport.  

Duane says, “I had another 2024 SR5 TRD Sport before this for about 6 months, and at 11,000 miles, something happened that it was smoking really bad on start-up and heavy acceleration.”

“So, I took it to the dealer. They said they couldn’t get it to do it on the first two trips. Finally, on the third trip, they got it to do it. They said it was a PCV valve on the passenger side, so they replaced the valve cover. They fixed the issue for about five days, and it started smoking again.” 

He scheduled to drop it off again. 

“Then on the way to the dealer, it started running like absolute crap. It would hardly stay running. So I finally limped it into the dealership, and they put me in a loaner.” 

Something Unexpected Happens

“So, 10 minutes after leaving the dealer, the Toyota manager called, offered to buy my truck back, and put me in this 2024 Tundra Limited for about the same monthly payment. How could I pass that up?”  

“My payment did go up by $100 because they offered me all the extended warranties, gap insurance, paint protection, and wheel and tire protection at cost.  And the manager offered to pay to have my new truck’s windows tinted since I paid to have mine tinted.” 

“Say what you want about Toyota, but they stood behind their product and took care of me. That alone sold me on Toyota.”

The Toyota Dealer Took Care of This Issue Quickly

Duane is happy with the way the Toyota dealer handled this issue quickly. They knew his SR5 TRD Sport had serious engine issues, put him in a new truck, and saved what could have been a bad situation. 

What are Other Tundra Owners Saying?

Harry Fisterbottom - Same here! We bought a 2022 SR5 and loved that truck. Unfortunately, we were one of the few who were unlucky to have an engine failure, but Toyota bought it back and worked with the dealer to get us into a 24 Limited. This truck is just awesome!

Timothy C. Hicks - I was a diehard Ford guy for years (A 88 Ranger, 93 Bronco Eddie Bauer, and 4 F-150s) until I got my first Tundra, a 2012 5.7 SR5 that I totaled in 2018 with 194k miles (got zero % interest), loved the truck so much I bought a 2016 5.7 SR5 Louisiana Edition with insurance money ended up putting 218k miles on it before trading in for current 2024 TRD Sport in October—no problems with any of my Tundras. The dealership had my 2016 sold in two weeks. I never had the longevity or durability with my Fords that I have had with the Tundra.

Final Thoughts and Questions For Tundra Owners

The Tundra engine failure appears not limited to the 2022 and 2023 model year trucks. Now, some 2024 Tundra trucks are experiencing issues. However, there is no recall of the 2024 Tundras. Toyota doesn’t want more negative exposure, so they take care of customers quickly. 

Duane concludes by saying, “The conversations I’ve had with total strangers asking about and/or complimenting my new Tundra Limited is enough to make me want to buy another one. Oh, and no, I’m not a fanboy.” 

“Negative comments will be incoming, I’m sure, and that’s fine; I’ll just keep liking my truck, and they can hate theirs. Their choice.”

It’s Your Turn

Do you own a 2024 Toyota Tundra, and have you experienced any engine issues? Your experience matters. If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know. Your feedback can help other Tundra owners. 

Check out my Toyota Tundra report titled; “You Hear That?” Michael Says Over the Sound Of a Rattling Engine, “That’s Another Dead 2024 Toyota Tundra, Owners Are Selling Before the Warranty Expires”

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl