I Just Had My 2024 Toyota Tundra's Engine Replaced Under Warranty, But The New One Is Making The Same Grinding Noise After 5 Days, Now We Have To Figure Out A Fix

There’s something mythic about the modern full-size pickup, especially one with “Toyota” stamped across the tailgate. For decades, that name has been shorthand for get-it-done reliability, the truck you buy if you’re tired of drama and dealer visits. So when Joe’s 2024 Toyota Tundra Limited launched a connecting rod through the engine block at 27,000 miles, it didn’t just throw metal, it threw the entire legend into question. Joe’s story, shared in the 2023–2025 Toyota Tundra Owners Facebook group, has since turned into a cautionary tale.

“2024 Limited. 27,000 miles. Threw a rod through the engine block. It was towed into a Toyota dealership last Thursday. They have all of the parts. They’re just waiting on the lower block, then they can put it all together in a day. They’ve already torn it down. It could be ready by the end of the week. 

Good times?”

The tone, weary, sarcastic, still trying to laugh through it, set off a firestorm among fellow Tundra owners. This wasn’t an isolated case. “My motor blew at 25,645 miles,” replied Sarah Dowler, who owns a 2023 1794 Edition. Her truck’s back on the road now, she added, but it took two months to get there. The stories piled on. Some had already been through the engine-replacement gauntlet. Others were still in the trenches. But what was most revealing was how ordinary Joe’s story had become.

2022–2025 Toyota Tundra Engine Recall: Debris-Related Failures & Weeks-Long Repair Backlogs

• Toyota issued a massive recall for 2022–2023 Tundra trucks (and Lexus LX SUVs) due to manufacturing debris causing engine failures in ~100,000 units
• Engine replacements are extensive and time-consuming, each requiring 13–21 hours, leading to lengthy backlogs at dealerships
• Problems have persisted into 2024 and 2025 models, with some hybrid versions also showing engine malfunctions
• Many owners report sudden engine loss under driving conditions, with significant drops in resale value and safety concerns

After the first failure, Joe’s dealership, Billion Toyota in Sioux Falls, replaced the short block in under a week. He picked the truck up on June 28th. 

Five days later, while heading to the cabin, the low oil pressure light popped up like an old ghost. He took it straight to another dealership, where techs spent three hours digging but came up empty. The light went away. Then came back. And now? The truck is sidelined again, possibly awaiting a 300-mile flatbed ride back to Sioux Falls for diagnosis.

He went to Facebook to talk about it again. 

“Update: Billion Toyota had a new engine in the truck within a week. Short block. I picked it up on June 28th. I was heading to the cabin on July 3rd, and the Low oil pressure warning popped up. I went straight to the local dealership. Sat there for three hours while multiple techs went through it. They couldn’t find anything. Drove to the cabin and back without issues. A couple of days later, the warning started popping up again. If I stopped and got in later, the warning would be off. I had a two-mile drive a couple of days ago, and it came on again. I swear I heard the same grinding noise I heard just before the last engine blew a rod through the engine block. 

The truck is sitting at the local dealership again. They can’t figure it out. Yesterday I was told they might have to ship it 300 miles back to Sioux Falls since that dealership rebuilt the engine.

I have a loaner Tacoma. Not ideal, but it gets me where I need to go.

Build date is 6/4/2024.”

This is where things get uncomfortable. Not for Joe, he’s already there, but for Toyota. The new i-Force MAX twin-turbo 3.4L V6 was designed to take the Tundra into the next decade. 

It replaced the legendary 5.7L V8 with something lighter, more efficient, and allegedly just as capable. 

Real-World Durability Issues in the 2024 Toyota Tundra i-Force MAX V6

But under real-world pressure, towing, heat, and off-roading, the V6 is showing cracks. “Hybrids have failures too,” wrote Tim Watts, replying to another group member asking whether electrified Tundras fare better. “But the wear is slower.” That’s not the confidence you want at $60,000-plus.

The problems aren’t just under the hood. Another member, Andrew Robertson, flagged issues with weak air conditioning, a small thing, maybe, but symbolic. 

“My 24's Air Conditioner has very little velocity or cold air… I rarely use it. Don’t want it to blow the engine, lol!!”

But in context, the laugh reads hollow. There’s a growing sense among these owners that Toyota’s once-impenetrable armor is starting to chip. The little things and the big things are adding up.

Toyota Experience With Hybrid Drivetrains 

• Though hybrids experienced some early issues (e.g., inverter or engine problems in 2023 models), they’re built on mature Toyota hybrid systems tested over decades
• Many hybrid owners report trouble-free driving beyond 10,000 miles, suggesting improved durability once initial kinks are worked out
• Hybrids offer better fuel efficiency and benefit from Toyota’s deep experience with hybrid tech, evidenced since the Prius era
• Despite early recall concerns, hybrids may face fewer mechanical surprises long-term, thanks to a blend of proven powertrains and regenerative support.

And still, some are defending the trucks. One forum user, writing on TundraTalk.net, noted he waited until his dealership had completed several successful engine swaps before agreeing to have his short block replaced under warranty. 

“My dealer has an ultra-modern revamped service department. Their techs are amazing... I love my truck, even with the annoyances.”

That’s the paradox of the Tundra right now: owners want to believe. And some of them still do. That, more than anything, shows how strong Toyota’s legacy is.

Trucks are supposed to be predictable. You buy a Toyota because you don’t want to think about engines. And yet, here he is, listening for a sound, a grinding noise, that could mean another week in the shop.

Toyota doesn’t deserve ridicule for this. Not yet. But the brand is at a crossroads. The twin-turbo gamble was bold, forward-looking, and in many ways necessary. But it was also a departure from the tried-and-true. And when departures go wrong, they sting harder. For Joe and others like him, this isn’t about recalls or redesigns. It’s about whether the truck they believed in can start earning that belief back, mile by mile, engine by engine.

Image Sources: Toyota Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.