2023 Toyota Tundra

On February 25, 2025, I took my 2023 Toyota Tundra VIN# [XXX] to Stokes Toyota Beaufort, SC, for its 45,000-mile service. Just 300 meters after leaving the dealership, my truck caught fire, causing significant damage and putting my safety at risk. I am sharing pictures of the incident and the warning messages I received on the dashboard. I was on my way back to the dealership when this happened. At first, the truck was shaking and losing power. I managed to make a U-turn to return to the dealership, but then the engine stalled. At that moment, I started seeing warning messages on the dashboard. I immediately called the dealership to inform them that I was experiencing issues with my truck. While still on the phone with the dealership, I noticed smoke coming from the passenger side of the hood. Moments later, flames started emerging from the hood. I quickly hung up and called 911. 1- What component or system failed or malfunctioned? I believe the engine and possibly the brakes failed (based on the dashboard warning messages). 2- How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Within minutes, my truck burned completely. I am grateful I didn't have my children with me at the time. 3- Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I received formal letters from Toyota Manufacturer, Toyota Distributor, and the dealership, stating that they are sorry for what happened but cannot offer any assistance with my claim. 4- Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? Yes, the insurance company, fire marshal, dealership, Toyota, and Engineering Analysis Associates (EAA) have all inspected the vehicle. 5- Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure? Yes, the truck was shaking, losing power, and eventually stopped completely, displaying warning messages on the dashboard. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C

Fuel gage will randomly reset itself to full when the tank quantity is less than full or fuel gage will not reset to full after the gas tank is filled. A manual reset of the computer is required to force the gage to reset to an accurate reading. Driver is at risk of running out of fuel due to the gage overstating the quantity of fuel remaining. Numerous reports of this situation are found on youtube along with instructions on how to manually reset the software to force the gage to reset. Gage has malfunctioned 4 times in less than two months. Dealer could not find an issue with the system and requires the vehicle to be brought in during the malfunction. Issue started around 8000 miles and 22 months after initial delivery to owner.

Notified of safety recall for this in August of 2023, to date, 10/10/2024, the fix has not been installed or available for my vehicle. Initially notified of a recall for the same issue on April 28th, 2023. I was under the impression this had been remedied during one of the services performed between April and August of 2023, with the dealer telling me the August 2023 recall was a different recall for the same part as the remedied part was recalled as well.

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was electrical smoke emerging from the starter. The low power and battery warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. While driving, there was a loud clucking sound detected, and the engine seized. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V381000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000. The VIN was not available.

The tailgate opens on its own while I am traveling down the highway. I now have to brace anything I put in the bed of the truck lest the tailgate opens on the highway and I spill my load and cause a catastrophic injury or death on the highway. When shifting into Park, having to keep my brakes firmly engaged due to a periodic and rapid acceleration of the engine. At cruising speed, on the highway, a vibration that only occurs when climbing hills coupled with a rapid pulsing of the engine/transmission. At cruising speed, on a level ground, the transmission rapidly disengages and reengages. Weekly I have gauge and infotainment malfunctions wherein I have to turn off the truck and restart it to make the gauges work. The gauges just freeze and fail to respond. The compass flips direction. Malfunctioning gas gauge. The backdoors lock and will not unlock. Occasionally, when they lock, I have to crawl into the backseat, from the from seat and manually unlock the door from the inside of the truck. A flat tire where when I went to change it, the jack bent…in my driveway. I now have to carry a 3rd-party jack and tools to handle emergency repairs. A regular malfunction of the rearview mirror. A cracked drivers seat. 6-months after purchasing the truck, the door trim came off in my hand. When I spoke to the Toyota tech, he advised me that this was not covered under warranty, and suggested that some customers keep the trim off as “most of the trim was installed with double-sided tape and would just fail again”. Though, to be fair, he did offer to, at several hundred dollars a pop, keep replacing the trim every couple of months. While my Truck is parked in the garage, when the trucks system does an update, it opens my garage door.

Radio knob broke and radio audio became stuck at a loud status making it difficult to hear any first responder vehicles or concentrate/navigate through daily traffic. Please reference this thread for there are several Tundra owners dealing with this malfunction [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am writing to bring to your attention a critical safety concern regarding the Toyota Tundra, specifically related to the rear tailgate functionality. It has come to my attention, and I have personally experienced, that the rear tailgate of the Toyota Tundra can unexpectedly open while the vehicle is in drive mode if the key fob is accidentally pressed. This poses a significant safety risk to not only the driver but also to any passengers and other drivers on the road. The unintended opening of the tailgate can lead to cargo falling out onto the road, causing accidents and potentially endangering lives. I believe that this issue warrants immediate attention and investigation by the National Transportation Safety Authority (NTSA). It is imperative that Toyota addresses this issue promptly to prevent any potential accidents or injuries. I urge the NTSA to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and work with Toyota to implement a solution that ensures the rear tailgate remains securely closed while the vehicle is in motion. Additionally, I recommend that Toyota issues a safety recall to rectify this potentially hazardous defect. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I trust that the NTSA will take appropriate action to address this safety concern and ensure the safety of all road users.