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2018 Toyota Tundra problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
28 of 92 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2018 Toyota Tundra. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.

Better than 70% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 8 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 28%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2018 Toyota Tundra have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 28 of 92 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Tundra concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). For comparison, the 2017 scores 37% and the 2019 scores 26%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
28
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
100
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
9
4 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM26 · 26%
SERVICE BRAKES22 · 22%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM16 · 16%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL14 · 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13 · 13%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)13 · 13%

The years either side

2010
25%
38 of 163
2011
46%
58 of 134
2012
58%
85 of 156
2013
46%
34 of 85
2014
20%
17 of 93
2015
27%
11 of 49
2016
15%
15 of 120
2017
37%
22 of 78
2018
30%
28 of 100
2019
26%
17 of 74
2020
29%
12 of 46
2021
too few complaints
2022
67%
284 of 428
2023
72%
286 of 408

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2018 Toyota Tundra

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN06/03/2024CRASH1 INJURED
I was inspecting the vehicle for an extended warranty company the issue was the transmission. I was in the process of inspecting the vehicle when I was installing the Blue Diver to retrieve the stored codes in the system when I leaned in to turned the accessory key the vehicle started in gear and drove froward. Causin…

One of 28 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2018 Toyota Tundra?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2018 Toyota Tundra involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 9 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump20V012000 · Jan 2020

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015…

Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at…

8 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
steering: hydraulic power assist system21E103000 · Dec 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160,…
steering: hydraulic power assist system21V920000 · Nov 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which…
exterior lighting: headlights21V688000 · Sep 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Tundra vehicles. The headlight electrical circuits may power the high and low beams simultaneously, which could…
exterior lighting: turn signal20V410000 · Jul 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Toyota Tundra vehicles equipped with LED headlight assemblies. Due to a wiring error, the front turn signals may not…
equipment: other: labels18V711000 · Oct 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tundra vehicles. The accessory all-weather floormats may have been counted twice when creating the load…
electrical system: software18V685000 · Oct 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles. The air bag electronic control…
electronic stability control (esc)18V122000 · Feb 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles. Electrical interference within the power supply circuit may cause the vehicle's…
equipment: other: labels17V831000 · Dec 2017
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles.…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2018 Toyota Tundra? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2018 Toyota Tundra

Does the 2018 Toyota Tundra have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 28 of 92 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Tundra concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2018 Toyota Tundra?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2018 Toyota Tundra involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 9 in total: 20V012000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Toyota Tundra years are better?

Among the Toyota Tundra years we track, the 2016 (15%), the 2014 (20%) and the 2010 (25%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2018 (30%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2018 Toyota Tundra?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2018 Toyota Tundra shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.