2016 Toyota Tundra Problems and Recalls (118 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2016 Toyota Tundra is Brakes (20% of 118 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 118 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2016 Toyota Tundra?

24 of 118 filings named Brakes (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (19 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Body / frame, Wheels, Airbags, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.

What to check before you buy a 2016 Toyota Tundra

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Brakes. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Brakes 24 complaints · 20.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 2
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 3
  • Deaths 0
All Toyota Tundra years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) appears in 24 of 118 owner complaints (20.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 24 complaints, 20.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 24 · 20.3% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 19 complaints, 16.1% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 19 · 16.1% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 15 complaints, 12.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 15 · 12.7% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 15 complaints, 12.7% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 15 · 12.7% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 6 complaints, 5.1% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 6 · 5.1% Steering (STEERING): 6 complaints, 5.1% of reports Steering (STEERING) 6 · 5.1% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 4 complaints, 3.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 · 3.4% Wheels (WHEELS): 4 complaints, 3.4% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 4 · 3.4% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 3 complaints, 2.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 · 2.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 37 complaints, 31.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 37 · 31.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 24 20.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 19 16.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 15 12.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 15 12.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 6 5.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 6 5.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 4 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 2.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 37 31.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Jun 2016. 2015-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2020-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2015 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 16V420000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V420000 Recall campaign 17V051000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V051000 Recall campaign 17V311000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V311000 Recall campaign 17V416000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V416000 Recall campaign 21V920000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V920000 Recall campaign 21E103000 ◆ Recall campaign 21E103000 Investigation EA19001 ● Investigation EA19001
  • Campaign 16V420000 was reported 143 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V416000 was reported 445 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V920000 was reported 572 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21E103000 was reported 602 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q4 Owner reports 4
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 11
2016-Q3 Owner reports 8
2016-Q4 Owner reports 7
2017-Q1 Owner reports 7
2017-Q2 Owner reports 10
2017-Q3 Owner reports 7
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 5
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 5
2020-Q1 Owner reports 6
2020-Q2 Owner reports 3
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 4
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 2
2025-Q1 Owner reports 3
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 3
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 16V420000
Recall campaign 1 17V051000
Recall campaign 1 17V311000
Recall campaign 1 17V416000
Recall campaign 1 21V920000
Recall campaign 1 21E103000
Defect investigation 1 EA19001
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Body / frame, Wheels, Airbags, and Steering.

  1. Recall campaign 16V420000

    Safety recall 16V420000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 17V051000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    If a person steps on the corner of the bumper that is damaged, a portion of the bumper may break away, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the resin rear bumper reinforcement brackets with steel ones, and replace the rear bumper tread, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0C.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 17V311000

    Wheels

    Report date
    Component:
    Wheels (WHEELS)
    Consequence:
    Lugnuts that crack and detach may cause the wheels to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    SET will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement lugnuts, free of charge. The recall began June 23, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET17A.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 17V416000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    The incorrect bolts may cause the air bag module to loosen over time, affecting the performance of the knee airbag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
    Remedy:
    All of the affected vehicles have been inspected and any incorrect knee air bag mounting bolts have been replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 22, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0K.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 21E103000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TH01.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 21V920000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 118 complaints · page 1 of 5
2026-07-23ENGINE
NHTSA ODI 11752420
CrashFireInjuryDeath
2016 flex fuel toyota tundra with 118,00 miles was towed to toyota dealer in Las cruces with a no fuel issue. After the analysis it was determined the fuel pump over heated burning out conector and wiring ,but the pump was still working. According to toyota TSB 0166-19 this is a problem the can arise if the alcohol fuel density ID is not updated. I told the dealer to due repairs on vehicle even though a fuel pump was installed and reflashed at 114,000 miles. Viva toyota of las cruses advicate stated that a reflash is all the vehiles needs and does not desire to change the alchol fuel density to updated ID as per TSB-0166-19, so I am worried I will be operating a vehicle with a fuel pump that will over heat and burn out connectors again. I called Toyota complaints and they told me they cannot make a dealer do any repairs.
2026-06-14Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11744041
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Bed is rusting out from the bottom in a fashion that looks very similar to a previous Tundra bed rusting issue that had a TSB and remedy from Toyota. On the driver's side bed bolt closest to the cab, the sheet metal tack welded to the bed has separated and is rusting out. Approximately 7 inches to the drivers side from that bolt. The seam sealer is also cracking. Additionally, the drivers side bed bolt closes to the tailgate has rust bubbling up from underneath approximately 1 inch to the passenger side from the bolt and also along where that sheet metal is tack welded onto the bed.
2026-05-22Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11739464
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The fuel pump component or system failed or malfunctioned the engine tried cranking but would not start. The problem has been reproduced to an independent service center, where I was notified of a safety recall on Toyota Tundra. No other inspections have been performed. There are no warning lamps messages visible on the vehicle in question. The vehicle will not start until repeated starts are performed. Vehicle idles roughly before regaining normal idle. One other past similar incident of this type has occurred. No other
2026-04-21Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11732710
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel pump and other fuel pump-related parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
2026-02-19Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11719220
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The steering rack internal seal inside the steering rack failed/ "blew" per mechanic and is leaking. I could lose my ability to steer at any time while driving my vehicle and wreck. It is currently at the Toyota services center in Gladstone, OR and has been diagnosed. No other representatives have inspected the vehicle. There were no warnings or signs of failure. I had originally taken my truck in to have an oil change and have it checked for a "slow" start up.
2025-12-16Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11705412
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The power steering went out during routine around-town driving. One moment it was steering fine, the next moment it became extremely difficult and sluggish. There were no warning lights or warning of any sort until the steering wheel started jerking unevenly as I tried to turn. I was able to get control of the vehicle and pull it to the side of the road. There was no difference in the engine noise, and I couldn't see any noticeable fluid leak. I was able to drive the vehicle home, make an appointment with the Toyota dealer, and get the vehicle to the dealership for inspection. The dealership told me after inspection, that the rack and pinion steering was binding internally, and that there was seepage from the right boot. Initially, they told me that the pump should be fine. I authorized them to replace the rack and pinion steering. After which, they told me that the problem seemed to still persist some, and that the pump would have to be replaced also. My total bill came to $3,200, which seemed not unfair. But this whole issue seemed like something that should be noticed as part of a recall. I found the NHTSA recall number. 21V-920, and my truck seemed to match exactly the symptoms spelled out is this recall , but Toyota refused to acknowledge it. My VIN number did not fall within the specified VIN for this recall. I've driven several Toyotas, including another Tundra, a Tacoma, 2 Highlanders and a Sienna, and have been pleased with each vehicle. This Tundra is 10 years old with 95,000 miles, and I've only done expected maintenance and a couple of occasional minor repairs. Those being: - Having the brakes resurfaced - Changing out the alternator In the end, it wasn't a devastating amount of money, but it was an issue that I felt Toyota should have taken care of. I did reach out to them, but because I had already paid for the repairs on the vehicle I needed to drive for work, they refused to talk to me any further. I have the estimate and final bill.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Toyota Tundra?

Owners named Brakes most often — 24 of 118 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2016 Toyota Tundra?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Body / frame, Wheels, Airbags, and Steering. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Toyota Tundra?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources