2018 Toyota Tundra Problems and Recalls (98 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2018 Toyota Tundra is Fuel system (16% of 98 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Fuel system — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 98 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2018 Toyota Tundra?
16 of 98 filings named Fuel system (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (11 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system, Electrical, 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 owners reported
System named most often: Fuel system 16 complaints · 16.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 4
- Fires 3
- Injuries 6
- Deaths 0
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.
“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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 16 | 16.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 11 | 11.2% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 11 | 11.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 9 | 9.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 7 | 7.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 7 | 7.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 4 | 4.1% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 4 | 4.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 3 | 3.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 33 | 33.7% | 0 crashes · 1 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.
- Campaign 18V711000 was reported 293 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V410000 was reported 847 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V688000 was reported 1,261 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V831000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V122000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V685000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V711000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V012000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V410000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V688000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V920000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21E103000 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system, Electrical, and Steering.
-
Recall campaign 17V831000
Safety recall 17V831000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
-
Recall campaign 18V122000
Safety recall 18V122000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system can increase the risk of a crash in certain conditions.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0H. Note: This recall has been superseded by 18V-685. The software remedy for 18V-685 includes the updates to the software for this recall.
-
Recall campaign 18V685000
Safety recall 18V685000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the air bags do not deploy as intended, it can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the air bag ECU, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0X. Note: 18V-122 was superseded by this recall. The software remedy also includes the updates to the software for 18V-122.
-
Recall campaign 18V711000
Safety recall 18V711000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- Since the incorrect label is not within 1% of the additional weight, the vehicles are not compliant with the FMVSS.
- Remedy:
- All vehicle owners will be sent a corrected label. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0Z.
-
Recall campaign 20V012000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- 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 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
-
Recall campaign 20V410000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the turn signals or hazard lamps do not flash brightly enough, other drivers may fail to see that the turn signal or hazard lamp functions have been activated, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB12/20TA12.
-
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.
-
Recall campaign 21V688000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- An overheated electrical connector can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will modify the engine wire harness assembly and replace any damaged bulb, bulb connector, and/or headlight assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB06 and 21TA06.
-
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.
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
Showing 10 of 98 complaints · page 1 of 4
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Front Upper Grille Hood Scoop becomes loose and flys off during highway speeds and can distract a driver to the point of having an accident. Has been replaced once and is loose again held down by duck tape.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle never been crash or hit by other car, but is showing problem with the air bag system
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The upper grille and hood trim assembly on my 2018 Toyota Tundra 1794 Edition failed and partially detached from the vehicle due to apparent mounting clip and retainer failure. The failed component is available for inspection upon request. Photographs of the damage and detached trim assembly have been documented. This failure created a significant safety risk because the panel could have fully detached while the vehicle was in motion and become a roadway hazard to other motorists. The detached component also created concerns regarding possible interference with the front grille assembly and Toyota Safety Sense components located behind the grille area. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or other electronic warnings indicating a problem. There were also no visible signs of impact damage or collision that would explain the failure. The condition appears to have occurred during normal vehicle operation. The vehicle currently has approximately 76,900 miles. After researching the issue, I identified multiple reports from other Toyota Tundra owners describing similar failures involving the upper grille garnish, mounting tabs, and retaining clips on this generation of Tundra vehicles. At this time, the issue has not yet been formally inspected by Toyota, law enforcement, insurance representatives, or an independent repair facility. Dealer confirmation is currently UNKNOWN. However, based on visual inspection, the mounting clips and retainers appear to have failed under normal operating conditions.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Sometimes the engine will randomly turn off while driving and become hard to restart like it’s not getting fuel.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Seat back on driver side caught fire burn 2" x 2" hole in the seat back
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When starting up my truck in the morning there is rough idle that cause truck to sputter and sound horrible. It eventually smooths out but I believe the computer needs flashing. When I look online some have a recall for the engine 3UR-FBE / 2018 Toyota tundra, but when I put in my vin # it shows no recall and throws off check engine light Code. Also my radar sensor that it on for cruise control is showing up on dash please contact dealer and flashing. They have replaced this before with recall and now it’s acting up again. Also traction control is lighting up I. The dash as well blinking along with all these codes.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle was having issues with the fuel pump which was a known safety recall for the 2018 Toyota Tundra vehicles. The service man said that when he pulled up the safety recall for our VIN number that it didn't show anything, but we needed a new fuel pump according to the service codes that were coming up after inspection. They made us pay for the fuel pump before we left the dealership. The vehicle was too dangerous to drive without having the work performed (getting stalled out or stuck on the highway) so we had to pay for the work. Toyota said that I could file a complaint with NHTSA to get my vehicle added to this recall and then try again for reimbursement. I have the repair paperwork if needed to support this claim.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Heated seat element and module burnt
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I had an independent service center diagnose the issue with my 2018 Toyota Tundra. My truck would not start so there was no safety concern, but if the fuel pump failed while driving then the safety concern rises. The electrical connection inside the fuel pump was melted. There was no warning signs of the issue, it just would not turn all the way over. I looked up that the 2018 Toyota Tundra w certain VIN #'s have a recall for the fuel pump, unfortunately my VIN # is not included.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The truck under frame is rusting a lot in spots near welds.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2018 Toyota Tundra?
Owners named Fuel system most often — 16 of 98 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2018 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system, Electrical, 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 2018 Toyota Tundra?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for fuel smell, leaks and whether it starts and idles cleanly. 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.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.