Table 1 shows one common engine and engine cooling related problems of the 2026 Toyota Tundra.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems |
My 2026 Toyota Tundra limited I-force has 12k miles. On numerous occasions when accelerating from a near-stop, I press the gas pedal and get zero response. The engine rpm's don't increase and it won't accelerate for approximately 3-4 seconds and then the throttle suddenly responds. No warnings. This is not engine lag. It's complete loss of pedal response and a serious safety concern. I will not allow my wife or kids to drive it because leaving the neighborhood requires crossing a highway and on numerous occasions the engine has hesitated 3-4 seconds on me in the middle of the road. To safely cross requires running the stop sign at a high enough speed where the engine won't hesitate. I reported this problem to the authorized Toyota dealership in my hometown. They test drove it, said they couldn't reproduce the condition and it drove normal. Then assured me the truck's software is up to date and should be fine. They claimed to know nothing about this problem in Tundra's. I showed them the Toyota bulletin t-sb-0032-26, which clearly addresses this exact problem in certain Tundras. They said, based on the VIN, my Tundra is not affected by the issue listed in the bulletin because the truck software is up to date. I stated the truck is unsafe and asked them to provide a rental. They said no and they had done all they could. Ten minutes after leaving, my Tundra hesitated again and multiple times since. I reported the problem to Toyota bec and got the same response that they aren't aware it. I'm requesting NHTSA investigate whether this recurring loss of accelerator response represents a safety-related defect affecting 2026 Toyota Tundras, including vehicles manufactured after Toyota's published production change. A truck failing to respond to accelerator input for 3-4 seconds creates a significant risk of collision when entering or crossing traffic. This warrants further investigation before a serious accident occurs.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the electronic throttle control system (drive-by-wire) and transmission control module (tcm) calibration. When accelerating from rolling stops or yields (0–10 mph), the vehicle experiences a severe dead-pedal delay with zero engine or transmission response for 1. 5 to 2. 5 seconds before surging forward. The unmodified vehicle is fully available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the failure creates an immediate crash hazard during left turns across traffic, entering roundabouts, and yielding into highway merges. Pressing the accelerator to merge into traffic produces no acceleration, leaving the truck stranded across active travel lanes. Approaching cross-traffic must brake aggressively to prevent broadside/t-bone collisions. The unpredictable delay followed by an abrupt power surge severely impairs low-speed vehicle control. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. An authorized Toyota dealership service department test-drove the vehicle and confirmed the low-speed hesitation/dead pedal. The dealer stated no fix or calibration exists for this model year because the vehicle has the latest factory tcm software (prior tsbs do not apply) and designated it an "inherent operational characteristic. " has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? yes, inspected and diagnostic-scanned by certified technicians at an authorized Toyota dealer. No dtc codes were stored; the failure is in the factory throttle logic and transmission management calibration. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no warning lamps, dash alerts, or trouble codes appeared. The symptom presented immediately at initial delivery and recurs consistently in all modes.
My 2026 Toyota Tundra trd pro developed a sudden, loud knocking noise from the engine at approximately 15,000 miles while I was driving. The engine began running very rough, the vehicle started shaking, and the engine was losing power as I pulled over. The knocking was most noticeable at low rpm and followed engine rpm. There were no warning lights or warning messages before the problem occurred. I was able to safely pull the vehicle off the road, but the sudden loss of engine power and severe shaking created a safety concern. If the failure had occurred in heavier traffic or at highway speed, the loss of propulsion could have created a significant risk to me, my passengers, and other motorists. I stopped driving the vehicle because I was concerned about a complete engine failure. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Toyota dealership and is currently available for inspection. The dealer has confirmed the abnormal engine noise, but as of the date of this complaint the engine has not yet been disassembled and the exact internal cause of the failure is unknown. The vehicle has approximately 15,000 miles and is covered by the manufacturer's warranty. I am filing this complaint because the engine problem occurred suddenly at very low mileage and resulted in severe shaking and loss of engine power while driving. I am concerned that this condition could result in a complete loss of propulsion. I will provide additional information when Toyota completes its diagnosis.
I was attempting to enter traffic from a steep driveway. I removed from foot from the brake and pressed on the accelerator, there was no power and the vehicle would not increase speed. This lasted about 2 seconds. It was a 50 mph roadway and the approaching vehicles had to slow quickly to avoid a collision.
I was turning left from a stop sign on to a busy road. Immediately after beginning to pull out, the engine stalled and left the truck powerless in the middle of the intersection. I almost got t boned from vehicles traveling both directions. The truck eventually regained power a few seconds after the stall. I had my wife and toddler with me and the situation could have been bad. I no longer the trust the truck which sucks being that it has 2500 miles. Searching online, many owners have had this happen and Toyota refuses to do anything meaningful. This needs to be recall before someone gets hurt, or worse. I’ll be taking the truck in but am doubtful anything will come of it from the dealership.
The engine in my 2026 Toyota Tundra has significant throttle delay/lag when its cold - even if I let it warm up - it still has significant delay in throttle response - the truck has poor light throttle response and then lurches (even with the most minute progressive throttle input). This almost caused an accident where I nearly got t-boned because the vehicle crept a bit and then suddenly lurched quickly. The vehicle was also hesitant to reach 60mph (even though it was warmed up) after about 10 minutes of driving the vehicle started operating normally. I have a concern for safety everytime I drive this vehicle.
The truck, randomly experiences hesitation, and or lag when pulling out from a dead stop. Twice it has been so bad as to nearly cause an accident. It also causes out of control acceleration as you don't know when if if the truck will actually accelerate or how much.
I bought the vehicle new in November 2025. 2026 Toyota tubdra trd sr5. In the first week I noticed a lot of jerking and shaking. I brought it to the dealer and was told it was a break in period and it should go away. I’ve had the truck in the shop 5-6 times since and the jerking and shaking hasn’t gone away. I’m at 6300 miles now. The dealer won’t even respond to me anymore. The only way to make the jerking go away is to step on the gas pedal harder but this has become extremely dangerous because it’s forcing me to go faster than I would like, especially in school zones. The dealers say that it’s the truck running very low rpm’s to maximize fuel efficiency and also because there are 10 gears but is that’s the case than why isn’t everyone experiencing it. It’s worse on cold mornings (40 or below) but it’s almost like the truck needs an hour or two to warm up. Even then it’s still jerking. My guess is that the truck doesn’t know what gear it’s supposed to be in but 4th or 5th gear are the worst where the truck hesitates and jerks. I’ve been told to run it in sport mode but that doesn’t help. I’m finding more and more complaints about this online with the Toyota Tundra sr5’s and I’m part of numerous groups. Someone needs to step in because no one should have to go through this and it’s very unsafe to have to push the gas pedal down harder to make the jerking go away. Thank you for your time.