2016 Toyota Tundra reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Toyota Tundra holds 119 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 23 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Tundra years here — over the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Hydraulic power steering, Knee bolster, and Lug nuts.

2014 Toyota Tundra — Photo by A. Bailey, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

119

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (34 of 119), then Electrical system (26) and Structure (21). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Tundra has 48 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2017 has 78 complaints, 9 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Toyota Tundra. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall steering, hydraulic power steering 2021-12-23 · NHTSA campaign 21E103000

Summary 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, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.

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 steering, hydraulic power steering 2021-11-23 · NHTSA campaign 21V920000

Summary 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 can result in an oil leak.

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.

Recall air bags, knee bolster 2017-06-29 · NHTSA campaign 17V416000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016 Tundra vehicles. The affected vehicles have a passenger knee air bag module that was attached to the instrument panel mounting brackets with incorrect bolts.

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.

Recall wheels, lug nuts 2017-05-11 · NHTSA campaign 17V311000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles accessorized with Southeast Toyota accessory 20-inch Rockstar wheels installed by Southeast Toyota or a Southeast Toyota dealer. The Rockstar wheels were installed with lugnuts that may crack and detach.

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.

Recall structure, body, bumpers 2017-01-24 · NHTSA campaign 17V051000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tundra vehicles equipped with a resin rear step bumper and resin reinforcement brackets (vehicles with chrome step bumpers are not affected). In the event of an impact to the corner of the bumper, the resin bracket may be damaged but not be noticed.

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.

Recall Labels 2016-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 16V420000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

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.

Complaints by component (119 total)

Service brakes

Electrical system

Structure

Exterior lighting

Steering

Fuel and propulsion system

Engine

Powertrain

Air bags

Wheels

Speed control

Suspension

Tires

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Fuel system, gasoline

Seat belts

Seats

Visibility and wipers

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-07-23
"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…"
Structure · filed 2026-06-14
"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…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-05-22
"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…"
Fuel system, gasoline, Engine · filed 2026-04-21
"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…"
Steering · filed 2026-02-19

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/CC 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/CC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/EC 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/EC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/RC 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2016 Toyota Tundra PU/RC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Tundra two-wheel drive	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	13	18	15 MPG	$4300
Tundra two-wheel drive	4.6L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	15	19	17 MPG	$3800
Tundra two-wheel drive flex-fuel	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	13	18	15 MPG	$4300
Tundra four-wheel drive	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	13	17	15 MPG	$4300
Tundra four-wheel drive	4.6L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	14	18	16 MPG	$4050
Tundra four-wheel drive flex-fuel	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	13	17	15 MPG	$4300

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (XK50), 2012–2021

Body styles Regular Cab, Double Cab, CrewMax

Oil 0W-20 (4.6L and 5.7L V8; 2021 is 5.7L only) , 8.5 qt capacity

Tire size P255/70R18 to P275/55R20 (275/65R18 on TRD Pro and many SR5/Limited trims)

Towing capacity 10,200 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V920 (Toyota 21TB10 and 21TA10) covers certain 2007-2021 Toyota Tundra and 2008-2022 Toyota Sequoia vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak. An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Toyota Tundra Next year 2017 Toyota Tundra See every Toyota Tundra model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Toyota Tundra reliable?

What are common problems with a 2016 Toyota Tundra?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (34 of 119), then Electrical system (26) and Structure (21). Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Toyota Tundra more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Tundra has 48 complaints, 5 per year, and the 2017 has 78 complaints, 9 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Toyota Tundra been recalled?

The 2016 Toyota Tundra has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Toyota Tundra?

Owners have filed 119 complaints about the 2016 Toyota Tundra with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Toyota Tundra get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Toyota Tundra is 15.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Toyota Tundra take?

2nd-gen US V8 (2012-2021): 0W-20 (~8.5 qt with filter). 3rd-gen 3.4L i-FORCE (2022+): 0W-20 (~7.7 qt with filter).

Does NHTSA campaign 21V920 cover the Toyota Tundra?

It covers certain 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia vehicles (Toyota 21TB10/21TA10): the power steering gear may have been manufactured incorrectly; dealers inspect and replace as directed.

What generation is the 2020 Toyota Tundra?

2nd generation (2012-2021 in this catalog). The 3rd generation starts in 2022.