2021 Toyota Tundra reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota Tundra over 6 years — 4 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 13 Tundra years on this site. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Hydraulic power steering and Headlights.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (4 of 24), then Seats (4) and Visibility and wipers (3). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Tundra has 45 complaints, 9 per year, and the 2022 has 428 complaints, 69 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Toyota Tundra. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

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 exterior lighting, headlights 2021-09-02 · NHTSA campaign 21V688000

Summary 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 overheat the electrical connector.

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.

Complaints by component (24 total)

Electrical system

Seats

Visibility and wipers

Exterior lighting

Forward collision avoidance

Steering

Structure

Air bags

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Fuel system, gasoline

Powertrain

Tires

Show 5 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The TPMS display went thermal. It blew smoke out of the unit that is mounted to the drivers side front windshield. We were able to disconnect USB power to the device and roll the windows down to ventilate the cabin and…"
Tires · filed 2026-08-14
"Were were driving, my 2021 Toyota Tundra, just stopped running. No check engine lights had come on until the engine stalled as we coasted to a stop on the side of the road. We had it towed to the Central Maine Motor in…"
Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-01-29
"Airbag , it was bad accident on freeway , but my car airbag did not work.car did not inspect with dealer , they were not any waring sign"
Air bags · filed 2026-01-06
"When I turn the key to crank my radio doesn’t come on , A/C won’t blow and I have to jiggle the keys or restart it to end the issue. My husband has witnessed thi happen many times. Scared I might have an electrical…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2025-10-11
"The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly hesitated and jolted, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The transmission…"
Powertrain · filed 2025-03-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Toyota TUNDRA PU/CC 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2021 Toyota TUNDRA PU/CC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2021 Toyota TUNDRA PU/EC 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2021 Toyota TUNDRA PU/EC 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	17	15 MPG	$4300
Tundra four-wheel drive	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	13	17	14 MPG	$4650

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 2020 Toyota Tundra Next year 2022 Toyota Tundra See every Toyota Tundra model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Toyota Tundra reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 Toyota Tundra?

Is the 2021 Toyota Tundra more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2021 Toyota Tundra been recalled?

The 2021 Toyota Tundra has 3 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 2021 Toyota Tundra?

Owners have filed 24 complaints about the 2021 Toyota Tundra with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Toyota Tundra get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Toyota Tundra is 14.5 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.