NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 120 owner complaints for the 2016 Toyota Tundra.
Recalled components: steering, air bags, wheels, body structure, and 1 more. Most-described problem: headlight or exterior light problems (9 complaints, 8%). Most-reported area: brakes (34 complaints, 28%; median mileage when it happened: 4,400).
More complaints than most Tundra years
The 2016 drew 68 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 40 for a typical Tundra year: 1.7 times as many. It is not a year to avoid, which takes at least twice the typical count and at least 50 complaints.
Years to avoid: 2022 and 2023; best years: 2017 and 2021. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: TUNDRA. Components: Steering: hydraulic power assist system; Steering: rack and pinion. Toyota campaign 21TB10 / 21TA10.
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.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
Risk: Lugnuts that crack and detach may cause the wheels to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
Risk: 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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: TUNDRA. Toyota campaign H0C.
Equipment
Jun 9, 2016
labels
Fails federal standard 110 (tire and rim labeling)
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."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: TUNDRA. Toyota campaign SET-16C.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Steering: hydraulic power assist system (Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, 21E-103).
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2016 Toyota Tundra; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect.
NHTSA listing: TUNDRA. Component: Air bags (air bag/restraint control module). This investigation names 46 models.
An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Tundra. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Headlight or exterior light problems9 · 8%
Gauge cluster or speedometer failure7 · 6%
Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal4 · 3%
Steering rack problems: sticking, play or pulling4 · 3%
Median 4,400 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Electrical system26 · 22%
Median 8,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Body structure21 · 18%
Most named: body (17)
Exterior lighting15 · 12%
Steering7 · 6%
Engine6 · 5%
Fuel and propulsion system6 · 5%
Unknown or other15 · 12%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Toyota Tundra recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Tundra drew the most (286) and the 2016 drew 68.
Owner complaints
2016: 120 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Toyota Tundra
Model year
Complaints
2010
163
2011
135
2012
156
2013
85
2014
93
2015
51
2016
120
2017
78
2018
100
2019
74
2020
48
2021
24
2022
435
2023
419
2024
362
2025
145
2026
39
Safety recalls
2016: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Toyota Tundra
Model year
Recalls
2010
15
2011
10
2012
3
2013
5
2014
4
2015
4
2016
5
2017
5
2018
8
2019
9
2020
4
2021
2
2022
13
2023
13
2024
10
2025
5
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 120 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Toyota Tundra, the problems described most are headlight or exterior light problems (9) and gauge cluster or speedometer failures (7). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2016 Toyota Tundra safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Toyota Tundra earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2016 Toyota Tundra?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2016 Toyota Tundra. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Sep 19, 2024.
How do I check if my Tundra has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Toyota dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TUNDRA.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.