2001 Toyota Tundra Problems, Recalls & Reliability

543 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Toyota Tundra, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 46/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 111,820 miles.

543Complaints
46/100Trouble index
5Recalls
100,000Typical trouble mileage

Below average

Where 2001 sits among all Tundra years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Body & structure 174 complaints (32%) · typically ~111,820 miles
“The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that the sub frame of the vehicle was severely corroded. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not provide any assistance.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Tundra
Brakes & stability 133 complaints (24%) · typically ~55,000 miles
“Front brakes/brakes are poorly designed/insufficient to handle the task of stopping the truck. Front brake rotor is warped from overheating. The truck vibrates badly when the brakes are applied, and pulls dangerously to the left. Toyota knows all this - it is in their tsb instructing dealers to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Tundra
Suspension 89 complaints (16%) · typically ~130,409 miles
“Brought my truck in with 4 wheel drive issues and broken leaf spring and they told me my frame was cracked.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Tundra
Transmission & drivetrain 31 complaints (6%) · typically ~89,000 miles
Other 23 complaints (4%) · typically ~89,490 miles
Steering 23 complaints (4%) · typically ~150,000 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 382 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 100,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 67,000 and 148,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (5)

STRUCTURE 09V444000 2009

TOYOTA IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 TUNDRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY,…

Fix: TOYOTA IS ASKING OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL A REMEDY CAN BE OBTAINED. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR CROSS MEMBER AND RELATED COMPONENTS,…

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 09E025000 2009

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…

Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 06E065000 2006

CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO.…

Fix: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING 06E026000 2006

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…

Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

WHEELS 02V129000 2002

ON CERTAIN 4X2 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ALLOY WHEEL TIRE UPGRADE (OPTIONS WM4, WM8, ZL1-ZL4, DH4, OR DH5) INSTALLED BY THE PROCESSING CENTERS IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA OR COMMERCE, GEORGIA, A LABEL IDENTIFYING THE SPARE TIRE AS A TEMPORARY USE SPARE TIRE WAS…

Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A CAUTION LABEL AND AN INSERT FOR THEIR OWNER'S MANUAL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME…

Federal defect investigations

FRAME CORROSION PE09049 opened 2009, closed 2010

Led to recall campaign 09V444000.

Technical service bulletins

128 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2001 Toyota Tundra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2001 Tundra TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2001peak 90 in 20092026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2001 Toyota Tundra reliable?

The 2001 Toyota Tundra drew 543 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 46/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).

What are the most common 2001 Toyota Tundra problems?

The top reported problems for the 2001 Toyota Tundra are body & structure (174 complaints), brakes & stability (133), and suspension (89).

At what mileage do 2001 Toyota Tundra problems show up?

Owners most often report 2001 Toyota Tundra problems around 100,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 67,000 and 148,000 miles.

Does the 2001 Toyota Tundra have recalls?

5 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 Toyota Tundra. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2000 Tundra All Tundra years 2002 Tundra →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.