10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,782 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Toyota Tundra drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2008 Toyota Tundra:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2008 Toyota Tundra Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #36

Jul 042022

Tundra

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My truck drove fine then all of a sudden my check engine, vsc and traction control light came on. I brought it to the shop and the code read P 2440. It is in limp mode and the shifting is sporadic.

- Bunkie, LA, USA

problem #35

Feb 272013

Tundra

  • miles
When accelerating on my truck between 45 and 55 miles, the motor starts shaking alot. I have to release the gas pedal to make it stopped. Also the transmission shift by itself when I am at a stop sign. Just once.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #34

May 132019

Tundra

  • 120,000 miles
NHTSA id #10140591 was the campaign that my truck was warrantied under, I am exactly 64 days outside of Toyota's extended warranty and my truck started throwing code P2442 bank 2 secondary air injector valve staying open, a known issue with this truck. I asked Toyota only for assistance and not the complete repair and 3 reps flat out said no we did our part. The car was fine yesterday and today started it to go to work and my traction control, 4lo, vsc, engine light were all on, my truck went into "limp mode" Toyota usa was useless.

- Canton, OH, USA

problem #33

Aug 232017

Tundra

  • 148,639 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Air injection pumps stopped working and I cannot accelerate fast enough to get on the interstate ramp with 50% or more reduction in power and it's created a safety concern for me and my family. What can you do to help us? Toyota dealer says it's $1,400 plus to repair this problem. Please help we cannot afford this repair and we have been a very loyal Toyota customer since 1981. In fact, we don't ever buy a vehicle unless it's a Toyota. Thank you for your kind consideration. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. God bless!

- Riverview, FL, USA

problem #32

Jul 062017

Tundra

  • 85,000 miles
Transmission slipped and vehicle lose of power. Dashboard all warning lights began to flash. Pulled to side of road. Turned off vehicle attempted to reset. Managed to get vehicle to nearby parking lot and out of traffic. Complete loss of power to drive train. Cause was power steering unit sensor per Toyota. Toyota covered part in attempt to prevent this complaint. From internet, "some 2007-2008 Toyota Tundra vehicles may experience power steering dtcs P0552 and/or P0553. The power steering sensor has since been changed to correct this condition. The old/previous power steering sensor is P/N 89448-34010. This has been replaced with sensor P/N 89448-34020. Using tis techstream, confirm the condition by checking for dtcs P0552 and/or P-553. Disconnect the pressure sensor connector and proceed with removing the power steering pressure switch, which is located at the power steering vane pump and is mounted to the high pressure feed line. Install the new power steering pressure sensor, tightening to 15.2 ft.-lbs. (20.6 nm). With the new sensor fully installed and connected, start the engine and check for leaks. Adjust power steering fluid level as needed."

- Ixonia, WI, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #31

Mar 222018

Tundra

  • 70,000 miles
Vibration at 70,000 miles in front and rear of vehicle. Checked out online. Seems people are having problems with bearings in Toyota Tundra's at relatively low mileage. Took to mechanic. Bearings need replaced in front right and rear wheel hubs. 70,000 miles, wow. Mechanic was flabbergasted too. Little early for bearing replacement. With the frame already under recall. Makes you wonder who went cheap with bearing's too. I bought Toyota in thinking things like this wouldn't happen. My 1996 Nissan frame looks better then the frame on my truck. Toyota inspected frame. Told me it looked better than most. Bolts that hold bed on under my bed liner are already rusted, as well as the bed body and frame.told me it doesn't meet replacement requirements. So now I'm waiting for them to spray underneath body. Something that should have been done in production. I don't see how that fixes a problem. If done correctly and prepped before spraying maybe. Need to replace all frames not coated in the first place.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #30

May 112017

Tundra

  • 69,228 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Abnormal noise and vibration in right rear wheel as vehicle was in motion. Toyota dealer identified right wheel bearing as defective and replaced in May 2017. Dealership had problems replacing bearing and also contacted Toyota corporate to see if repair could be covered-Toyota refused to cover the issue. The replaced bearing failed again in June 2017 with a clicking sound which increased with speed. Dealership is replacing right rear bearing under their warranty. I reported problems to Toyota consumer advocate who advised me that there is no recourse or escalation since they had no recalls, service bulletins or warranty coverage documented. I provided NHTSA complaints and eventually I located tsb T-sb-0151-10 to Toyota Corp. My concern is that a bearing failure can result in a loss of steering control or wheel separation from the vehicle. I have no assurance from either Toyota or the Toyota dealer that the remaining 3 bearings are free of the same defect or that the new replacement will be successful. Web searches have indicated that the problem has been documented by other parties and generally unsupported by Toyota.

- Montrose, CO, USA

problem #29

May 012017

Tundra

  • 108,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tundra. While driving various speeds, the power train would malfunction while in first, second, and sixth gears. The failure caused the transmission to erroneously downshift and the vehicle jerked and hesitated. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.

- Harriman, TN, USA

problem #28

Dec 312016

Tundra

  • 58,000 miles
I'm writing regarding my 2008 Toyota Tundra and a recent rear axle wheel bearings failure. The truck itself is in meticulous condition and only has 58,000 miles on it. The reason for the note is that I've seen articles indicating there has been issues as well as located a related Toyota service bulletins. I was also told by the service technician that the bearings that were installed were upgraded bearings. Typically I wouldn't think twice, but knowing this is a safety issue as well as the other information we have found, I'm curious if NHTSA has done any investigation or has any additional information it can share? Toyota and my dealer ended up covering half the repair, but there was still quite a bit we had to cover. Beyond the bearing, we recently learned there may be issues with the frame. Anything you can share on that would also be appreciated. Thank you in advance. We have a 5 year old that travels in the vehicles and therefore safety is our utmost importance.

- Kalamazoo, MI, USA

problem #27

Dec 122016

Tundra

  • 120,600 miles
I have a remote start system on my truck, I remote start my truck. The truck was parked on a level surface, nose pointing in towards house. The driveway drops off into a slope, but the truck was on the flat surface area. We go outside to get in it, and it's gone. It's not in the driveway and it's no where to be seen. I look over towards the creek, nope not there. Look out front, there's my truck and it is backed up on half in the street half in then the front yard. It's sitting where our mailbox should be. It is running and side marker lights are lit. I go look, open the drivers door to see if anybody is in it, nope, not a soul. It's in park, the 4 wd lo alarm is beeping, the 4lo led is lit on the dash, however, the switch/knob is still on the 2wd mode position. I press the brake pedal and the motor cuts off. So the remote start safety features were working properly. I have photos and a video (day after) showing where the truck landed and the path it traveled. I do not have any documents yet as this occurred last night. Dealership has the truck and will be evaluating the rear end and drive shaft, but insurance will not pay for inspection of the transmission. Cause of accident is unknown, but speculate something in the transmission failed while parked.

- Lenoir City, TN, USA

problem #26

Oct 202016

Tundra

  • 92,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We bought this vehicle used in February, 2012 with 33,000 miles on it. A bulletin came out in June, 2010 (#T-sb-0151-10) about rear wheel bearings going on 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra and the replacement kit. We were not told about this when bought from dealership. We now have 92,000 miles on it and howling has started in the back end and dealership said it is the wheel bearings--known issue but still have to pay over $1600 to get them replaced. Toyota customer service no help at all saying out of warranty at 36,000 miles/3 years even though they know the wheel bears were junk and they upgraded the bearing kit way back in 2010. Wheel bearings are a safety issue the wheel can come off if not replaced. No help from Toyota company or dealership. Called Toyota and case #161110029.

- Cornucopia, WI, USA

problem #25

Oct 202015

Tundra

  • 75,000 miles
I recently had a loud humming noise coming from the rear drivetrain of my 2008 Toyota Tundra at almost any speed and the sound was present regardless of turns or type of driving. I had noticed the noise for quite a while but it started to get so bad that you could feel a vibration in the floorboard. The truck only has 75K miles on it and it turns out the rear axle bearings have failed prematurely. This is a known issue to Toyota (see tsb-0151-01) but after asking their dealership and calling their recall center, they refuse to assist financially with the repair, which was very expensive. I believe this is a safety issue on this vehicle, as the bearing could seize or come apart, potentially causing an accident. Please consider having Toyota issue a recall. Also, please note there are quite a few complaints about this issue on online chat forums.

- Hagerstown, MD, USA

problem #24

Mar 112014

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 42,700 miles
I started my truck and noticed that the ABS brake light was on and the vehicle stability control (vsc) light and the 4-hi and 4-lo lights were flashing as well. The parking lot I was in was mostly empty and slick, so I tried a hard breaking and sure enough the ABS system fails to operate. I tried to accelerate and the vsc failed to work as well. I tried to shift into 4 wheel drive and that failed as well. I went online and found a number of forums where others talked about having the exact same failure. Some stated that the wiring harness failed, others that it was a bad connection. I feel that a failure like this without warning can put drivers at risk. We have come to rely on these technology advances making our vehicles safer to drive, and if they fail without warning, in the middle of a hard braking situation, this could lead to disastrous situation and possible loss of life.

- Batavia, IL, USA

problem #23

Feb 212014

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 63,228 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that he took the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance and was advised that the four wheel drive light was illuminated and would not disengage. The dealer stated that the rear bed harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,228.

- Taoka, WA, USA

problem #22

Feb 272013

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 94,000 miles
Service bulletin tsb-0151-10 bulletin date6/11/2010 NHTSA number - 10034128 my 2008 truck has this problem why is there no recall on this it was bad enough that Toyota fixed this on newer trucks but nothing was done on the older trucks this is a safety concern.

- Granger, TX, USA

problem #21

Jan 152007

Tundra

  • 100 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The contact was driving approximately 30 mph and experiences issues with the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and repair. The contact was informed that there was a possible failure with the electrical connection. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 100.

- Santa Clara, CA, USA

problem #20

Feb 182013

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Was driving 08 Tundra up hill around 20 mph and cel vss lights came on lo range light flashing on dash truck lost all power. Found out code P2442 secondary air induction system failure put truck into limp mode thousands of dollars in just parts to repair this system. So many people having same problems with same vehicle. Toyota should issue a recall and re engineer a remedy for this poor design at no cost to the consumer. I spent alot of money on a truck to avoid these problems, now I have to drive an unsafe truck stuck in limp mode because I do not have the funds to repair, two thousand in just parts, Toyota is charging people 4 to five thousand dollars to repair this problem when it should be recalled at no cost to the consumer due to the poor engineering and faulty design on the secondary air induction system pumps and switching valves......I am very surprised and disappointed in Toyota for they have always backed up there product but this is a poor product that they are not backing up when they most certainly should stand behind it. Also this system should be redesigned to put on check engine light but should not put vehicle in limp mode it is a serious safety issue especially when trying to get on the highway etc..... also the cost and problems of this unneeded system is outrageous, all this system does is force air into the exhaust for the first couple of minutes of engine running at startup. I swore by Toyota for over twenty years, not any more, wish I got a Chevy.

- Danvers, MA, USA

problem #19

Oct 202012

Tundra 4WD 8-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
Driving up a; hill all the sudden it loses power going U a hill all my dash light starts to blink check engine light 4 hi lo are blinking and starts to shake thru a P2442 code this is suppose to be a quality built truck for air injection pumps to be going out and after reading all the issues Toyota has had on the 07 and 08 you think they would put better parts in the trucks. After reading about this issue it is common anywhere from 11,000 to 60,000 miles this issue is a 1,700 out of pocket us doing this our self will never do business with Toyota after it breaking at 40,000 miles.

- Bremerton, WA, USA

problem #18

Dec 022009

Tundra

  • 15,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that when attempting to accelerate or brake to a stop, a loud thumping sound was heard from under the vehicle. Also, the contact mentioned that on multiple occasions when the vehicle was shifted into drive, the vehicle would suddenly accelerate independently without any warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the connection between the drive shaft and transmission was not locking securely but was unable to determine how to remedy the problem. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 15,000 and the current mileage was 43,000.

- Brownsville , TX, USA

problem #17

Aug 172011

Tundra

  • 62,000 miles
I was driving down the road and the truck started to make a loud clicking noise. I was only a few blocks from my house. I went home, the truck wouldn't start again.my 2008 Toyota Tundra had an "engine failure" at 62000 miles. First they said $23,000 for a new engine. Then after months and many hours on the phone, they took the engine apart to find the problem. The dealer took pictures and sent them to Toyota. They said a valve or valve spring fell through and tore everything up. It needed a new short block and right head ($14,000). Toyota admitted 100% fault and said because the vehicle is 2000 miles out of warranty they will cover only 50% under " goodwill assistance". so I bought the motor trend truck of the year ( brand new) and had to take out a loan for $7000 to get the engine fixed. I was out a vehicle for 4 months.

- Lincoln, IL, USA

Read the next 16 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?