10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
41,051 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Toyota Tundra:

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

problem #22

Nov 222019

Tundra

  • 147,000 miles
2005 Toyota Tundra double cab. When stationary on cold start: Vehicle produces a loud noise and additional carbon monoxide/exhaust, causing additional danger when starting in a garage. When in motion: Truck operates as intended until acceleration is attempted, causing a major safety concern when merging onto highways, driving up an incline, or any other driving situation where the gas application is necessary. When in motion: Venting and interior air controls cannot be used based on the amount of exhaust that will spill into the cab of the truck. This is a problem that is widely known to the Toyota community, and to drivers of Toyota Tundra in particular. Of note, thousands of messages can be easily accessed in the Toyota message boards (Tundra talk, Toyota nation, Tundra.com, Tundra solutions). In addition, there is a separate cottage industry that has sprung up as a result, where manufacturers are producing bypass kits that compromise the exhaust standards set by you all, where an entire business model has been created to profit off of these issues. One of the primary parties is hewitt-tech. When advised at a Toyota dealership, the repair quote was $2568 out of pocket. When speaking to Toyota customer experience, I was told they do not anticipate addressing the issue, as it is not enough of a problem. In greater research, it is apparent they are either aware but unwilling to remedy the situation because a) the scope is far too widespread within their truck market (every Toyota Tundra is subject to recall) or B) the scope is too widespread throughout their entire marketshare (similar problems are indicated with the corolla and other passenger cars). This is negligent and dangerous and needs to be addressed.

- Gloucester, MA, USA

problem #21

Jan 012007

Tundra

  • miles
I purchased this vehicle used aprox 10 years ago. The issue that I have had looked at by Toyota dealership remains unresolved. When you take your foot off the brake it immediately lunges forward and travels without foot on the gas up to speed of 15 mph on flat level ground. It is definitely not safe. It could cause"an accident. My brother's insisted that I have it looked at by Toyota dealership. I have not had a satisfactory answer to this issue. Again the answer remains there has been no recall. Could it be a timing chain issue"

- Decatur, AL, USA

problem #20

Jul 122016

Tundra

  • 164,000 miles
Uncontrollable acceleration: My husband's 2005 Toyota Tundra accelerated at a very high speed while he had his foot on the brake at a stop sign. He had his back pushed up against the seat and pushed as hard as he could on the brake, but the truck took off anyways and he was forced to pull out in front of oncoming traffic. Luckily he wasn't hit. This is the second time this has happened in this truck. In January of 2015 he was backing into our driveway when his truck suddenly accelerated at a very high speed. He put his foot on the brake and the tires kept spinning. He put the transmission into park and after a few more seconds the tires stopped spinning. We contacted Toyota after both occurrences, but they won't help us at all. They say that the truck isn't included in the recall and that it's no longer under warranty.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #19

Mar 012016

Tundra

  • miles
Horn, airbag and cruise control light on do to a bad spiral cable, this is dangerous. This is a ongoing problem with this vehicle.

- Hollywood, FL, USA

problem #18

Dec 042015

Tundra

  • 80,000 miles
My vehicle suddenly lost power because the plastic fan in the secondary injection system broke and the pieces blew into the exhaust ports and melt, sticking up the exhaust ports. The vehicle doesn't run right and is a safety hazard because of a design problem. Toyota accepts the problem and has extended the vehicle warranties for the 2007-2010 model years, but not for my model year. Repair has cost me over $3,000 for their mistake. It is a safety hazard. It should be recalled.

- Honolulu, HI, USA

problem #17

Nov 092013

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 75,100 miles
Loss of acceleration power. Dealer quote $3,745 to replace pump/valve/driver assemblies. Told by repair shop same issue as technical bulletin addressed on 2007-2010 Tundra power issues. If true, seems a recall should have been required to repair 2005 year models.

- Victoria, TX, USA

problem #16

Mar 252012

Tundra

  • 57,500 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The contact was driving 45 mph when the vehicle failed to increase speed after the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer confirmed that the pump assembly air switch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 57,500 and the current mileage was 57,700.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #15

Jan 042011

Tundra 6-cyl

  • 74,288 miles
Unintended acceleration occurred when proceeding through and intersection at about 4:50 pm 01/04/2011. Brakes were applied but the power of the Toyota tunda SR5 V8 engine had enough power to accelerate unintended to approximately 50 mph even tho the brakes were applied as had hard as it could be applied. The truck centered an oak tree in the blvd approximately 150-200 ft from the intersection. The truck was totaled by my insurance company. Only the driver was in the truck and no other vehicles at the time of the incident. The driver suffered a broken left arm at the elbow which required surgery.

- Meadows Place, TX, USA

problem #14

Mar 232010

Tundra 4WD

  • 20,000 miles
I drive a 2005 Toyota Tundra that has accelerated about a dozen times since I bought it. Seems that when I hit a major bump that's rising across the lane I'm in and go across it, my truck will accelerate momentarily without me pressing on the gas pedal. I cannot always duplicate this action and when I go to the dealer it comes back as problem not found. As I mentioned it's only occurred maybe a dozen times since 2005 but it is a concern after all the recalls that Toyota has had. I recently completed 95,000 miles on my vehicle and have been happy with it's performance with this exception.

- Whittier, CA, USA

problem #13

Jan 292010

Tundra 8-cyl

  • miles
2005 Toyota Tundra experience electronic failure the consumer stated the mechanical or electronic failure caused an accident as well as injuries. The consumer stated all he remembered was exiting the highway in evening traffic when all of a sudden, his vehicle rammed into the vehicle in front of him. The air bags deployed prior to the collision and he had no recollection of being able to brake. He also stated the engine failed in June 2009. The consumer was informed there must have been something wrong with the seams in the radiator. Apparently, it blew out the bottom, which caused the instantaneous loss of the radiator fluid.

- Littleton, CO, USA

problem #12

Mar 092010

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
I have a Toyota Tundra 2005 that has had the throttle drivers updated. I have had at least 6 incidences of uncontrolled acceleration. These incidences occur at slow speed in muddy situations. Depressing the brakes to the floor does not stop the vehicle and I have had several near misses. This occurs in 2 wheel drive and I believe it has to do with the vsc and software. The only way to stop the throttle or unwanted momentum is to throw the vehicle into neutral. Even this does not immediately help. I recommend the ignition key as the quickest way to stop this. Additionally, our company has a newer Tundra that is getting fixed under the recall. This truck has experienced similar situations with other employees driving. Slow speeds in 2 wheel drive, in muddy situations the truck pushes you uncontrollably. I will investigate more once the truck is returned with the recall repairs. This all is related to the vsc system and the software. Please have an investigator call me. I believe that I can easily reproduce this situation in the vehicle. These vehicles are unsafe and Toyota needs to address these issues. I don't believe the current recall is addressing the issue!

- Philo, CA, USA

problem #11

Apr 102003

Tundra

  • 400 miles
I bought a 2003 Toyota Tundra 4X4 and since I bought it I felt that when I was at a stop light my truck accelerated by itself making a huge noise at the rear end axel I took my truck to a Toyota dealer and they said it they find nothing wrong but the problem continued for the 2 years I had the truck then I bough a 2005 Tundra also 4X4 and it has the same problem dealer don't do anything to solve my problem sometimes it feels like if someone hits the truck from behind like a sudden jump or push.

- Phoenix , AZ, USA

problem #10

Jan 012005

Tundra 4WD 8-cyl

  • 0 miles
Long delay between depressing "drive-by-wire" gas pedal and engine responding. My 2005 Toyota Tundra has an electronic gas pedal. It's unacceptable behavior may explain some of the current "surging" people are seeing in other Toyota. This is a 100% software problem (I am a electronic engineer). Description: When the engine is at idle, or even worse, when you are decelerating at idle power, and you increase the throttle position of the gas pedal, there is a nearly 1-second delay before the engine responds to the throttle input. If the driver, not sensing any response to throttle, applies more and more throttle during that one second delay, when the engine electronic throttle finally does respond it will immediately go to the highest throttle setting the driver was selecting, causing a huge lurching forward action of the vehicle. For example, if the driver applied throttle in this fashion: 0sec=5% throttle; 0.25sec=10% throttle; 0.5 sec=20% throttle; 0.75sec=35% throttle; 1.0sec=50% throttle. The engine's electronic throttle will respond like this: 0sec=0% throttle; 0.25sec=0% throttle; 0.5 sec=0% throttle; 0.75sec=0% throttle; 1.0sec=50% throttle. Causing the huge lurch at 1.0 second. This has been especially dangerous while changing lanes during stop-and-go traffic in the san francisco bay area. Please note that if I am running at partial power/throttle, this behavior does not happen, and the gas pedal response is proper. Only from idle or decelerating. I have complained numerous times to my Toyota dealer, to which the service manager finally replied to me "you think the Tundra is bad... you should try driving the sienna! it's worse!" so apparently the folks at Toyota know about this and think it's funny. I can demonstrate this defect at any time. I have changed my driving style to protect me from the vehicle's defect.

- Pleasanton, CA, USA

problem #9

Feb 252010

Tundra

  • 95,421 miles
2005 Toyota Tundra, unintended acceleration, my husband was putting it in the driveway and it accelerated into the neighbors fence and drove over a four wheeler if he hadn't put it into park he would have continued into the neighbors house. The acceleration problems have happened quite a few more times though not to this extent, Toyota is refusing to fix or even take a look at the truck, saying it isn't on the recall list so it isn't their fault. The Toyota problem is bigger than they are admitting to and some investigating is necessary, this truck is a danger and they are responsible.

- Clinton, MA, USA

problem #8

Feb 172010

Tundra

  • 38,000 miles
I have experienced floor mat entanglement issues and uncommanded accelerations with my 2005 Tundra double cab. I also have experienced a clunking sound in my brakes/front end when I shift into reverse and then apply the brakes. The dealer has told me all of these issues are normal which according to the recalls for other model years they are clearly not normal. Can the 05 Tundra be added to the current recalls and can the brake issue be addressed?

- Union, WA, USA

problem #7

Feb 012010

Tundra

  • miles
My gas pedal has repeatedly continued to stick in my 2005 Toyota Tundra. It continues to accelerate, even when my foot is completely off of the gas pedal. I have contacted the dealer and have yet to receive a response.

- Culpeper, VA, USA

problem #6

Feb 022010

Tundra 8-cyl

  • 29,908 miles
On February 2, 2010 at about 6:20am while driving my Toyota Tundra 2005, V8 engine, on highway 101 West bound when my vehicle suddenly accelerated on me. I was on lane one between barham ave. & vineland ave when it all happen, making me change lanes at an unsafe speed trying it to control it. I had my foot off the accelerator but it keep going at about 75-80 mph. There was no cruise control on and I was shocked about the sudden acceleration. The vehicle finally came to normal driving conditions at about 1/4 of a mile from vineland ave.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #5

May 212007

Tundra

  • 22,000 miles
2005 Toyota Tundra -- 3 times it sped up on its own. Either floormat and/or accelerator. Third time there was a crash, into our retaining wall in our driveway. I tried to get people to pay attention, contacted customer service, etc., at Toyota, no one believed it. Also insurance company said it was driver's fault.

- Corral De Tierra, CA, USA

problem #4

Nov 152005

Tundra 8-cyl

  • miles
2005 Toyota V8 Tundra. Bought new in 2005. When going up hill/incline with cruise control engaged, vehicle dangerously accelerates causing the tires to loose traction on wet or loose surfaces. I noticed this problem shortly after I purchased it. I no longer use the cruise control feature on my Tundra. I previously owned a 2000 Tundra and the same thing occurred with the cruise control on that vehicle. Seems to be a major/dangerous problem with the Tundra.

- Fort Benning, GA, USA

problem #3

May 312009

Tundra

  • 500 miles
Driving at highway speed, with cruise control engaged, and beginning to climb a gentle hill, engine suddenly accelerates at full throttle, and the transmission downshifts two gears. It causes the vehicle to suddenly and rapidly accelerate. Vehicle is very difficult to control on snowy, or rain slick roadways. If following another vehicle that slows on hill, such as a semi tractor-trailer, there is eminent danger of a rear-end collision. This is not an isolated incident, it occurs every time three conditions are met: 1. cruise control is engaged. 2. vehicle drives up incline or hill. 3. highway speed.

- Sparks, NV, USA

Read the next 2 complaints »