2020 Toyota Tundra: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
45 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2023 Tundra, which scores 32 on 394 complaints at 131.3 per year on the road, with Engine at 161, Power Train at 83 and Fuel/Propulsion System at 60. Buy a 2013 to 2015, which score 81, 79 and 86 on 84, 92 and 48 complaints, or the 2020 at 78 on 45. Read the full note on the model page. 2020 specifically: a year the record favours — 45 complaints, score 78/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Toyota 4Runner and Tundra: the years to avoid, including 2020 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 45 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 7.5
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. while heading west with cruise control on and I passed a truck that was fully in the left turn lane my vehicle has done a collision avoidance complete stop three time in the same day. I wasn’t tailgating and I was doing the speed limit of 55 mph. The road was very straight. It did this twice before about a year ago. I reported it to the dealer and they could find nothing …
Steering is intermittently difficult, almost as if no power steering. Steering wheel does not return to center after a turn. There were no warning lamps or messages displayed on the vehicle. This is a safety issue in that it could an accident by not responding properly to driver input. Took vehicle to Toyota dealer who diagnosed problem as "Intermediate Steering Shaft Binding." Toyota dealer replaced steering interm…
In a 2020 Toyota Tundra, 1794 Edition (60k miles), traveling at normal highway speed, the moonroof glass panel spontaneously exploded. There was no previous damage or modification to the moonroof panel. Panel explosion was extremely loud and surprising. Large pieces of glass were blown back onto the highway. If the shade was not drawn at this time, large amounts of glass would have also rained down onto the driver an…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V688000 | Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 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. |
| 20V682000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus… |
| 20V410000 | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Toyota Tundra vehicles equipped with LED headlight assemblies. Due to a wiring error, the front turn signals may not flash brightly enough. |
| 21V920000 | Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System | 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. |
| 21E103000 | Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist System | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a pickup of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 15 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $4,100
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Unknown Or Other9 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System6 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine5 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Forward Collision Avoidance4 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Steering4 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Service Brakes4 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Toyota Tundra years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Toyota Tundra?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (9 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2020 Toyota Tundra a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 78/100, computed from 45 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2020 Toyota Tundra's most common problem?
9 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2020 Toyota Tundra sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2020 Toyota Tundra cost to run per year?
About $5,752 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,762 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2020 Toyota Tundra have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Toyota Tundra, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/09/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other pickups of about the same age.
What will a 2020 Toyota Tundra really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 45 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 45 NHTSA complaints on record (7.5/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (8.9/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality