2000 Toyota Tundra Problems & Complaints

Avoid3.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tundra at the same age

Owners have filed 1,011 complaints about the 2000 Toyota Tundra with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 3.4× as many as a typical Tundra model year at the same age, which makes the 2000 one of the Tundra years to avoid. The most reported problem area is the body & structure (529 complaints, typically around 110,000 miles). 3 recalls cover this model year.

1,011complaints
3recalls
43crashes
5fires
39injuries
1deaths

Most common 2000 Toyota Tundra problems

Share of the 1,011 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Toyota Tundra complaints by model year

’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’261.0k415482399466377545390327381631341568593511207810074472443141134614132
Owner complaints per model year, Toyota Tundra. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Tundra years: 2015, 2021, 2020. Years to avoid: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2025, 2000. Compare all years →

2000 Toyota Tundra recalls (3)

Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields

NHTSA recall 09V-444 · Nov 18, 2009 · 110,000 vehicles

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, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west…

Remedy: Toyota is asking owners of the affected vehicles to remove the spare tire from under the vehicle until a remedy can be obtained.

Wheels

NHTSA recall 02V-129 · May 1, 2002 · 3,041 vehicles

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 not installed.

Remedy: Owners will be provided with a caution label and an insert for their owner's manual. Owner notification began July 15, 2002.

Exterior lighting › Tail lights

NHTSA recall 99V347003 · Jan 18, 2000 · 16,472 vehicles

Vehicle description: light duty trucks. The tail light socket May have been improperly molded, resulting in the locking tab having insufficient force to retain the bulb.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the tail lamp sockets.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2000 Toyota Tundra:

Frame corrosion

NHTSA investigation PE09049 · opened Oct 6, 2009 · closed Jan 26, 2010 · led to recall 09V-444

This investigation was opened based on 20 reports of model year (my) 2000 and 2001 vehicles experiencing severe corrosion of the frame, resulting in either under-body mounted spare tire separation or rear brake failure.the failure report counts shown above are for my 2000 and 2001 vehicles only.by letter of November 16, 2009 Toyota has notified the agency that it will conduct a safety recall (09v-444) of…

What 2000 Toyota Tundra owners say

Body & structure all 529 →

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Tundra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V444000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear cross member was rusted. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed at their location. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and contacted the dealer; however, the dealer advised that the recall repair could not be performed at the dealer location. The failure mileage was approximately 327,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

327,000 miles · Aug 2023

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH and hauling a boat, the subframe nearby the transmission cross member detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact was able to inspect the vehicle and became aware of severe rust on the subframe with several areas where the subframe had rusted through and had holes. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000.

Frame and members · 230,000 miles · Jul 2025

Brakes all 276 →

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, he depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to engage. As a result, the contact crashed into a small tree that caused a dent in the front bumper. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the two lines in the master cylinder was missing the divider. The contact stated that he replaced the brake line, but the failure recurred. Additionally, the contact stated that on two separate occasions while making a left turn, the contact lost control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the ball joints had snapped and failed. No warning lights illuminated. …

Foundation components › Master cylinder · 270,000 miles · Sep 2022

When I drive my vehicle it is difficult to apply the brakes on it and I feel like if I press too hard (which might be necessary if I need to suddenly stop) that the brakes might break or fail somehow. I have also noticed that underneath my truck, the frame is rotting out in certain areas and the leafs (steel long plates near the rear of the vehicle) is bending out of shape. There is a clanking noise near the front of the vehicle that concerns me as well when I pass through a small bump.

Oct 2023

Suspension all 100 →

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he noticed that the front wheels would frequently turn to the opposite direction of what was intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the upper ball joints had failed and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic replaced the upper ball joints with the same model; however, the failure reoccurred after the vehicle had been driven for less than 20,000 miles. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the upper ball joints with the same model part; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would only replace the ball joints with the original OEM ball joints. …

200,000 miles · Jan 2018

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, he depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to engage. As a result, the contact crashed into a small tree that caused a dent in the front bumper. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the two lines in the master cylinder was missing the divider. The contact stated that he replaced the brake line, but the failure recurred. Additionally, the contact stated that on two separate occasions while making a left turn, the contact lost control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the ball joints had snapped and failed. No warning lights illuminated. …

Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint · 270,000 miles · Sep 2022

2000 Toyota Tundra engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
3.4L 6-cyl4-speed automaticRWD15 / 18 / 16
3.4L 6-cyl5-speed manualRWD15 / 18 / 16
4.7L 8-cyl4-speed automaticRWD14 / 17 / 15
3.4L 6-cyl4-speed automatic4WD/AWD14 / 16 / 15
3.4L 6-cyl5-speed manual4WD/AWD14 / 16 / 15
4.7L 8-cyl4-speed automatic4WD/AWD13 / 16 / 14

EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2000 Toyota Tundra a good car?

Based on 1,011 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Tundra rates avoid: 3.4× as many complaints as a typical year of the Tundra at the same age. It is one of the Tundra years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2000 Toyota Tundra?

The body & structure — 529 complaints, 52% of all complaints for this model year, most often about frame and members. Next are the brakes (276) and suspension (100).

How many recalls does the 2000 Toyota Tundra have?

There are 3 recalls for the 2000 Toyota Tundra, the most recent from November 18, 2009 (underbody shields). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Tundra?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2021 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2025 and 2000. See the full Toyota Tundra years comparison.

At what mileage do 2000 Toyota Tundra problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 100,000 miles; 18% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.