Most common 2005 Toyota Tundra problems
Share of the 377 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Tundra complaints by model year
Best Tundra years: 2015, 2021, 2020. Years to avoid: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2025, 2000. Compare all years →
2005 Toyota Tundra recalls (12)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430,…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator,…
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010…
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016.
Air bags › Side/window
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016.
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004.
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii,…
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory.
Show 6 more recalls
Equipment › Other › Labels
Gulf states Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
On certain trucks and Mini vans, due to possible improper finishing of the front suspension lower ball joint, some ball joints May experience an incidental deterioration of the internal lubrication.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints. The recall began on February 28, 2007. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Air bags › Frontal
Certain pickup trucks equipped with automatic transmissions and optional fabric front captain's chairs fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front passenger occupant classification system indicator lens. The recall began August 5, 2005. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Air bags › On-off switch assembly
Certain pickup trucks fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have a manual air bag on-off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have a child restraint lower anchorage system in the front passenger seat.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the manual air bag on-off switch, replace the owner's manual, and affix a new sun visor air bag warning label. The recall began in early January 2007. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
Certain pickup trucks equipped with both vehicle stability control (vsc) and the trd dual exhaust systems. The trd dual exhaust system met all clearance specifications on models without vsc, however the driver's side exhaust located in a position where contact between a brake line found only on vehicles with vsc and the trd…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if so equipped, will replace the trd dual exhaust system free of charge. During this replacement, the dealer will also inspect the specific brake line to assure it has not been damaged and…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2005 Toyota Tundra:
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Frame corrosion
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…
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Air Bag Inflator Rupture
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE14-016 in June 2014 based on six inflator rupture incidents involving consumer owned vehicles produced by five vehicle manufacturers.All six vehicles were operated in Florida or Puerto Rico at the time of the rupture and for the majority of their service life, and were equipped with inflators produced by Takata, a tier-one supplier of automotive air bag…
Lower ball joint failure
In a letter dated January 18, 2007, Toyota notified NHTSA of a safety defect in model year (my) 2004 through 2006 Toyota tundra and my 2004 through 2007 Toyota sequoia vehicles produced between September 15, 2003 and November 17, 2006 (NHTSA recall no. 07v-013).
What 2005 Toyota Tundra owners say
Body & structure all 91 →
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that the sub frame was rusted and had holes. The parking brake and oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who determined that the vehicle might not pass a safety inspection due to the position of the holes and rust. The warning lights were repaired but the sub frame was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a frame shop, the frame shop declined to service the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact about an Extended Warranty, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for the state inspection, it was discovered that the subframe had sustained severe rusting and corrosion causing the vehicle to fail the state inspection. The cause of the rusting and corrosion was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously treated with a rust inhibitor coating, but the failure still occurred. The failure mileage was 311,000.
Air bags all 83 →
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated his wife was driving on the highway at approximately 40 MPH when she hit a patch of ice and spun out of control crashing into an embankment on the rear driver side. As a result, the rear driver side tire was pushed back out of place about an inch and a half causing the control arm to become bent. The air bags did not deploy. The wife was not injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven from the scene. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was currently being repaired at a body shop for cosmetic repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 215,000
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side air bag was inadvertently deployed without warning. There was no impact to the vehicle to cause the driver's side air bag to deploy. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the manufacturer sent a field technician to inspect the vehicle. The contact was not made aware of the diagnosis. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the hot weather conditions caused the air bag to deploy. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Suspension all 76 →
Front left wheel fell off. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? FRONT LEFT WHEEL. YES, AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? WHEEL FELL OFF Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES. TOWED TO SHOP; THEY AGREED THAT FRONT LEFT WHEEL FELL OFF. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? CAPITOL BODY SHOP, RIDGELAND, MS Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? UKNOWN. VEHICLE HAS MADE NOISE OFF AND ON, BUT WHETHER DUE TO THIS I CANNOT SAY. PLEASE NOTE: THIS VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO Recall Number 07V013000 Recall Date 01/19/2007 lOWER BALL JOINT. …
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the driver's side front ball joint detached causing the front driver's side wheel to bend inward. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence which caused damage to the fender. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 07V013000 (Suspension) however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 290,000.
2005 Toyota Tundra engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 20 / 18 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 6-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Toyota Tundra a good car?
Based on 377 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Tundra rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Tundra at the same age. 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 2005 Toyota Tundra?
The body & structure — 91 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the air bags (83) and suspension (76).
How many recalls does the 2005 Toyota Tundra have?
There are 12 recalls for the 2005 Toyota Tundra, the most recent from October 17, 2019 (inflator module). 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 2005 Toyota Tundra problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 82,000 miles; 28% 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.