Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Toyota Tundra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while going through prior service paperwork found in the vehicle, he discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact also stated that the vehicle was once sold at a private auction. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 158,000; however, upon discovery of the service paperwork, the contact discovered that the vehicle mileage was once 250,000.
1)Over 60 MPH with new tires the vehicle pulses & shakes on front end, checked alignment everything OK per Mechanic. Just started to occur 2)Bluetooth when on iPhone will at any time cut out guaranteed to occur when using at any time been occurring for 2 + years. 3)Trailer brake warning light (Idiot light) comes on dashboard does not recommend trailering due to electrical issue. occurring for 2+ years Bought vehicle used in 2017 with 13k on Truck now 2024 has 91K on truck love the truck but zero recalls for any of the above?
Seat heater stopped working. Turns out there is a burnt connector leading to part number 87501-0C020, which appears to be a seat heater amp. One pin of the connector is completely melted. I've purchased this truck brand new from Toyota. Nobody has ever touched this part. Scared that it could have caught fire.
I purchased a new trailer to pick up my new tractor. I tested the trailer brakes knowing I was pulling a large load and didn't want an accident. The brakes appeared to apply but due to it not being loaded when testing I had it set to 5(out of 10). While pulling it back home on the interstate towing my tractor behind me there was traffic stopping ahead. I always drive in the right lane to not slow others...thank god I did. I had to drive off the road onto the shoulder to miss hitting or driving over cars ahead of me! The brakes turned up to 10 did nothing to even slow me down. I was towing 4 tons and 3 tons for the truck totaling 7 tons, someone would've been killed! Toyota needs to fix these trailer brakes! I can't tow my tractor anywhere for work due to the brakes being unsafe!
Re: integrated break controller I wanted to express a serious safety concern I have with an item that now ships with the 2016 Toyota 5.7l Tundra's - the built in / integrated break controller for use when pulling trailers/campers/etc. It seems that regardless of the power setting, no noticeable power is supplied to the trailer brakes, even at it's highest setting. It feels like the trailer/camper is pushing the truck, which can be a serious issue when stopping. This would happen every time I would tow and I was always very worried about causing an accident if I needed to stop quickly or if the road conditions were not idea. I've never felt this with other break controllers. It's my understanding Toyota has not acknowledged this as being an issue yet. …
Headlights turn off intermittently when the left turn signal is used and the headlights switch is in auto more. Dealership can't/won't replicate the issue so they will not troubleshoot further. This is a problem that a lot of platinum and 1794 edition Toyota tundras are having and it is being ignored by Toyota; https://www.tundras.com/threads/auto-headlights-shut-off-with-turn-signal.22968/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tzrplq9wp4 I've had it into the dealership to check and they say there is nothing they can do. Pickup only has about 26K miles on it. First time it happened was on a freeway cloverleaf in the rain and luckily there were street lights because I was in the middle of a merge. Other times it has been signaling to turn left and entering the center turn lane on multi-lane roads. …
I have a serious safety concern regarding the lack of daytime vehicle instrument illumination on my new 2016 Toyota Tundra (while driving, stationary and on all roads) during the day. As an elder adult who wears sunglasses to protect their eyes (on the recommendation of the medical profession) the dash board (specifically the speedometer indicator) is barely discernible. Even without sunglasses the instrument panel is very dark. I am sure there are thousands of others who would like to see the instruments and operate their vehicles in a safe and lawful manner during the daytime or with sunglasses on. I am sure the decision, by Toyota, to not illuminate the dash in the daytime saves a few pennies and adds up for the manufacturer when you sell thousands of vehicles? But. . . Not being able to see a dark instrument panel is bound to cause more than a few accidents.
Low note electric horn intermitten failure: the low note electric horn becomes inoperative below 25 degrees fahrenheit while pressing the steering wheel horn pad/switch. The high note horns operates during this. I have had several close call encounters driving on the road where I needed the horn during these periods of low temperature and the horn didn't provide adequate audible warning. I have brought this up to my local dealership and they were "unable to duplicate customer concern". This is a $50 part that should of been replaced under good will if problem could not have been duplicated even when I provided video evidence of the horn inoperative. I do not feel safe driving a vehicle that is under warranty and still making payments on with an inoperative horn. I can provide the necessary dealership invoice to NHTSA upon request.
While trailering my 6800 pound travel trailer for the first time and after I had manually set the factory electric brakes, a car pulled out in front of me and the electric brakes would not stop my trailer or even slow it down. The brakes were set at an 8.5 on the readout. I came within inches of an accident at about 45 MPH. Next, the brakes were adjusted all the way up to a setting of 10. This also did not help to stop the truck and trailer with braking hard at various speeds. I reported this to the dealer after I had tried several other times to adjust the brakes with no success. At this point, I am awaiting Toyota to come up with a fix before someone is killed or injured. This issue is wide spread across Tundra forums online.
The vehicle was struck by lightning on 8/13/17. The dealership where we bought this vehicle new agreed to fix it through our insurance claim and provides a lifetime warranty on the repairs. The vehicle continues to have problems. See the attached list of damages, which were provided to the dealership on 1/15/18. When I dropped it off I indicated the vehicle was malfunctioning again without the cruise control engaged. The dealership called today and very rudely stated they could not recreate the problem and will not fix the vehicle. The vehicle is unsafe to drive because of some of the issues. When I asked to speak to the customer service manager, the receptionist refused and said they will not fix my vehicle.
Electrical complaints in other Tundra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Toyota Tundra, 22% of the model year's 120 complaints. The component named most often is integrated trailer brake control (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Toyota Tundra electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2016 Toyota Tundra, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Toyota Tundra electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 8,000 miles, and 71% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.