Toyota’s reputation for reliability has taken a hit in recent months as the company faces several recalls of its new twin-turbo V6 engine used in the Tundra pickup and several SUVs. Officially, Toyota blamed the failures on manufacturing debris left in the oil passages.
But a recent teardown by freelance mechanic and YouTube creator Eric Berg, known for his “I Do Cars” channel, raises serious questions about whether debris is really to blame.
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Scope of withdrawals: More than 200,000 vehicles equipped with Toyota’s V6 twin-turbo V35A have been recalled.
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Toyota’s explanation: The company says production debris in the oil passages can damage sensitive components such as rod bearings.
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Customer impact: Owners get full engine replacements under warranty, an expensive solution for Toyota but a frustrating ordeal for drivers who expected long-term reliability.
Eric Berg eventually obtained one of the failed engines. Getting hold of one was no easy task, as Toyota requires dealers to return faulty cores. Its detailed disassembly revealed some troubling signs:
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Early wear: At only 38,000 miles, the cam lobes were already showing marks and oil build-up with metal debris was visible in the cylinder head.
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Timing chain gear damage: One gear wheel was unusually stiff, the bearing full of large debris.
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Main bearing failure: Two of the four main bearings were “spun,” meaning their surfaces had rotated out of place, a classic sign of oil contamination.
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Rod bearings intact: Surprisingly, the rod bearings – supposedly the most vulnerable to debris – showed no visible damage.
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Contradiction: Berg argued that if debris was truly the cause, both the rod and main bearings should have been affected because they share oil passages.
Berg’s central claim is that the official narrative of the remains does not match the physical evidence. He points out that when examining the components, there was no evidence of residue damage on the camshafts, covers or towers, areas that should have given clear signs if contamination was the real culprit. Even more telling, the rod bearings, which are usually the first to fail when the oil passages are blocked or contaminated, were in good condition.
Instead, the only parts showing catastrophic wear were the main bearings, which had spun out of place. This pattern of damage suggests something more fundamental than random debris. Berg’s blunt conclusion, “There’s something wrong with these engines,” challenges Toyota’s narrative and casts doubt on whether the company has truly identified the root cause of the failures.