2018 Toyota Tundra Electrical System Problems
NHTSA lists 26 Electrical System complaints for the 2018 Toyota Tundra, 26% of the year's 100 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 15,840. Three related recalls cover headlight wiring, turn signal wiring, and the air bag ECU.
- Electrical System complaints
- 26
- 26% of 100
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 2
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 15,841 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical electrical symptoms owners report
- Front headlights intermittently dim or fail while driving at various speeds, tied to a wiring defect covered by recall 21V688000.
- Pre-collision system falsely triggers braking or acceleration warnings with no vehicle present, sometimes displaying a 'pcs sensor unavailable' error.
- Dashboard warning lights flash on and off after a rear wheel speed sensor wire breaks, sometimes following contact with a separated wheel part.
- Vehicle enters limp mode or loses power unexpectedly during highway driving, in one case dropping speed below 20 mph before braking hard.
- Trailer wiring or connection fault message appears while towing, cutting off trailer brakes and leaving only truck brakes.
- Owners report recall parts for the headlight wiring campaign (21V688000) were unavailable for extended periods after notification.
When 2018 Toyota Tundra electrical complaints were filed
First complaint Dec 11, 2017, latest Jan 27, 2026.
Electrical System recalls for the 2018 Toyota Tundra
- NHTSA 21V688000Sep 2, 2021Electrical System158,489 vehicles
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.
Risk: An overheated electrical connector can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will modify the engine wire harness assembly and replace any damaged bulb, bulb connector, and/or headlight assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB06 and 21TA06.
- NHTSA 20V410000Jul 15, 2020Electrical System183,397 vehicles
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: If the turn signals or hazard lamps do not flash brightly enough, other drivers may fail to see that the turn signal or hazard lamp functions have been activated, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the wire harness connected to the front turn signal bulbs free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB12/20TA12.
- NHTSA 18V685000Oct 4, 2018Electrical System168,187 vehicles
Electrical system:software
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles. The air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may erroneously detect a fault during the vehicle start-up self check. If this occurs, the ECU may not deploy the airbags as intended, in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy as intended, it can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the air bag ECU, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0X. Note: 18V-122 was superseded by this recall. The software remedy also includes the updates to the software for 18V-122.
Electrical System complaints by Tundra model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many electrical complaints does NHTSA have for the 2018 Toyota Tundra?
- NHTSA lists 26 Electrical System complaints for the 2018 Tundra, accounting for 26% of the 100 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2018 Toyota Tundra electrical system?
- Yes. Three recalls apply: 21V688000 for headlight circuits that can power high and low beams simultaneously, 20V410000 for a turn signal wiring error, and 18V685000 for an air bag ECU software issue.
- At what mileage do 2018 Tundra electrical problems typically appear?
- The median mileage at failure for Electrical System complaints on the 2018 Tundra is 15,840 miles.
- Did the 2018 Tundra electrical issues cause any crashes or fires?
- NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 2 fires reported among Electrical System complaints for the 2018 Tundra, with no injuries recorded.
- How does 2018 compare to other Tundra model years for electrical complaints?
- The 2018 Tundra's 26% share of complaints tied to electrical issues is lower than 2017 (41%) and 2016 (29%) but higher than 2020 (13%) and 2021 (17%).