2021 Toyota Tundra
Gas Pickup truck
The 2021 Toyota Tundra is sold in the U.S. as a gas pickup truck with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Tundra 2WD, is EPA-rated at 15 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 24 complaints, most often about unknown or other. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tundra 2WD | Gas | RWD | 5.7L 8-cyl | 13 | 17 | 15 | $4,150 |
| Tundra 4WD | Gas | Part-time 4WD | 5.7L 8-cyl | 13 | 17 | 14 | $4,450 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2021 Toyota Tundra is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (2)
Steering
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
Electrical System
criticalProblem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Owner complaints
24 complaints filed
1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2021: 1 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 3
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 6
- Electrical System — 4
- Seats — 4
- Visibility/Wiper — 3
- Exterior Lighting — 2
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PU/CC 2WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 22% |
| PU/CC 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 20% |
| PU/EC 2WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | 22% |
| PU/EC 4WD | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 20% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Compare the 2021 Tundra with
Other Tundra model years
2026 Tundra
2 recalls · 28 complaints
B2025 Tundra
4 recalls · 131 complaints
F2024 Tundra
10 recalls · 332 complaints
F2023 Tundra
13 recalls · 398 complaints
F2022 Tundra
13 recalls · 429 complaints
D2020 Tundra
4 recalls · 45 complaints
F2019 Tundra
9 recalls · 72 complaints
F2018 Tundra
8 recalls · 99 complaints
D2017 Tundra
5 recalls · 78 complaints
D2016 Tundra
5 recalls · 119 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 43010, 43018). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.