AI Damage2006 Toyota Tundra: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Toyota Tundra filed 545 complaints with NHTSA, most often about structure and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 545
- involving a crash
- 38
What fails most often
- 1 Structure 31% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 17% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 6% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 3% of all complaints
- Structure: 169 complaints (31% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 134 complaints (25% of all), 12 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 91 complaints (17% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 35 complaints (6% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 34 complaints (6% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 4.7 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- automatic, 5-speed
- manual, 6-speed
Drive: RWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 545 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 169 | 4 | 0 |
| Air bags | 134 | 12 | 0 |
| Suspension | 91 | 5 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 35 | 7 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 34 | 6 | 0 |
| Steering | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 23 | 4 | 0 |
| Engine | 18 | 2 | 0 |
| Wheels | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Two mechanics showed me the underside which is completely rusted , including some holes. They told me I would have continuous problems because of the rust. They also said that Toyota may have had a recall for my vehicle. I did the research and found that to be accurate.
The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact sustained a back injury and sought medical attention after the incident. The police did show up but the contact was not aware if they filed a police report. The vehicle was not drivable. The insurance deemed the vehicle a total loss.
The contact stated that her husband ran a stop sign and another vehicle crashed into his vehicle from the front right side fender and the vehicle overturned, knocking him out. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed.
He stated he cannot do the work due to the fact the truck is rusted beyond repair and he felt unsafe to work underneath the truck for fear of it falling on him. I found there was a recall on the truck for rusted frame issues and the window to respond was missed due to personal reasons involving care of a since…
My tires were rotated by discount tires ([address], ocnsd, ca). They did not tighten all the lugs on my right driver side tire and it flew off when I was driving and badly damaged my car. They are denying all responsibility and assume that the lugs are either tightened fully or not at all.
The contact stated that the driver's frontal air bag failed to deploy. The contact sustained two fractured toes, bruising to the stomach, and a sore neck that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic.
I was wearing my seatbelt but the impact was hard enough to propell me upwards, causing my left shoulder to hit the frame above the window which caused a grade 3 separation of my left collarbone.
All drivers and passenger were wearing seat belts, airbags did deploy. The f-250's driver sustained 1 detached rib plus cuts and bruises. In the toyota, the following injuries occurred: passenger: broken left ankle, 7 broken ribs, sternum and clavicle fractures, 7 inch leg laceration, 5 inch hand laceration, cuts &…
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 667 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Tundra has 248 complaints (28 years in the data). This year has 545, above average.
What to check before buying
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
- Tundra 20001,011 sources
- Tundra 2001415 sources
- Tundra 2002482 sources
- Tundra 2003399 sources
- Tundra 2004466 sources
- Tundra 2005377 sources
- Tundra 2007390 sources
- Tundra 2008327 sources
- Tundra 200938 sources
- Tundra 2010163 sources
- Tundra 2011134 sources
- Tundra 2012156 sources
- Tundra 201385 sources
- Tundra 201493 sources
- Tundra 201551 sources
- Tundra 2016258 sources
- Tundra 2017182 sources
- Tundra 2018219 sources
- Tundra 2019190 sources
- Tundra 2020185 sources
- Tundra 2021158 sources
- Tundra 2022664 sources
- Tundra 2023594 sources
- Tundra 2024500 sources
- Tundra 2025193 sources
- Tundra 202672 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Toyota Tundra?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: structure, air bags, suspension. Total complaints: 545. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (37%), warning lights, check engine (3%), vibration (2%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2006 Toyota Tundra from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2006 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.