PH-spec Lexus LX not part of 102k Toyota V6 turbo recall

Remember when Toyota announced a recall affecting 102,000 vehicles powered by the brand's new twin-turbo V6 dubbed the V35A in North America? The brand has yet to find a fix for the faulty V6 which has machining debris that might not have been removed during the production process.

Should the debris adhere to the main bearings of the crankshaft and the engine continue to operate at higher loads over time, there's a high possibility the main bearings can fail – leading to engine failure. The recall affects 102,092 Toyota vehicles consisting of 98,568 Tundras and 3,524 Lexus LX 600s – all of which come with the Alabama-built 3.4L twin-turbo V6 engine.

Fast forward to July 2024, Toyota announced that they would replace the V6 engines in the affected Tundras and LX 600s. The automaker shared that this is the only way to fix the problem despite the massive costs they will incur. Toyota added that engine replacement would be free of charge to affected customers.

So far, the company has only received 824 warranty claims due to the V6 engine failing. This means that other vehicles that are part of the recall have yet to experience the dreaded engine failure although Toyota did say that they will still replace all of the V6s before the worst happens.

With the recall affecting over 102,000 vehicles in North America, does this mean the Philippine market is affected, particularly the Lexus LX 600?

A source very familiar with the matter shared that global headquarters (AKA: Toyota Motor Corporation) hasn't released any advisory to Toyota Motor Philippines regarding the matter. We were also informed that customers haven't complained of any issues with their units which are sourced from Japan, not the USA.

The only complaint? Availability.

All is well it seems although there are gray market units of the Toyota Tundra here in the country. Should they have the twin-turbo V6 under the hood, they might want to check if they need an engine replacement soon.