The Toyota 5.7L V8 engine is a highly-praised piece of machinery, but it is prone to experiencing some notorious problems after years on the road.
When Toyota launched its second-generation Tundra back in 2007, the game-changing component of the vehicle was the incorporation of the 5.7L V8 engine, which took the truck’s performance to a whole new level.
However, if you have been driving this vehicle long enough, you are bound to have encountered at least one of its three main problems over the years.
The three most common problems for the Toyota 5.7L engine are cam tower leaks, excessive oil consumption, and water pump leaking & overheating.
After Toyota introduced its 5.7L V8 engine to the Tundra, it was evident that it was a perfect match for the vehicle, which did not go unnoticed by the public at large.
As more and more drivers hopped on the Tundra bandwagon, Toyota quickly began adding the same engine to its other vehicles, with positive performance results overall.
With that being said, no engine is perfect, and you should expect every piece of machinery to need routine maintenance, especially after it has been used long enough.
Toyota’s 5.7L V8 engine, which is commonly referred to as the Toyota 3UR-FE, is not exempt from this, which is why a lot of drivers have reported common issues occurring over the years.
Some of these issues are due to negligence and a lack of proper maintenance, whereas others are simply caused by natural aging.
We are going to take a closer look at the 3 most common problems that occur with Toyota’s 5.7L V8 engine in more detail.
My research has shown me that although Toyota has conducted numerous updates and upgrades to the Toyota 3UR-FE, these engine problems are still prevalent.
3 Common Engine Problems: Toyota 5.7L V8
As of 2007, Toyota started using the 5.7L V8 in a number of its cars, including the Tundra, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, as well as the Lexus LX570.
It became evident that the Toyota 5.7L V8 was having synonymous issues when each vehicle was reporting the same problems over the years.
Consumers and car critics still consider this to be one of the most reliable engines on the market, but nonetheless, these common problems persist to this day, given that Toyota continued to equip its vehicles with this motor through 2021.
Cam Tower Leaks
This is the most serious issue that you will find with any vehicle that has this engine, and it usually occurs after 50,000-100,000 miles of driving.
Despite the reliability of the Toyota 5.7L V8, this is an unusual issue to happen so soon to a Japanese engine.
The 5.7L V8 does not have a real gasket, which is part of the problem. The engine relies on RTV silicon, which is prone to waring off and causing oil leaks.
You can normally identify this problem when you see white smoke coming out of the bay of the engine.
Sometimes you will be able to visibly see the oil leaking, whereas in other situations, you can smell the oil or notice that your engine has poor oil intake.
However, these are not as common, and you can typically notice white smoke coming from your engine or sense the odor.
If you feel like your Toyota 5.7L V8 engine is having this problem, you want to confirm the issue and take care of it as quickly as possible, as it can lead to safety risks.
You can either take your vehicle to a mechanic for a professional inspection or shine a flashlight behind the upper control arm to check yourself.
How to Fix It
The first thing that you should do is see if there is a warranty for your vehicle and motor that will take care of the fix for you.
If not, you may need to roll up your sleeves and remove the valve covers on your own.
This is not an easy fix and most amateur mechanics end up calling up a professional to take care of the work properly.
Although cots for this fix can vary depending on the mechanic that you go to, you should be ready to spend around $1,500 for the repairs.
Excessive Oil Consumption
Many drivers have reported that their Toyota 5.7L V8 engine was consuming an excessive amount of oil, especially after using the vehicle for years.
This is not going to be the most detrimental problem that you can encounter with your motor, as some people argue that it is not even an issue that needs to be addressed.
However, many car enthusiasts disagree with this notion and say that the excessive oil consumption of the Toyota 5.7L V8 engine is due to faults with the following components:
- PVC valves
- Piston ring clearance
The good news is that this is not a major concern, and you should not overthink the issue if it were to occur, provided that the level of oil consumption is not so severe that it interferes with your vehicle’s performance.
How to Fix it
Given the fact that excessive oil consumption is a common symptom with so many engines, particularly those that have been in operation for years, the first thing that you should try to do is mitigate the problem.
The best way to do this is to use quality synthetic engine oil in your Toyota 5.7L V8 engine.
In addition, heavy oils are also great to implement, as they can alleviate consumption amounts from your engine.
Suppose you find that excessive oil consumption is not going away or getting any better after transitioning to a better oil product.
In that case, you may want to consider getting your PVC system checked out by a professional mechanic for a more thorough analysis & repair job.
Water Pump Leaking/Overheating
Although the common water pump issues that are reported with Toyota’s 5.7L V8 engine are synonymous with all of the vehicles that have this motor built-in, this is also a very common problem with many other vehicles on the market.
A water pump leaking or overheating is not the end of the world, but it does need to be addressed as soon as it occurs.
Toyota designed the 5.7L V8 engine with a safety feature that helps prevent any serious damage from occurring to the rest of the pump once the problem starts.
The water pump regulates the temperature of the engine by distributing a coolant to prevent overheating.
If the water pump starts to fail, the coolant will start to leak out of a weep hole, which is the safety feature that Toyota added in case this issue should occur.
The problem will be evident if you notice any of the following:
- Coolant dripping underneath the vehicle
- Low engine coolant
- White smoke
However, you will find that all vehicles equipped with the Toyota 5.7L V8 engine should have a check engine light that pops with fault codes to confirm the issue if the other symptoms are not obvious.
How to Fix it
This is not a difficult problem to fix, nor is it costly. You can buy a water pump for the Toyota 5.7L V8 engine for $40-$70.
If you want to save yourself some cash, you can always try to install the pump yourself, but if you are not an experienced mechanic and do not feel comfortable with auto repairs, we would recommend seeking the help of a professional.
The cost of labor for this kind of fix can vary depending on the auto shop that you go to, but all in all, you can expect to pay around $300-$400.
Summing Up Toyota 5.7L V8 Engine Problems
There are a few common issues that many Toyota 5.7L V8 engines tend to have. Most commonly, they have cam tower leaks, excessive oil consumption or leakage, and water pump leaking.
These problems have varying degrees of ease for how to fix them, but make sure you take anything into a mechanic that you’re not sure how to fix yourself.
