2003 Toyota Tundra Reliability
The 2003 Toyota Tundra has 411 owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about body structure and air bags. Compared with nearby Tundra model years (2001–2005), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the Tundra's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
411
NHTSA owner complaints
10
Recall campaigns
27
Complaints citing a crash
3
Complaints citing a fire
2003 Toyota Tundra complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 model year, filed between 2002 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 151 | 37% |
| Air bags | 86 | 21% |
| Suspension | 63 | 15% |
| Service brakes | 41 | 10% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 39 | 9% |
| Unknown or other | 32 | 8% |
| Steering | 22 | 5% |
| Fuel system | 17 | 4% |
2003 Toyota Tundra recalls
10 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2003 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05V225000 | May 17, 2005 | Suspension — front / control arm / lower ball joint | On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched. The ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and… |
| 05V254000 | Jun 2, 2005 | Air bags — on-off switch assembly | Certain pickup trucks fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 225, 'child restraint anchorage systems.' these vehicles have a manual air bag on-off switch to disable the front passenger air bag and do not have a child… |
| 06E026000 | Mar 23, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. Some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle… |
| 06E065000 | Jul 17, 2006 | Exterior lighting | Certain aj motorsport combination lamps sold as replacement lamps for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. Combination lamps not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108,… |
| 09E025000 | May 11, 2009 | Exterior lighting — headlights | Dope, inc. Is recalling 42,540 combination corner and bumper lamp assemblies of various part numbers sold for use as aftermarket equipment for various passenger vehicles. These headlamps fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety… |
| 09V444000 | Nov 18, 2009 | Body structure — frame and members / underbody shields | Toyota is recalling model year 2000-2003 Tundra vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the following states: connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, new hampshire, new jersey,… |
| 15V285000 | May 13, 2015 | Air bags | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003,… |
| 15V286000 | May 13, 2015 | Air bags | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or… |
| 18V883000 | Dec 12, 2018 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as… |
| 19V741000 | Oct 17, 2019 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012… |
How the 2003 compares with nearby Tundra years
Verdicts compare these Tundra model years with each other.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 421 | 5 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2002 | 511 | 6 | Body structure | Avoid |
| 2003 (this page) | 411 | 10 | Body structure | Caution |
| 2004 | 466 | 13 | Body structure | Caution |
| 2005 | 377 | 14 | Body structure | Caution |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2003 Toyota Tundra
- Body: look under the car for rust or damaged subframe and rocker areas, and check panel gaps for signs of repair.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 10 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2003 Toyota Tundra can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2003 Toyota Tundra reliability FAQ
Is the 2003 Toyota Tundra reliable?
The 2003 Toyota Tundra has 411 owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about body structure and air bags. Compared with nearby Tundra model years (2001–2005), it rates as a caution year: complaints run above the Tundra's typical year.
What are the most common 2003 Toyota Tundra problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota Tundra are body structure (151), air bags (86), suspension (63), service brakes (41). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2003 Toyota Tundra have recalls?
NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2003 Toyota Tundra, including 05V225000 (suspension — front / control arm / lower ball joint) and 05V254000 (air bags — on-off switch assembly). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2003 Toyota Tundra compare with the 2002 and 2004 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2002 has 511 complaints and 6 recalls (avoid); the 2004 has 466 complaints and 13 recalls (caution). The 2003 has 411 complaints and 10 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2003 Toyota Tundra?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Toyota Tundra research
Other Toyota Tundra model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2003 Tundra, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.