Autoblog

According to Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong, the automaker was aware back in February that there was a problem with the camshafts in the Tundra's 5.7L V-8. So far only 20 actual failures have been reported in which the camshaft has actually snapped in half, but those are very expensive failures. Given some of the problems that Toyota has suffered recently with engine sludge and other quality shortcomings, it looks like it is seriously considering a quick recall of the trucks to replace the engines.

If Toyota does end up replacing all 30,000 5.7L V-8s that have been built so far, it will be very expensive. With a very conservative estimate of $5,000 per truck, the bill could easily exceed $150,000,000. That's certainly not a good way to launch a new vehicle. If the problem turns out to be from the camshaft supplier, they will likely bear most of the financial burden for the recall, and we're not aware of many suppliers that have $150,000,000 lying around.

[Source: Detroit News]