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Toyota lemon law
If your Toyota keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Toyota owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Toyota owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1,256 |
| Transmission, drive shafts and axles | 1,169 |
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 1,026 |
| Brakes | 844 |
| Airbags | 687 |
| Body, doors, hood and frame | 586 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 1,379 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- Tundra 1,390
- Highlander 1,043
- RAV4 967
- Sienna Hybrid 492
- Corolla 479
- Tacoma 472
Latest Toyota recalls
- Fuel System, Gasoline, October 14, 2026: 2026 Land Cruiser Hybrid, 2025 Land Cruiser Hybrid, 2024 Land Cruiser Hybrid, 2027 Land Cruiser Hybrid, about 105,794 vehicles.
“A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.”
NHTSA recall 26V673000 - Engine And Engine Cooling, October 7, 2026: 2026 RAV4 Plug-IN Hybrid, about 30,978 vehicles.
“An unexpected powertrain shutdown can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V659000 - Steering, September 17, 2026: 2026 Grand Highlander Hybrid, 2026 Grand Highlander, about 617 vehicles.
“A loss of vehicle steering control increases the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V598000 - Equipment, September 2, 2026: 2025 Tundra Hybrid, 2025 Tundra, 2024 Tacoma Hybrid, 2026 RAV4 Hybrid, about 135 vehicles.
“A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V571000 - Electrical System, September 2, 2026: 2026 C-HR, about 8,521 vehicles.
“An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V570000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Toyota was not on the state's list of makers in the new lemon law process on October 26, 2026, so the older rules apply. The list
How a Toyota lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Toyota, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Toyota refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Toyota lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Toyota lemons
How many complaints have Toyota owners filed with NHTSA?
7,976 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is engine.
How many Toyota recalls are there?
96 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Toyota models, for about 10,163,257 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Toyota a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Toyota lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Toyota at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Toyota have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Toyota opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Not on the state's list on October 26, 2026, so California's older lemon law rules apply to Toyota cars.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make TOYOTA. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Toyota a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More