Tundra 5.7 Oil Consumption Fix (Piston Rings?)

The Toyota Tundra equipped with the 5.7L 3UR-FE V8 is widely regarded as one of the most reliable full-size trucks ever built, yet a well-documented issue has affected hundreds of thousands of owners: excessive oil consumption, often 1 quart or more every 1,000–1,500 miles. While the problem can appear as early as 50,000 miles, it most commonly becomes noticeable between 100,000 and 200,000 miles. The overwhelming root cause is failed piston rings, particularly low-tension oil control rings in particular, that no longer scrape oil effectively from the cylinder walls, allowing it to enter the combustion chamber and burn.

How the 5.7L 3UR-FE Oil Consumption Problem Develops

The 3UR-FE uses an aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners and relatively low-tension piston rings designed for reduced friction and better fuel economy. Over time, especially under repeated cold starts, short trips, or towing/heavy-load conditions, the oil control ring grooves and drain-back holes become clogged with carbon. Once the rings can no longer expand fully against the cylinder wall or the drain holes are blocked, oil remains on the wall during the upstroke and is burned on the next combustion cycle. Owners typically notice blue smoke on start-up (especially after the truck has sat for hours), smoke on deceleration, or during hard acceleration, fouled spark plugs, and the constant need to add oil between changes.

Official Toyota Position and Warranty Enhancement

Toyota issued Customer Support Program ZE7 (Warranty Enhancement) that extended coverage for excessive oil consumption on certain 2007–2021 Tundra 5.7L models (as well as Sequoia and Lexus LX570 with the same engine). The program includes an oil consumption test: after a 1,200-mile monitored interval, if the engine consumes more than 1 quart, Toyota will replace the pistons and piston rings at no cost to the owner, including related gaskets and labor. The enhanced warranty lasts 10 years or 150,000 miles from original in-service date, whichever comes first. Many trucks are now outside this window, leaving owners to pay out of pocket.

Symptoms That Confirm Piston Rings Are the Culprit

• Visible blue or gray smoke from the tailpipe on cold start or when letting off the throttle at highway speeds

• Spark plugs with heavy black carbon or oil-fouled tips on banks 1 and/or 2 (driver side usually worse)

• Oil level drops 1–3 quarts between 5,000-mile oil changes

• No external leaks found after pressure washing the engine and checking valve covers, oil cooler lines, etc.

• Compression test normal (140–170 psi across all cylinders), but leak-down test shows 20–40% leakage past the rings

• Bore scoping reveals vertical scoring or glazing on cylinder walls and carbon-packed ring lands

Short-Term and Band-Aid Fixes (and Why They Usually Fail)

Many owners first try heavier viscosity oils (5W-30 or 0W-40 instead of 0W-20, or switch to high-mileage or ester-based synthetics (Mobil 1 FS, Valvoline Restore & Protect, HPL High Performance, etc.). These can slow consumption for a few thousand miles, but once the rings are stuck or the drain holes are fully blocked, thicker oil only masks the problem.

Ceramic engine “restorers,” seafoam treatments, BG EPR, Auto-RX, or Marvel Mystery Oil clean-ups rarely solve severe cases because they cannot physically unstick a seized steel oil-control ring expander or clear carbon from microscopic drain-back holes.

The Real Fix: Piston and Ring Replacement

The only permanent repair proven on hundreds of documented Tundras is complete piston and piston-ring replacement using the revised Toyota parts introduced around 2017–2018:

• Updated piston skirt coating (resin instead of molybdenum)

• Thicker, higher-tension oil-control rings

• Redesigned ring lands with better drain-back geometry

• Revised expander springs

Toyota service bulletin T-SB-0046-18 and later revisions detail the exact part numbers:

Pistons: 13211-0S020 (standard size)

Ring set per cylinder: 13011-0S010 or newer 13011-0S011

Head gasket kit, intake gaskets, exhaust manifold gaskets, crankshaft seal, etc.

Most independent shops and dealerships now quote $4,200–$6,500 USD for the full job (parts ≈ $1,600–$2,000, labor 35–45 hours). The engine must come out of the truck because the oil pan cannot be removed in-chassis on 4WD models.

Step-by-Step Overview of the Professional Repair

1. Remove cab or engine (most shops pull the engine for better access and to hone cylinders properly)

2. Disassemble heads, timing chains, oil pan, etc.

3. Remove pistons from rods while still in the block (rod caps off, push pistons out the top)

4. Hone cylinders with 280–400 grit balls or deck-plate torque hone to break glaze and restore cross-hatch

5. Thoroughly clean block of all honing debris (multiple hot-tank cycles)

6. Install new pistons with updated rings, carefully stagger gaps

7. New main and rod bearings are highly recommended while everything is apart

8. Reassemble with new gaskets, seals, timing chain tensioner, water pump, thermostat

9. Prime oil system, first start with 0W-20 Toyota genuine or Mobil 1 AFE, change again at 1,000 miles

Trucks that receive the revised pistons and proper honing almost universally drop to near-zero oil consumption, even at 300,000+ miles afterward.

Alternative Approaches Some Owners Choose

• Buy a used 5.7L 3UR-FE from a wrecked 2019+ Tundra/Sequoia that already has the updated pistons (many junkyards now label them “new-style”) and swap the entire long block ($2,500–$4,000 + labor).

• Re-ring only without pulling the engine by dropping the oil pan in a 2WD truck and using a borescope-guided ring compressor from the top, risky, rare, and usually fails within 20k miles.

• Convert to a 3UZ-FE or 2UZ-FE (almost impossible), or swap to Cummins 5.9/6.7 (extreme and expensive).

Prevention Tips for Remaining 5.7L Owners

• Use only 0W-20 full synthetic that meets Toyota specs

• Change oil every 5,000 miles or 6 months maximum

• Let the engine reach full operating temperature on every drive

• Avoid excessive idling and very short trips

• Consider installing an oil catch can on PCV system to reduce carbon buildup

The 5.7 Tundra remains an exceptionally durable truck once the oil-consumption issue is addressed with the updated pistons and rings. Thousands of owners who have completed the repair report the engine feeling stronger than new and no longer needing to carry spare quarts.