The last 5.7L V8 Tundra and the smallest complaint file in the range — the send-off year, worth buying for the engine everyone misses.

Recall 21V-688 (Toyota 21TB06/21TA06) covers 2018–2021 Tundra: the headlight electrical circuit may power the high and low beams at the same time and overheat the connector, which can start a fire. Dealers modify the engine wire harness and replace any damaged bulb, connector, or headlight assembly, free. Verify by VIN — several owners noted the recall part was on backorder for a time.

The remaining 2021 reports are low-frequency characteristics, not failures. The combination-meter (instrument LCD) can go blank — an owner asked to be included in the 2022–2023 recall (23V-111) that covers exactly this display; check whether a fix was applied. Several owners describe the driver's seat rocking back and forth under braking or acceleration (dealers cite the seat track). Others note sunroof shatter, a front-end shimmy, windshield fragility, and TRD Pro accessory LED-light rattle. None are dealbreakers, but they shape the test drive.

The XK50 mechanical inspection applies to the final V8 year too. The cam-tower oil leak (a $1,200–$1,500 reseal, mechanic estimate) weeps onto the exhaust manifold — check for smoke and a burning-oil smell rather than a puddle. If the truck lived in a salt state, inspect the frame, front calipers, and rear wheel-bearing backing plates from underneath; a rotten frame is a walk-away. No factory transmission cooler this year, so add a thermostatic one if you tow heavily.