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2018 Toyota Tundra · Torque converter replacement
2018 Toyota Tundra torque converter replacement cost
A 2018 Toyota Tundra torque converter replacement typically costs $1,220 to $2,370 at an independent shop, parts and labor included across its engine options. The torque converter itself runs $330 to $750, and the job takes 6 to 9 hours. Prices updated September 2026.
Estimated cost, selected engine
$1,270 to $2,370
Charlotte, NC area
Prices updated September 2026
Which engine? They price differently, so pick yours for a closer number.
Torque converter (part)
$330 to $750
Labor (6 to 9 hours)
$780 to $1,450
Fluids + supplies
$110 to $170
2018 Toyota Tundra torque converter replacement: parts and labor
Labor runs $780 to $1,450 (the job takes 6 to 9 hours at typical independent-shop rates), and the torque converter itself typically costs $330 to $750 for the 2018 Toyota Tundra, plus $110 to $170 in atf ws (11 to 12 qt), gaskets, cleaner. Prices updated September 2026.
| Engine | Parts | Labor | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7L V8 | $350 to $750 | $810 to $1,450 (7.0 to 10.0 hrs) | $1,270 to $2,370 |
| 4.6L V8 | $330 to $700 | $780 to $1,380 (6.8 to 9.5 hrs) | $1,220 to $2,250 |
Coverage note: None excluded. The E85 flex-fuel 5.7L (3UR-FBE) uses the same AB60E/F transmission and converter as the standard 5.7L, so it is folded into the 5.7L row; TRD Pro and tow-package trucks are 5.7L trim variations covered by the same row (tow package only changes fluid capacity by about half a quart). No hybrid or V6 was offered in the 2018 US lineup.
A genuine Toyota converter for this truck (32000-0C060 for most 2018 builds) carries a $1,477 MSRP and sells online for about $975 to $990, roughly double a quality reman unit, and dealers price the whole job at $2,500 to $3,000 or more at dealer labor rates. RepairPal publishes no torque converter line item for the Tundra at all (only generic transmission entries), and aggregator figures like the widely quoted $600 to $1,200 average lump in easy FWD cars; they understate a body-on-frame 4x4 where the transmission and transfer case must come out, so treat those as floor references, not quotes.
Where these numbers come from
- Estimate ranges: a hand-verified research pass for this exact vehicle and repair, cross-referenced across 11 independent sources (parts retailers, labor guides, and published shop pricing), completed September 2026.
- Recall and complaint data: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) records for the 2018 Toyota Tundra specifically, filtered to transmission relevance and refreshed daily from the federal API.
- Local prices: real, accepted quotes from verified Fixxr marketplace jobs, published per metro once five verified jobs of this type have closed. Never estimates dressed up as transactions.
Not included in the estimate: Diagnosis time to confirm the converter (road test, fluid inspection, ruling out valve body or shift solenoids), Valve body, solenoid, or full transmission rebuild if debris from the failed converter has circulated, Transmission cooler flush or cooler replacement beyond a basic line flush, Flexplate replacement if the old converter cracked or elongated the bolt holes, Rear main seal or transmission front pump seal beyond the standard reseal while the trans is out, Taxes, shop supplies, and disposal fees.
What actually goes wrong on this exact vehicle
Federal safety data for the 2018 Toyota Tundra, filtered to the transmission specifically.
0
transmission recalls
1
transmission owner complaint
Real owner report, verbatim from NHTSA:
“I was inspecting the vehicle for an extended warranty company the issue was the transmission. I was in the process of inspecting the vehicle when I was installing the Blue Diver to retrieve the stored codes in the system when I leaned in to turned the accessory key the vehicle started in gear and drove froward. Causing the left front door to close on me from the lift.”
Get the failure confirmed with a real diagnosis before you approve the repair, so you fix the part that actually failed.
Recall fixes are free at the dealer. Everything else deserves a fair price.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), recalls and complaints for the 2018 Toyota Tundra. Refreshed periodically.
Not sure what’s wrong?
A shudder or slip can be the torque converter, the transmission itself, worn mounts, or even misfires. Describe what your truck is doing and our free diagnostic tool narrows it down before you spend a dollar.
Diagnose it freeKnow what you need?
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Get connected with a mechanicHow your torque converter works
The torque converter is the fluid coupling between the engine and the automatic transmission in your 2018 Toyota Tundra. It lets the engine keep spinning at a stoplight, multiplies torque when you pull away, and at cruising speed an internal lockup clutch grips solid to stop wasting fuel. That clutch is the part that wears out, and because the converter bolts on between the engine and transmission, replacing it means removing the transmission, which is why labor is most of the bill.
Four signs it’s the torque converter
Shudder at steady speed
A rumble-strip vibration at light throttle on the highway. The classic sign of a worn converter lockup clutch.
RPM flares, truck doesn't
Engine revs climb without matching speed. The converter or transmission is slipping instead of gripping.
Delayed or harsh engagement
A pause or clunk when shifting into drive or reverse, especially cold.
Hot, dark, or burnt fluid
A slipping converter cooks the fluid. Dark color or a burnt smell means friction material is circulating.
The free check: on a quiet road, hold a steady 45 to 55 mph at light throttle. A vibration that appears in that zone and fades when you accelerate or lift off points at the converter clutch. Mention exactly when it happens to your shop; it is the single most useful thing you can tell them.
What a torque converter replacement is like on the 2018 Toyota Tundra
There is no shortcut on this truck: the converter lives between the 3UR-FE 5.7L (or 1UR-FE 4.6L) and the Aisin 6-speed, AB60E/AB60F behind the 5.7 and A760E/A760F behind the 4.6, and the whole transmission has to come out to swap it. On 4x4 trucks the transfer case, front driveshaft, and skid plates add roughly an hour over a 2WD SR5, which is why the labor spread runs 7.0 to 10.0 hours instead of a single book number. The 5.7's converter alone weighs about 47 pounds (Toyota lists the 32000-0C060 assembly at 47.1 lb versus 34.1 lb for the 32000-35230), so this is a two-person or transmission-jack job, not a driveway afternoon.
The 5.7 Tundra has a documented torque converter shudder history: Toyota TSB TC018-07 put a revised-design converter in early 5.7 trucks for lock-up shudder around 1,200 to 1,500 rpm, and later XK50 trucks including 2018s occasionally show the same light-throttle flutter at 40 to 50 mph. Before paying for a converter, have the shop rule out degraded ATF WS and the valve body or solenoids; Tundra forum threads are full of owners who replaced the converter and still had the shudder because the real fault was upstream.
Real part prices, not guesses: a remanufactured AB60E/F converter for the 5.7 runs about $566 from specialist rebuilders (Maktrans, 53A080/53A100 castings), quality reman units on eBay and from converter shops run $250 to $450, and genuine Toyota converters for the 2018 Tundra sell online for $974 to $989 against $1,454 to $1,477 MSRP. A documented owner repair on the same AB60 driveline came to $647 for the OEM converter plus $550 labor at older labor rates; at 2026 independent-shop rates of $115 to $145 per hour the same job labor bills $810 to $1,450.
Budget for a near-full fluid fill, not a top-off. The AB60F holds 11.7 quarts total (12.3 with the tow package) and about 6 liters of that sits in the converter and cooler circuit, so with the converter out you are buying 11 to 12 quarts of Toyota WS or a certified WS-equivalent at $9 to $13 per quart. There is no dipstick on this transmission; final level is set through the overflow plug with the fluid in a specific temperature window, so make sure the quote includes that level-check procedure and not just a dump-and-fill.
One honest decision point for a 2018 with real miles: if the old converter shed clutch material into the cooler and valve body, a converter-only fix can be throwing $1,500 at a transmission that is already contaminated. A remanufactured AB60E with converter included runs about $3,433 to $3,457 with a 5-year unlimited-mile warranty, and at least one Tundra owner who did converter-only needed the full transmission two years later. Ask the shop what the fluid and pan magnet looked like before choosing the cheap path.
Estimate note: these are researched independent-shop ranges, not a guaranteed quote. The only exact number is one from a shop that has seen your car.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2018 Toyota Tundra torque converter replacement cost?
A 2018 Toyota Tundra torque converter replacement typically runs $1,220 to $2,370 at an independent shop, parts and labor included. The torque converter itself is $330 to $750, labor makes up most of the rest, and the job takes 6 to 9 hours.Why does the price change with the engine?
The 2018 Toyota Tundra came with more than one engine, and they do not share the same part or the same access. A tighter engine bay or extra teardown adds labor hours, and the part price moves too. Sites that show one national number flatten that out. Pick your engine on the estimate above for a closer figure.What are the signs of a bad torque converter?
The classic sign is a shudder at steady highway speed under light throttle, a rumble-strip vibration that comes and goes as the converter's lockup clutch grabs and slips. Others: engine RPM flaring up without the truck speeding up, a delayed or harsh clunk into drive, a whine that changes with gear, and transmission temperature climbing on grades. These symptoms overlap with internal transmission problems and even engine misfires, so get a real diagnosis before paying for either.Can I drive my Toyota with a bad torque converter?
Briefly, but it gets more expensive the longer you wait. A slipping converter sheds clutch material into the transmission fluid and runs hot, and that debris circulates through the entire transmission. Caught early, this can be a converter and fluid job. Ignored, it becomes a full rebuild at several times the price. If it shudders occasionally, book the repair soon; if it slips hard or overheats, stop driving it.Should the transmission be rebuilt at the same time?
Fluid condition is the tell. If the fluid is clean and the failure is isolated to the converter clutch, a converter-only replacement is a legitimate fix, and the labor is already paid since the transmission comes out either way. If the fluid is dark, smells burnt, or carries metal or friction material, converter debris has been through the whole unit and a reputable shop will recommend a rebuild instead of bolting a new converter to a dying transmission. Ask to see the fluid and the pan.How long does a torque converter last?
Usually the life of the transmission, commonly 100,000 to 200,000 miles. The weak point is the lockup clutch inside the converter, which wears like any friction clutch, and worn-out fluid accelerates it. Regular transmission fluid service is the cheapest way to extend converter life, and it is also what keeps a future repair converter-only instead of a rebuild.Are there recalls on the 2018 Toyota Tundra?
Yes, NHTSA lists 9 recalls for the 2018 Toyota Tundra. Recall repairs are done free of charge at a franchised dealer for that brand, so it is worth checking your VIN before paying a shop for related work.
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