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Toyota • Airbags • Engine Problems • Cruise Control • Cooling System • Safety • Toyota Motor Credit • Avalon • Echo • Prius • Scion • Tacoma • Tundra --- Reviews • 2007 Corolla • 2006 Prius • 2007 Camry --- News • Toyota Raises Prices, Prius Jumps $400 • Quality Auditor Charges Toyota Cover-Up • Toyota Agrees to Oil-Sludge Settlement • Toyota Camry Named "Car of the Year" • Software Glitch Slows Some 2007 Camrys • Is Toyota's Quality Slipping? • Toyota Delays U.S. Sales of New Corolla to Improve Quality • Facing Massive Recalls, Toyota Executives Promise to Do Better • Toyota Recalls Near 800,000 for July • Japanese Probe Recall Delay at Toyota • Toyota Builds More Efficient Gasoline Engines • Toyota Cuts Entry-Level Camry Price, Boosts Luxury Model • Toyota Dons NASCAR Racing Gear • Toyota Sludge

Gary of Glastonbury, CT February 6, 2008

Gary of Glastonbury CT (02/06/08)
01 Rav 4 had engine replaced in 04 under warranty (47000 miles). 25 000 miles later after inspection at Meineke I was informed that Flex Plate was cracked. From a number of mechanics and web sites I have perused it states this normally occurs as a result of incorrection engine installation (bolt torque, alignment etc.). Meineke also stated on report that stiffner plate was missing. After handing Meineke report to Lynch they confirmed Flex Plate was cracked but that they check torque values were all correct and that strangely Stiffner plate was present! Anyways they completely absolve themselves from any responsibility to assist me with costs in repairing the vechile. Their estimate to fix was over 1500. I lodged a complaint with Toyota, they gave me a case number but todate I have not heard another word from the dealership. I have subqequently taken the vehicle to a transmission specialist to repair. They have the cracked flex plate but had to also replace the torque converter. I need to know why at 72000 miles on the clock and a replaced engine at 47000 miles the flex plate cracked. The service manager tells me this has happened before and in all likeyhood is due to poor materials and nothing else. Well why is toyota using inferior materials if that is the case? In addition to this issue a problem I had with the Rav from the day I drove it off the lot, was a rattle in the dash. Over several years, I had the vehcile at the dealership to correct this problem, but in all these years it was never resolved. I guess after this experience I fail to see the quality of a toyota product or their after market service.

Charles of Manvel, TX January 16, 2008

Charles of Manvel TX (01/16/08)
very similar experience to recent oil sludge class action settlement except our car is a 2004 Toyota Sienna (50,000 miles). Our check engine light came on and as we were taking our Sienna to the dealership, it stalled and smoke started billowing from the engine. There was no indication of overheating while we were driving the car to the dealership until it stalled. We have very good service and maintenance records on this mini van and actually just had it's regularly scheduled service 7 weeks earlier at the same dealership. They are claiming we drove it when we should have known it was overheating and that we burned out the engine which will require a complete replacement (5600 to 9000) even though we are still within the powertrain warranty.

Dale of Ishpeming, MI November 10, 2007

Dale of Ishpeming MI (11/10/07)
I had owned a 1989 Toyota 4-Runner..3Ltr 6cyl..There was a head gasket recall, in which in 1997 the gasket went. We had it fixed in which they had charged us other fees?? 2500 miles later the engine seized.Upon investigating the oil in the pan was like jello.The oil was just changed within the last 2000 miles.

Bijal of Redmond, WA November 8, 2007

Bijal of Redmond WA (11/08/07)
Our Toyota Camry stopped working with a large noise and smoke coming out of the hood. A car mechanic opened the hood and found broken connecting rod and the block had a big hole on the side of it below the oil filter housing. On Checking the oil level, the dipstick showed too much oil in the system even with the hole. We got views from two different mechanics and both concluded that too much oil in the engine caused this failure.

Frank of Kingsland, GA November 6, 2007

Frank of Kingsland GA (11/06/07)
I have never owned a Toyota, but after I started riding in a carpool with co-workers, one of whom drove a '98 Toyota Avalon, I was so impressed with it I found one on the internet and went out and bought it. It is a 2001 Avalon XLS with only 65K miles on it. After driving it for awhile I noticed it blew blue smoke at cold startup and eventually figured out it uses a quart of oil every 300 - 400 miles, but doesn't leak at all.

I took it to a Toyota dealership in Jacksonville, Florida to have a computer analysis performed. They asked me if I wanted them to perform a jell test. I had never heard of such a thing! Anyway, they did the test and said my engine is sludged and needed to be rebuilt or replaced. They also said I had to furnish maintenance records for the oil changes.

I just bought the car through an estate sale in Miami Florida, the deceased owner was 86 years old and never drove it out of town, I don't have any maintenance records. I'm trying to locate the owners son who sold me the car but so far have not had any luck. The dealer has been honest and upfront about the engine jellification problems but says I need the maintenance records before they can call Toyota for a disposition on repair or replacement. Right now the car is sitting at the dealer while I figure out what to do.

Well, you can see the dilemma I'm in, having never owned a Toyota, and now that I do I'm not very impressed with the engine reliability as I had always heard they were extremely reliable. I paid cash for the car so I have no recourse as for trying to return it.

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