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Norah of San Antonio TX (10/24/07)
I have had 2 Camray's and now have a 1999 4 runner that I bought brand new in San Antonio. I was on a trip to AR. and stopped to get gas in OK. When I pulled out onto the busy highway, I stepped on the gas -- to speed up to get back in traffic -- my engine, all of a sudden, sounded like something exploded and started shaking and sounded like metal grinding.

I immediatly pulled off the road and stayed on the same side of the road and drove back up the shoulder to the station where I had just filled up with gas. I looked under my 4 runner and oil was pouring out of it. Several men looked at it and said that oil was all over the engine. I have AARP Road Service, so I called them and was towed back to McKinney, TX.

My daughter lives there so I knew that I would have a place to stay. I bought my 4 runner brand new and I have every single receipt for every oil change, and every receipt for anything that has ever been done to my car. I really baby my cars. The service manager said that he could tell that the car was very well maintained and that it is VERY VERY RARE to see this happen. He looked at all of my receipts and could not understand how this could have happened.
u for your help.

Sharon of Newtonsville, OH October 10, 2007

Sharon of Newtonsville OH (10/10/07)
My engine froze up and had it towed to our local machinic. We live about 50 miles from the nearest Toyota dealer. After inspecting the engine it was determined it was sluge that froze up the engine. I had kept good records of the oil changes though out since I purchased my car new. I called the dealer and they said No, we do not cover sluge in the engine. Therefore, I had my machanic remove my engine and send it out to be cleaned then replaced in my Toyota. After all was done, it cost me about 4,000. It took my machanic almost 3 months to complete the job. I bought my car new in 1995. It is a 6 cyclinder.

Jan of Concord, CA October 2, 2007

Jan of Concord CA (10/02/07)
In 2001 we purchased a Toyota Solara. Before it reached 75,000 miles it started smoking on start up and burning oil. We took it to our trusted mechanic, not Toyota and he ended up having to replace engine, costing over 8,000. He had the engine apart and we received a postcard in the mail about a class action law suit. Now we are told by Toyota the ONLY way they will reimburse us is if we show proof of payment.

Our mechanic is owed around 5,000 and we cannot afford to pay this. I told Toyota I would wear my sandwich board sign referring people to Consumer Affairs to view complaints from customers and pass out fliers of several of these complaints. I was contacted a week later and told by someone from Toyota that they would send the mechanic a check and send us a check for what we had paid.

Now I am being told that never happened, there are no notes in my file that I had that conversation with anyone. What are my rights? I cannot pay my mechanic, he needs the money or he will take me to small claims court. I feel that Toyota is giving me the run around and it would be very easy for them to do what this one person said she was doing, which would be to pay him directly.

Dwight of Marietta, GA October 1, 2007

Dwight of Marietta GA (10/01/07)
I have a 2000 Camry that has an oil gel problem. I took it Marietta Toyota (Marietta, GA) for an oil gel test as the Toyota mail out says to do. The dealership says I need proof of oil change every 5,000 miles (Toyota says 7,500) and they want me to agree to pay 600 for the test.

Toyota's oil gel hotline (888)279-4405 says it is typically 70 to 150 and Toyota says the dealers are independent and they do not have a standardized test for the dealers to perform. When I would not agree to the 600, the dealership says I am not eligible on the paperwork they gave me for oil gel damage. One Toyota spokesman said they would take the owners word regarding oil changes.

I changed the Toyota oil to Mobil 1 synthetic and changed every 5,000 to 6,000 to make sure I did not have the problem. I drove the car for a lot of long trips for about 142,000 miles and the car has developed the problem since I have typically driven short trips between 142,000 and the current 186,000 miles which may have contributed to the problem or it took about 170,00 for it to show up.

There was a class opt out lawsuit in Louisiana that appears to 1) Pay the lawyers 1.8 M, pay a Louisiana Attorney to be an arbitrator, 3) Indemnify Toyota from lawsuits and provide no relief or responsibility for Toyota to fix oil gel damages. I have done a minor test by removing one of the valve covers and I have pictures and the oil gel removed from the engine. Pictures are available if you want them.

George of Los Angeles, CA August 1, 2007

George of Los Angeles CA (08/01/07)
I drive a 2001 Solara V6 SE and one day was driving 55-60 mph on Ca. highway 60 East bound when the car did a jerking motion. At first I thought it might be a flat so I turned down my radio and after a few minutes after the jerking motion occured again and at the same time my check engine light came on and a bluish smoke came out of the car. I in fact did receive a letter regarding certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles with this so called sluge incidents that will ruin the engine.

Sarah of Poughkeepsie, NY July 23, 2007

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