1995 Toyota 4 Runner

TOOK TRUCK IN TO GET OIL CHANGED AND GET A TUNE-UP, MECHANIC TELLS ME I HAVE A BLOWN GASKET. TALKED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP NEAR ME, SAID THAT IT WAS A RARE PROBLEM AND IT WAS GOING TO COST AT LEAST $1500 TO REPAIR. CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, SAID IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. CALLED TOYOTA'S "CUSTOMER SERVICE" AFTER READING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT AT "SECRET WARRANTY" FOR THIS PROBLEM. "CUSTOMER SERVICE" INDICATED MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

THE HEAD GASKET WERE REPLACED UNDER THE TOYOTA SPECIAL SERVICE BULLETIN VO6 AT 62000MI. THEY ARE NOW FAILING AGAIN AT 155,980. IT IS A DANGER TO THE OCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE TO HAVE THE ENGINE "BLOW" AND THE BACK WHEELS STOP ON A BUSY ROAD. THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IS IN A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES AS THEY APROCH THE 155000MI MARK AND WILL HAVE TO BE FIXED AGAIN, THIS TIME WITH THEIR OWN MONEY. THIS PART SHOULD NOT FAIL A SECOND TIME THERE IS STILL A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE, GASKET, OR THE PROCEDURE TO RE-ASSEMBLING THE ENGINE WILL MAKING THE REPAIR. TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADMIT THAT IT IS STILL NOT FIXED AND MAKE SURE ALL THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM CAN HAVE IT REPAIRED UNDER THE "NO AGE, NO MILEAGE" CLAUSE IN THE SERVICE DOCUMENT. *AK

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED WHICH THEN CAUSED ENGINE TO OVERHEAT WHICH CAUSED THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENGINES SHORT BLOCK. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A SERVICE CAMPAIGN NOTICE: 3V2-E (V06) WHICH COVERS THIS PROBLEM (NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: SB037553). BUT IT ONLY COVERS EARLY PRODUCTION 1995 TOYOTA 4RUNNERS. TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT MY VEHICLE (VIN) IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED EVEN THOUGH THE FAILURE EXPERIENCED IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CAMPAIGN NOTICE. TOYOTA (TO THEIR CREDIT) HAS PROVIDED A REPLACEMENT SHORT BLOCK AT NO CHARGE DURING THE ENGINE REBUILD.BUT, TOYOTA HAS NOT CONTRIBUTED THE LABOR COSTS AND ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS THAT WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. WE BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA'S SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH CLAIMS THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAS BEEN IMPROVED DOES NOT ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. SEE: NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: SB037547 WE FURTHER BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD COVER THE COST OF THE THE LABOR FOR THIS REPAIR WORK.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE: DULL BANG OCCURS IN ENGINE, EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE BILLOWS FROM EXHAUST. EXHAUST SMELLS SWEET FROM ANTI-FREEZE. ENGINE RAN ROUGH FROM ONE CYLINDER MISFIRING. COOLANT IS BEING BLOWN FROM RADIATOR CAP. HAD TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. VEHICLE TOWED TO HOME. TEST ON ENGINE OIL FINDS THAT COOLANT HAS MIXED WITH ENGINE LUBRICATING OIL. DISCUSSION WITH TOYOTA CERTIFIED MECHANIC RESULT: THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW HEAD GASKETS AND IS USUALLY CATASTROPHIC NEEDING ENGINE REBULD/REPLACEMENT AS THE ENGINE BLOCK USUALLY NEEDS RE-DECKING(MILLING) BEYOND MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TOLERANCES; COOLANT GALLERY COMES TOO CLOSE TO CYLINDER WALL AT HEAD. CONTACTED DEALER, REFERED TO TOYOTA NATIONAL SERVICE HOTLINE (800-331-4331) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PRIOR YEARS HEAD GASKET RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE MY YEAR, AND WAS RESOLVED FOR MY YEAR VEHICLE BY INSTALLING HEAVIER HEAD GASKETS AT POINT OF ENGINE MANUFACTURE. NO ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA NATIONAL SERVICE, BUT IF I WAS WILLING TO PURCHASE A NEW TOYOTA THAT TOYOTA NATIONAL SALES WOULD OFFER ASSISTANCE AFTER THE SALE WAS MADE. THE ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IS $5,300.00 WITH REBUILD (JASPER OR OTHER). SEEKING FINANCING TO REPAIR/REPLACE ENGINE.*AK