1997 Toyota 4 Runner

I HAVE MAINTAINED THE 4 RUNNER'S RECORDS SINCE MY PURCHASE NEW IN 12/96. THEY CLAIM I DID NOT CHANGE OIL FOR A LONG TIME AND CAUSED ENGINE SLUDGE. MECHANIC SAID IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO SETTLEMENT BELOW. TOYOTA OIL SLUDGE FACED WITH A CONSUMER REVOLT OVER LOW MILEAGE ENGINE FAILURES CAUSED BY OIL SLUDGE BUILDUP, TOYOTA HAS BEGUN TO NOTIFY 3.3 MILLION OWNERS OF 1997-2002 TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES WITH 3.0-LITER IMZ V-6 ENGINES AND ALL 1997-2001 TOYOTA VEHICLES WITH 5SFE 2.2-LITER 4-CYLINDER ENGINES THAT IT WILL COVER THE COST OF SLUDGE-RELATED REPAIRS FOR EIGHT YEARS FROM DATE OF INITIAL SALE. WHETHER THIS WILL SATISFY THE THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA AND LEXUS OWNERS WHO HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED ENGINE FAILURE REMAINS TO BE SEEN BECAUSE TOYOTA'S SPECIAL POLICY FALLS SHORT OF AN EXPRESS WARRANTY. TOYOTA MODIFIED V-6 ENGINES MADE AFTER JULY 2001 BUT HAS NOT RECALLED THE EARLIER ENGINES. THE 2.2L 4-CYLINDER HAS BEEN DROPPED.

ENGINE STOP RUNNING, BECAUSE OF SLUG BUILD UP IN 4 RUNNER ENGINE 1997. OTHER CARS IN THE TOYOTA LINE HAVE SAME PROBLEM AND THEY ARE FIXING THE ENGINE FOR FREE, BUT NOT THE 4 RUNNER. THEY HAVE 3 MODELS THAT ARE DOING THE SAME THING, THE ENGINE ARE SLUGGING UP AND CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE. THEY SAID THIS MODEL DOES NOT FALL IN THAT LINE, AND WILL COST ME $9,000 TO FIX, BUT FIRST THEY QUOTE ME $5000. THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES OR SO, NOT ALL BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE AND DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO ME UNTIL IT WAS TO LATE AND NOT REVERSIBLE, TO GET MONEY OUT OF THE CONSUMER. I HAD 3 OTHER CARS WITH WHERE HONDA'S AND THEY NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM, AND TWO OF THOSE HONDA'S HAD OVER 200,000 MILES AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED AT THE SAME INTERVALS AS THE 4 RUNNER. DO YOU THINK THE CONSUMERS HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO FIXED SOMETHING LIKE THIS. $9000 FOR A REBUILT ENGINE, YOU CAN BUY A USED VERY GOOD HONDA FOR THIS PRICE. THIS CAR STILL HAVE A LEAN ON IT. TOYOTA'S SUPPOSE TO BE GOOD CARS, WITH BAD ENGINES. ALL MY PROBLEMS START WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR A RECALL ON SHOCKS AND AFTER THAT THE ENGINE START LEAKING OIL AND SMOKING WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE. THE DEALER DID SOMETHING TO MY CAR AND NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT???????????? *NLM