1994 Toyota Pickup

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 TOYOTA PICKUP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A SILENT RECALL FOR THE HEAD GASKET, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HEAVY WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 TOYOTA PICKUP. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS TO HAVE A NEW CLUTCH AND EXHAUST INSTALLED. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED A DEFECT AND ATTEMPTED TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER; HOWEVER, THE TOW DRIVER WOULD NOT TRANSPORT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND UNSAFE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000. UPDATED 6/01/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED A NEW CLUTCH AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. UPDATED 06/02/09.*JB

I OWN A 94 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND A 94 TOYOTA SR5 PICKUP TRUCK. BACK IN '98 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE I BROUGHT BOTH MY VEHICLES TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL. THEY REPLACED THE HEAD GASKETS ON BOTH VEHICLES. RECALL NOTICE: A 3VZ-E HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT JUNE 26, 1998 VEHICLE: TOYOTA TRUCK 4X4 MILEAGE: 46,623 JULY 17, 1998 VEHICLE: TOYOTA 4RUNNER MILEAGE: 38,037 THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY 2006 OF THIS YEAR, MY TOYOTA PICKUP TRUCK BLEW A HEAD GASKET WHEN I CRANKED IT UP ONE AFTERNOON. DENSE SMOKE AND RADIATOR FLUID FLOWED FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS VIBRATING. LESS THAN 12 HOURS AFTER THE HEAD GASKET BLEW IN MY PICKUP TRUCK, THE VERY NEXT MORNING I STARTED MY WIFE'S 4RUNNER TO MAKE A TRIP INTO TOWN. IMMEDIATELY WHEN I STARTED IT, DENSE SMOKE AND RADIATOR FLUID FLOWED FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS VIBRATING EVEN WORST THAN BEFORE. I IMMEDIATELY TURN THE TRUCK OFF. TOYOTA OPENED A CASE# 200602060829. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CALL CHAN COLEMAN AT SANFORD TOYOTA AND TRY TO GET A SPECIAL PRICE. I CALLED CHAN AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. HE TRANSFERRED ME TO SERVICE AND WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,600 PER VEHICLE TO REPAIR. I HAD BOTH VEHICLES TOWED AND REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. BELOW ARE THE DATES AND MILEAGE FOR THE REPAIRS. FEBRUARY 16, 2006 VEHICLE: TOYOTA TRUCK 4X4 MILEAGE: 120,000 FEBRUARY 4, 2006 VEHICLE: TOYOTA 4RUNNER MILEAGE: 102,000 I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC AT THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT THE REASON THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWING WAS BECAUSE OF A CASTING DESIGN FLAW WITH THE ENGINE HEADS AND NOT THE HEAD GASKETS. THE HEADS HAD DIMPLES WHICH OVER TIME WOULD CAUSE THE HEAD GASKET TO BLOW. THE HEADS ON BOTH MY VEHICLES HAD TO BE RESURFACED TO REMOVE THE DIMPLES. I CALLED TOYOTA WITH THIS INFORMATION BUT WAS TOLD THEY SHOW BOTH MY VEHICLES WERE FIXED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE RECALL AND IT IS A ONE TIME FIX ONLY AND THE OWNER NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AT SOME POINT.

CRACK IN A THIN AREA OF CYLINDER WALL. LOSS OF COOLANT CAUSED OVERHEATING. REPAIR REVEALED STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN WITH BROKEN GUIDES AND THE BEGINNINGS OF DAMAGE TO CHAIN COVER HOUSING. ALSO, THE REAR 2 CYLINDERS WERE CLOGGED WITH BURNED, DRIED OIL. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 90 DAYS(MARCH, JUNE, SEPTEMBER, DECEMBER). THE REPAIRMAN SAID IT WAS A FACTORY DEFECT AND NOT OF MY MAKING.

THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE CYLINDER HEAD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE OF A LEAKING HEAD GASKET. *JB THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO TOLD THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING FROM THE TOP TANK, THE CLUTCH FLEX LINE AND POWER STEERING PUMP WAS ALSO LEAKING. THE GAS GAUGE WAS INOPERATIVE. THE DRIVE BELT AND TIMING BELTS WERE REPLACED. PH. *JB

TRUCK OVER HEATED AND INITIAL DIAGNOSTIC STATED: NEW WATER PUMP, CRACKED HEAD, REBUILT ENGINE. TIMING CHAIN COVER WAS REPLACED, WATER PUMP REPLACED, AND HEAD RESURFACED. UPON HEARING A LOUD RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE ON FREEWAY, WAS ADVISED TO DRIVE 300+ MILES HOME WITH IT AND TO CALL IF IT WAS STILL THERE IN A FEW DAYS. TOOK TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER WHO HAS FOUND THAT CRANKSHAFT NEEDS TO BE SMOOTHED AND NEW BEARINGS ARE NEEDED (SO FAR...).POSSIBLY MORE LOWER PORTION ENGINE PROBLEMS-CYLINDER HEAD, PISTONS... RECOMMENDED REBUILD ENGINE... *****-DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS***** 758008.*AK *JB

I HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED AT 90,000 DUE TO A RECALL ISSUED BY TOYOTA. I AM NOW AT 115,000 AND THE HEAD GASKET NEEDS TO REPLACED ALREADY. I HAVE THE CAR AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID THAT HE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THAT I ALREADY HAD THE RECALL FIXED. HOWEVER HE DID MENTION TO ME THAT ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE HE RECENTLY HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED DUE TO THE RECALL AND IS HAVING HIS HEAD GASKET REPLACED AFTER 15,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT AT THIS TIME TOYOTA IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES BUT IF THEY DO THEN I CAN BE REIMBURSED AT A LATER POINT BUT THAT THERE WERE NO GUARANTEES. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE INITIAL WORK THAT WAS DONE DURING THE RECALL WAS DONE PROPERLY SINCE HEAD GASKETS DONT TYPICALLY GO BAD AFTER 25,000 MILES.*AK