2003 Toyota RAV4

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE LACK OF OIL IN THE ENGINE, ALTHOUGH OIL HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE VEHICLE A WEEK BEFORE. THE ENGINE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED IN JULY OF 2006 DUE TO THE SAME FAILURE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

I HAVE A 2003 RAVA4. I USE SYNTHETIC OIL IN IT WHEN I GET MY REGULAR OIL CHANGE. LAST WEEK I WAS DRIVING TO THE STORE AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I GOT AN OIL CHANGE AROUND TWO MONTHS AGO. I BECAME VERY ALARMED. I WENT BACK TO MY HOME AND PUT MORE OIL IN THE ENGINE. I THEN WENT TO THE STORE NOW I AM HEARING A SOUND THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE CAR IS A BOMB. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANICS SAYS I HAVE SLUDGE. I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE I USE SYNTHETIC OIL. TOYOTA DEALER WANT ME TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE WITH LABOR IT WILL COST ME 8,000.00. I HAVE 39,000 MILES. SHOULD THE DEALER FIX THIS FOR ME BECAUSE MY ENGINE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY? *JB

ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2006 WHILE DRIVING FROM RHODE ISLAND, THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON - IMMEDIATELY I PULLED OVER TO THE NEXT EXIT TO A GAS STATION. I PUT ONE QUART OF OIL IN THE ENGINE BECAUSE THAT IS ALL IT STATED IT NEEDED. AT WHICH TIME THE OIL LIGHT WENT OFF. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON - THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER A FEW MINUTES A CLICKING SOUND STARTED - SO IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. I TRIED TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN - HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED AAA TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. THE CAR WAS TOWED FROM RHODE ISLAND TO NORTH CARY AUTO. THE MECHANIC TRIED STARTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS NO GOOD. I ASKED HIM TO CHECK THE CAR OVER TO MAKE SURE THIS WAS THE CASE. HE STATED THAT AFTER CHECKING THE CAR - HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE THE CAR HAD PLENTY OF OIL. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED IRA TOYOTA AND THE TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE AT WHICH TIME THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT IN TO A TOYOTA DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. ON FEBRUARY 2 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 P.M. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CHARLENE TO INFORM ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE $10,000 TO REPAIR THE CAR BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS GONE. SHE STATED THAT A ROD BROKE AND WENT UP INTO ENGINE WHICH CAUSED IT TO SHUT DOWN. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER MANAGER, CATHY KITIK, WHO ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS "GUNK" IN THE ENGINE. AT WHICH TIME I INFORMED HER THAT IT WAS SLUDGE AND IT IS KNOWN THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE V4 AND V6 ENGINES. SHE STATED THAT IT NEVER OCCURRED IN THE TOYOTA RAV 4. AT WHICH TIME I ASKED HER "IS IT A TOYOTA ENGINE" AND SHE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS. SHE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A ROD BROKE AND WENT INTO THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSED IT TO SHUT DOWN. I INFORMED HER THAT I HAD RECEIPTS WHICH SHOWED THE OIL WAS CHANGED APPROPRIATELY. *NM

OWNER OF 2003 TOYOTA RAV4S, PURCHASED AS A NEW VEHICLE NOVEMBER 2003. IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED INCREASING MEDICAL PROBLEMS ( RESPIRATORY, GASTROINTESTINAL, NEUROLOGIC, ETC.) AND HAS RECEIVED EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE MEDICAL TESTING WITHOUT CLEAR DIAGNOSIS. TEST HAVE ALSO BEEN PERFORMED IN THE HOME WHICH FAIL TO SUGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSE WITHIN THE HOUSE. OWNER HAS PROGRESSIVELY ASSOCIATED ISSUES OF ILLNESS WITH DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, EVEN FOR SHORT DISTANCES AND SHORT DURATIONS. ALTHOUGH HAVING ONLY 17, 500 MILES DRIVEN, THE VEHICLE IS BASICALLY NOW NOT USEABLE. AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR HAS SUGGESTED THAT AN ODOR IS DEFINITELY BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE HEATING AND AARI CONDITIONING SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO SAY WHAT IT MIGHT BE. AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT RAN A FEW TESTS, INDICATED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DISCERN A PROBLEM, AND HAS BASICALLY WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THE PROBLEM. NO SPECIFIC INCIDENT DATE WOULD BE APPLICABLE, AS THE SYMPTOMS HAVE ACCELERRATED OVER TIME. OTHER DETAILS TO BE PROVIDED AS NEEDED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING TO SAN ANTONIO ON 11-26 2004 MY TOYOTA RAV4 JUST LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON I-37 I PULLED OVER AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP.I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN ON THREE OTHER OCCASIONS AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT NOTHING WRONG COULD BE FOUND WITH THE VEHICLE.ON 11-28-04 ABOUT TWO BLOCKS FROM MY HOME ON THE RETURN TRIP FROM SAN ANTONIO IT DID IT AGAIN ONCE AGAIN I PULLED OVER AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP. I FEEL THAT THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE TOYOTA COMPANY IS TAKING THIS PROBLEM SERIOUSLY.*AK