NHTSA Complaint #10149261 — 2002 TOYOTA RAV4

WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY OIL LIGHT TURNED ON AN SECONDS LATER WHITE SMOKE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. AFTER LOOKING AT THE CAR THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINE THAT THE RADIATOR HAD CRACKED DUE TO THE SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. SAID I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. TOLD THEM I HAD A 100,000 MILE 5 YEAR WARRANTY. MY CAR HAD ABOUT 85,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY DOUBTED THAT THE WARRANTY PEOPLE WOULD COVER THAT AND THEY RARELY SAW PEOPLE GET COVERAGE FOR SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. REPORTED TO WARRANTY PEOPLE AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS "VERY POORLY MAINTAINED" AND BECAUSE I DID NOT CHANGE OIL OR MAINTAIN MY CAR THEY WOULD NOT COVER. I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD CHANGED MY OIL SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I OWNED THE CAR. THEY SAID I NEED ALL RECEIPTS. I HAD A FEW RECEIPTS BUT NOT ALL. TOOK MY CAR TO A PRIVATE SHOP AND GOT REBUILT ENGINE. STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET CAR OUT BECAUSE I AM FINANCIALLY STRAPPED. IT COSTS 3500.00. TOYOTA SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY 8000.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE AND 5000.00 FOR A USED ENGINE. HAD TO RENT CAR THAT HAS COST ME 1100.00. MUST TAKE CAR BACK BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD IT. WON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION. I AM DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS I BOUGHT A TOYOTA WAS BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR MANUFACTURING DEPENDABLE, LONG LASTING CARS. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER AND HAVE SO MUCH ON MY PLATE TO WORRY ABOUT BROKEN DOWN CARS. *NM