NHTSA Complaint #10178897 — 2000 TOYOTA TUNDRA

MY 2000 TUNDRA TRD 4X4 V-8, AUTO TRANS DEVELOPED AN ENGINE NOISE WITHIN THE FIRST 10,000 MILES AND FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, GODFREY TOYOTA OF CADILLAC, MI AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. AT APPROXIMATELY 78,000 MILES, THE O2 SENSOR FAILED, AS IDENTIFIED TO ME BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED MY SENSOR, AND INITIALLY BILLED ME FOR THE WORK. WHEN I ASKED THE MECHANIC, HE IDENTIFIED THE OCCURRENCE OF AN EXTENDED SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE O2 SENSOR. HE FURTHER IDENTIFIED THE REASON FOR THE NOISE WAS THE CRACKED MANIFOLD, THAT HAD APPARENTLY OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST 10,000 MILES OF DRIVING. HE INDICATED THE NOISE WAS WORSE WHEN THE ENGINE WAS COLD AND THAT AFTER DRIVING AWHILE, THE CRACKED TENDED TO CLOSE UP AND REDUCE THE NOISE. HE FURTHER INDICATED THAT IF THE O2 SENSOR HAD NOT COME OUT, THAT TOYOTA WOULD HAVE REPLACED THE MANIFOLD AND SENSOR AT THE SAME TIME, AT NO CHARGE. MY CHIEF CONCERN WITH THE CRACKED MANIFOLD IS THE POSSIBLE REDUCTION IN LIFE OF THE ENGINE DUE TO EXHAUST LEAKAGE, SECONDARILY TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS DURING ANY EXTENDED IDLING, SOMETHING I PERSONALLY DO NOT OFTEN DO. *NM