NHTSA Complaint #10267106 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8TH I WAS IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND NOTICED THAT MY CAR WAS LEAKING OIL SO I WENT TO THE SERVICE STATION AND FILLED IT WITH TWO QUARTS OF OIL. I WAS ON MY WAY HOME TO MARYLAND AND HAD TO STOP FOR GAS IN PENNSYLVANIA SO I CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL IN MY CAR AND FOUND THAT IT WAS VERY LOW. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM SO I PUT ANOTHER TWO QUARTS IN MY CAR AND CONTACTED LANCASTER TOYOTA IN LANCASTER PENNSYLVANIA (717-569-7373). I EXPLAINED MY SITUATION TO THEM AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE. MY SERVICE ADVISOR'S NAME AT LANCASTER TOYOTA WAS MS. SHARON ESHELMAN. MS. ESHELMAN INFORMED ME THAT MY OIL COOLING LINE ALSO KNOWN AS THE VVTI LINE HAD RUPTURED AND TOYOTA HAS A NEW REPLACEMENT PART THAT IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. LANCASTER TOYOTA DIDN'T HAVE THE NEW REPLACEMENT PART HOWEVER THEY COULD PUT THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART THAT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BACK ON MY CAR AT A COST OF $307.09 WHICH WOULD ALLOW ME TO GET HOME. I PICKED MY CAR UP FROM LANCASTER TOYOTA THURSDAY, APRIL 9TH AND DROVE IT TO TOYOTA OF BOWIE TO CHECK MY ENGINE FOR DAMAGE. ON FRIDAY THEY CALLED AND SAID HE DIDN'T SEE ANY DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE AND PICK THE CAR UP. I DROVE IT DIRECTLY TO MY SON'S DOCTOR'S OFFICE IN CROFTON, MD APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AWAY FROM TOYOTA OF BOWIE. PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND HEARD THE ENGINE KNOCKING. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND SAW OIL SPURTING OUT AND DRIPPING EVERYWHERE, THE OIL COOLING LINE (VVTI LINE PART NO. 1570731012) HAD RUPTURED AGAIN! I CALLED TOYOTA AND INFORMED THEM OF THE EVENTS AND THEY TOLD ME TO TOW THE CAR BACK TO THEM. TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA SHOULD RECALL THIS PART BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE. THIS PART CAN RUPTURE AT ANY POINT AND TIME AND THE OIL LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. PLEASE SEE LINKS HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/TOYOTA/AVALON/2006/ENGINE/COMPLETE_LOSS_OF_ENGINE_OIL_WITH_NO_WARNING_LIGHT.SHTML HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2006/TOYOTA/AVALON. *TR