NHTSA Complaint #10275387 — 2004 TOYOTA RAV4

CAR WAS SERVICED MAY 28, 2009, THEN DRIVEN ACROSS COUNTRY, FROM NEW YORK STATE. ABOUT TWO HOURS OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, WAS FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY EMPTY OF COOLANT. CAR BROUGHT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE NO RADIATOR OR OTHER COOLING SYSTEM LEAKS WERE DETECTED, BUT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. WHEN THEY TORE DOWN THE ENGINE TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKET, THEY STATED THAT "THE BOLTS ARE STRIPPED" AND NOW THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED -- AT A COST OF $7000 +. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE HAD SEEN OTHER TOYOTAS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THERE MIGHT BE A TSB OUT ON IT -- BUT IT WAS PAST WARRANTY AND SO WERE "STUCK". NO ONE CAN EXPLAIN WHY THE BOLTS WOULD HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY "STRIPPED". THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THREE WEEKS WHILE WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT. THE HEAD MECHANIC SAYS IT ISN'T WORTH ANYTHING BUT HE'LL TAKE IT OFF OUR HANDS FOR THE COST OF THE PARTIAL REPAIR BILL ($600). WE'RE NOT GETTING THE STRAIGHT STORY, TOYOTA REFUSES TO COVER THE REPAIR, BUT THERE ARE POSTINGS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITH VERY SIMILAR STORIES, INCLUDING THAT TOYOTA HAS SELECTIVELY "PARTICIPATED" IN THE REPAIRS. THERE IS NO TSB FOR THIS CAR APPARENTLY -- BUT THERE ARE FOR CARS WITH THE SAME ENGINE. *TR