NHTSA Complaint #10278383 — 2006 TOYOTA RAV4

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT NOTICED A PATCH OF OIL UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. HE CHECKED THE OIL AND DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS COMPLETELY LOW. HE PLACED FIVE QUARTS OF OIL IN THE VEHICLE AND WITHIN 30 MINUTES, ALL FIVE QUARTS HAD LEAKED OUT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP, BUT IT HAS NOT YET BEEN INSPECTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAD JUST REPAIRED THIS ISSUE ON ANOTHER TOYOTA RAV4 AND THAT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THROUGH RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED A TSB FOR THE TOYOTA AVALON (SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 06405, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10018855, COMPONENT: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, SUMMARY: ENGINE OIL DRIP: BANK 1 VVTI OIL LINE). BOTH THE AVALON AND THE RAV4 HAVE THE SAME ENGINE. THE TSB STATED THAT VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A SMALL/SLOW OIL DRIP FROM THE BANK 1 VVTI OIL SUPPLY LINE ON THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCE REPAIRING VEHICLES AND STATED THAT THE OIL SUPPLY LINE ON THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BURST, WHICH CAUSED OIL TO SPLATTER ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE OIL WAS LOW IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.