NHTSA Complaint #10282239 — 2006 TOYOTA RAV4

EMAIL TO TOYOTA I HAVE BEEN GENERALLY VERY HAPPY WITH MY 2006 RAV4 (6 CYL, 62K MILES) BUT THIS PAST THURSDAY I HAD A REAL SCARE. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A MEETING ABOUT 15 MILES AWAY VIA INTERSTATE. WHEN I STARTED MY CAR LEAVING THE MEETING, MY OIL PRESSURE LIGHT BLINKED ON THEN WENT OFF. ALTHOUGH IT WAS UNUSUAL, I DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THINKING I WOULD CHECK MY OIL WHEN I GOT HOME. MIDWAY HOME, I BEGAN TO HEAR SOME STRANGE NOISES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SINCE IT WAS FAIRLY HOT, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE FAN AND SHUT DOWN THE AC AND TURNED OFF THE RADIO TO LISTEN. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO MAKE STRANGE NOISES. AFTER STOPPING AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP NEAR HOME I ACCELERATED ONTO THE SIDE STREET AND THE NOISE BECAME VERY LOUD. I DROVE SLOWLY THE LAST 1/2 MILE HOME. WHEN I GOT HOME, I OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND OIL ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WAS NO OIL READING ON THE DIPSTICK. NOTE THAT THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. I ADDED THE ONLY QUART OF OIL THAT I HAD AT HOME AND DROVE SLOWLY TO MY MECHANIC ABOUT A MILE AWAY. WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING, THEY SAID THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. A RUBBER HOSE THAT RAN FROM THE VALVE COVER TO THE OIL PUMP RESERVOIR HAD SPLIT AND PUMPED OUT ALL THE OIL. THEY SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE HOSE HAD SOME METAL SHIELDING, THE HEAT HAD DETERIORATED THE RUBBER CAUSING THE SPLIT. THEY WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THE PART AND CLEAN MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT FOR $600. I JUST DROVE IT ABOUT 300 MILES TODAY AND AFTER A FEW MILES OF DRIVING, THE ENGINE RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL SOUND SO I AM HOPING THAT THERE WAS NO LONG TERM DAMAGE. MY CONCERN IS THAT I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A 2000 MILE TRIP TO CANADA AND IF THAT HAD HAPPENED DURING AN EXTENDED ROAD TRIP, MY ENGINE WOULD BE TOAST. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH HE HAS THE SAME ENGINE IN HIS 2008 TOYOTA. THERE IS NOTHING I COULD FIND IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL TELLING ME THAT I HAD TO HAVE THIS HOSE CHECKED. *TR