NHTSA Complaint #10296816 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

2007 TOYOTA RAV 4: ENGINETYPE V6 1) DRIVING CAR ON HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, STOPPED AT LIGHT, SMELLED OIL BURNING THOUGHT SMELL WAS FROM OTHER VEHICLES. CONTINUED TO DRIVE WHEN STOPPED AT NEXT STOP LIGHT SMELLED OIL BURNING, SAW LIGHT TRAILS OF SMOKE AROUND HEAD LIGHTS. WATCHED GAUGES AND GOT THE CAR HOME. 2) SHUT OF ENGINE RAISED HOOD AND REMOVED PLASTIC ENGINE COVER. SAW OIL WAS ALL OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT OF ENGINE NEAR FIRE WALL AND WHEEL ON WELL COVER. HAD WIFE START CAR, SAW OIL SQUIRTING IN A SMALL STREAM FROM A RUBBER HOSE ATTACHED TO METAL PIPE. THE PIPE THE HOSE WAS ATTACHED TO WAS ATTACHED TO ENGINES CYLINDER HEAD NEXT TO FIRE WALL AT THE FRONT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. 3) I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE DEC. 2007 WHEN IT WAS BRAND NEW IT NOW HAS 80,000. MILES. I TALKED TO THE LOCAL DEALER ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC FAILURE, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM. I GAVE THE DEALER MY VIN AND MILEAGE, I WAS TOLD MY VIN WAS NOT ON THE LIST AND MY MILES WERE WELL OVER THE VEHICLES WARRANTY LIMIT OF 3 YEARS OR 36,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD IF I WANTED A QUOTE I WOULD NEED TO GET IT TOWED IN AND THEY WOULD GIVE ME A QUOTE FOR THE WORK. AT THIS TIME BASED ON ALL THE INFORMATION STILL AM INVESTIGATING MY OPTIONS FOR THIS REPAIR TO ATTEMPT TO REDUCE MY COSTS. THE REPAIR OF THIS FAILED OIL LINE ENTAILS THE REMOVAL OF THE COMPLETE FAILED OIL LINE END TO END AND THE INSTALLATION OF A COMPLETE METAL PIPE ASSEMBLY. SO FAR I AM FINDING THIS FAILURE SEEMS TO BE A QUITE COMMON WITH THIS MODEL ENGINE WITH THIS OIL LINE CONFIGURATION. BASED ON THIS FAILURE AND THAT IT IS A KNOW PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT I'M STUCK WITH ALL THE COSTS. PLUS I COULD FOR SEE IN SOME FAILURES ONE MIGHT NOT DETECT THE PROBLEM THUS EXPERIENCING A FULL ENGINE FAILURE. I WOULD HAVE TO BELIEVE IF IT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, YOU'LL NEVER RECEIVE A COMPLAINT ON THIS PROBLEM. FROM A CROSS SECTIONAL POINT, YOUR ONLY EXPERIENCING THOSE OF US TRAPPED WITH A DESIGN FLAW. *TR