NHTSA Complaint #10320246 — 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

ENGINE OIL SEEPAGE (OR SLOW LEAK) AT THE CAM HOUSING AND ENGINE HEAD CONNECTION (GASKET SEAM) AREA, ABOVE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, ON THE RIGHT-HAND-SIDE ENGINE CYLINDER BANK. OIL FIRST DETECTED AT 9,000 MILES (VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW). CONCERN: POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE IF THE OIL SEEPAGE BECOMES WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF ADDITIONAL MILES DRIVEN. OIL SEEPAGE SHOULD NOT OCCUR IN AN ENGINE THIS NEW - ESPECIALLY IN AREAS NEAR A HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. OTHER SIMILAR TOYOTA V8 ENGINES APPEAR CLEAN AT THE SAME AREA - NO OIL RESIDUE APPARENT IN OTHER TOYOTA V8 5.7L ENGINES OF SIMILAR SPECIFICATIONS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MATERIAL SURFACE MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE. ENGINE INFO: TOYOTA 5.7L V8 CORRECTIVE ACTION: I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA DEALER TO REPAIR THE SEEPAGE OR LEAK TO AVOID A POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE (AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE), AND DEALER TOLD ME I HAD TO CALL TOYOTA. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER 1-800 NUMBER AND THE RECORDING STATED I WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEAK TO A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AND I SHOULD CALL BACK LATER. I HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. WHEN I ASKED A SERVICE MANAGER AT A DEALER ABOUT GETTING THIS REPAIR DONE UNDER WARRANTY, HE RESPONDED BY SAYING "I CAN'T DO THAT TO TOYOTA." IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT TOYOTA VALUES ITSELF MORE THAN IT VALUES CUSTOMERS. *TR