NHTSA Complaint #10339776 — 2004 TOYOTA RAV4

ON JUNE 14, 2010, I NOTICED A PINKISH LIQUID ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AFTER MY SON BACKED IT UP. I CALLED MY AUTO SHOP AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT. THEY RIGHT AWAY TOLD ME DON'T DRIVE IT AND THEY WILL HAVE A TOW TRUCK COME AND TOW IT. AFTER THE MECHANIC TOOK A LOOK AT THE ISSUE HE FOUND THAT THE COOLANT LEAKED AND THEN FOUND THAT THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED SINCE MY CAR IS ONLY 6 YRS OLD WITH 65,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER I AGREED TO DO THE REPAIR, WHEN HE REMOVED MORE PARTS TO GET TO IT, HE NOTICED THAT THE BOLTS WERE STRIPPED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS HAPPENED TO OTHER 2004 RAV4'S. I CALLED TOYOTA AND A REP TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT THE ISSUE DOESN'T HAPPEN TOO A LOT OF CUSTOMERS SO THEY WILL NOT RECALL OR HELP WITH THE COST OF THE REPAIR. I ALSO DID MORE DIGGING AND FOUND OUT THAT SOME OF TOYOTA OLDER MODELS HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE WITH THE HEAD GASKETS BLOWING AND THE BOLT WAS STRIPPED. I HOPE THAT IF TOYOTA DID USED SOME OLD PARTS IN THE 2004 RAV4, THEY SHOULD TELL THE CUSTOMER AND PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE BLOCK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. UPDATED IVOQ 08/05/10.*JB *TR