NHTSA Complaint #10361053 — 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

SOME EARLIER MODELS OF TOYOTA'S 2AZ-FE 4 CYLINDER ENGINE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SUDDEN FAILURE AND ARE DANGEROUS. THE ENGINE IS WIDELY USED IN TOYOTA'S POPULAR CAMRY, HIGHLANDER, RAV4 AND SCION TC MODELS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND INVESTIGATE THE ENGINE. ON 9/11/2010, 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER'S 2AZ-FE ENGINE FAILED AND LEFT OCCUPANTS STRANDED. EVENT TOOK PLACE IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE SPUTTERED AND CEASED TO FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHICH REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: - OIL AND COOLANT LEAKING FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE HEAD - HYDROCARBON IN THE COOLANT - OIL SEVERELY BURNT DUE TO OVERHEATING THE ESTIMATE TO OPEN UP AND REPAIR THE ENGINE COULD RUN ANYWHERE FROM $2,000 TO $7,500 DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE ENGINE BLOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S SCHEDULE WITH ALL THE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. TOYOTA DENIED REQUEST TO INVESTIGATE AND DEFRAY COSTS. WHILE ENGINE WAS OPENED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT TWO OF THE HEAD BOLTS WERE LOOSE AND THAT THE THREADS IN THE ALUMINUM ENGINE BLOCK FOR 3 HEAD BOLTS IN THE REAR WERE STRIPPED. REPAIRING THE ENGINE INVOLVED RE-THREADING THE HOLES IN THE ENGINE BLOCK FOR ALL TEN HEAD BOLTS USING THE TIME-SERT THREAD REPAIR KIT. *TR