NHTSA Complaint #10441909 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW AND HAD 148MILES ON IT WHEN DELIVERED AS IT WAS DELIVERED TO ME FROM ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. FOR THE PAST 20,000 MILES IT HAS BEEN USING 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. TOYOTA KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES AND HAS A TSB 0094-11 TO FIX THE DESIGN FLAW. THIS "FIX" BASICALLY REBUILDS THE ENGINE WITH NEW PISTONS, RINGS AND CRANKS. CALLED THE DEALER WHEN I SAW THIS TSB AND TOLD THEM I HAD 59923 MILES ON VEHICLE SO I'LL BE OVER THE WARRANTY BY THE TIME I BRING IT IN AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NO PROBLEM. DROPPED OFF VEHICLE WITH 60114 MILES ON IT AND THEY STARTED AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST BY FIRST FILLING THE OIL. IT TOOK 3 1/2 QUARTS JUST TO TOP IT OFF. NEED TO GO BACK IN 1200 MILES TO CONFIRM THAT IT IS USING OIL BUT THEY TOLD ME THE WARRANTY WILL NOT BE VALID AND I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET. TOYOTA USES THIS ENGINE IN MANY DIFFERENT VEHICLES AND A SEARCH ONLINE FINDS THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT TOYOTA WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. *KB