NHTSA Complaint #10450689 — 2005 TOYOTA RAV4

I HAVE A 2005 4 CYLINDER TOYOTA RAV4 WITH ABOUT 68,000 MILES. IT STARTING MAKING A GURGLING NOISE IN THE DASHBOARD AREA, AND EVENTUALLY LEFT 2 PUDDLES OF ANTI-FREEZE ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIR. AFTER CHECKING THE RAV4 OUT, THE REPAIR MANAGER PHONED TO TELL ME THE ENGINE WAS INDEED LEAKING COOLANT AROUND THE ENGINE HEAD BECAUSE THE ENGINE BOLTS HAD STRIPPED. I ASKED HOW THE HEAD BOLTS GOT STRIPPED AND HE REPLIED, "WEAR AND TEAR AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE AROUND $3000.00 IF THE HEAD BOLT HOLES COULD BE REPAIRED; OTHERWISE, I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE." THE RAV4 HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED, SO THIS IS NOT "WEAR AND TEAR", BUT RATHER A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AFTER TALKING WITH THE MECHANIC DOING THE REPAIRS, HE SAID THEY SEE MANY OF THESE 4 CYLINDER ENGINES WITH THIS PROBLEM -- MOSTLY ON THE CAMRY, SINCE IT IS BASICALLY A CAMRY ENGINE. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THIS IS BECOMING QUITE A COMMON PROBLEM. HERE A FEW WEBSITES WITH VERY UNHAPPY TOYOTA OWNERS: (HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.EE9E769/8444; HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/TOYOTA/HIGHLANDER/2003/CONSUMER-REVIEWS.HTML; HTTP://WWW.CAMRYFORUMS.COM/FORUM/GENERAL-TECH-8/2002-STRIPPED-HEAD-BOLTS-4585/; HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/TOYOTA/HIGHLANDER/2003/ENGINE/THREADS_FOR_ENGINE_BOLTS_STRIPPED.SHTML) APPARENTLY, TOYOTA HAS NOT DONE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND DOES NOT EVEN COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THEY DO HAVE A WRITTEN PROCEDURE THE MECHANICS USE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR. *TR