NHTSA Complaint #10546616 — 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

WHILE SITTING IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC ON OUR WAY HOME FROM A 2 MILE TRIP TO THE STORE, WE NOTICED A HOT OIL SMELL. I SAID TO MY WIFE THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET THEIR CAR IN FOR SERVICE WORK, NOT KNOWING THAT WE WERE THIS SOMEONE! THIS SMELL HAD NOT BEEN PRESENT AT HOME, ON OUR TRIP TO THE STORE OR WHEN PARKED THERE. WHEN I PULLED INTO MY GARAGE, STEAM/SMOKE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE HOOD. THE DIPSTICK SHOWED VERY LOW OIL. THERE HAD BEEN NO SIGNS OF AN OIL LEAK IN THE GARAGE BEFORE, BUT, AFTER ARRIVING HOME I SAW A BIG OIL LEAK. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (1/2 MILE FROM HOME) WHO TOLD ME TO BRING IT UP TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. BY THE TIME THAT I GOT THERE MY CAR WAS MAKING A SOUND MAKING IT OBVIOUS SOMETHING VERY WRONG. I PULLED DIRECTLY INTO THE SERVICE BAY. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE DIPSTICK WHICH SHOWED ABSOLUTELY NO OIL IN MY ENGINE. HE PUT IT ON THE HOIST, ADDED OIL, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THE OIL POURED OUT AS FAST AS HE HAD PUT IT IN. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE SAW THAT THE LOWER OIL COOLER LINES HAD RUPTURED. MY ENGINE HAD BEEN CLOSE TO SEIZING. REPLACING THESE PARTS WAS VERY EXPENSIVE, $437, BUT REPLACING MY ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE. MORE IMPORTANTLY WAS THAT THE DANGER OF A FIRE FROM THE OIL THAT WAS POURING OUT ON THE HOT ENGINE WAS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, THE MECHANIC POINTED AT A LEXUS AND STATED, "THIS IS VERY INTERESTING. THAT LEXUS SUV IS IN HERE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, THE OIL COOLER LINES RUPTURED." HE SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THIS BE A RECALL ISSUE, AS THE NEW LINES ARE DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY WITHOUT RUBBER FITTINGS, AND WILL NOT RUPTURE. THIS WOULD INDICATE TO ME THAT TOYOTA HAS NOTICED A DESIGN FLAW IN THE OIL COOLER LINES THAT WERE IN MY HIGHLANDER. I FEEL THIS OIL COOLER LINES PROBLEM IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED AS A POSSIBLE TOYOTA RECALL. *TR