NHTSA Complaint #10553705 — 2008 TOYOTA RAV4

IN AUGUST, OIL LIGHT FLASHES WHEN I MAKE A HARD STOP; TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY PUT A MONITOR ON IT AND TOLD ME TO RETURN AT 1200 MILES. I FORGOT AND ONLY REMEMBERED WHEN I STARTED TO SEE THE OIL LIGHT BLINK ON AGAIN WHEN I CAME TO A STOP. I CAME BACK IN TO DEALER IN NOVEMBER, THEY READ THE MONITOR AND TOLD ME I NEEDED TO HAVE MY ENGINE REBUILT; THE SERVICE TECH. MET WITH A MGR, RECHECKED READINGS AND SINCE THE MILEAGE WAS 4000 ON THE MONITOR, THEY THOUGHT THE READINGS WERE SKEWED. SO, THEY RESET THE MONITOR, ADDED OIL TO THE CAR AND I WILL ENSURE THAT I COME BACK AT 1200 MILES TO FIND OUT THE STATUS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE (GOING ON A LONG DRIVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS). I AM SEEING MANY COMMENTS ONLINE SIMILAR TO MINE AND THEY RELATE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE RAV4 ENGINE. I CALLED TOYOTA USA AND REPORTED THE ISSUE TO THEM EARLIER THIS MONTH. THEY TOLD ME TO WAIT TO HEAR WHAT THE DEALER SAYS. I NOW DRIVE WITH 2 QUARTS OF OIL IN MY CAR AND WILL MONITOR MY OIL LEVELS THROUGHOUT MY TRIP TO AND FROM NY. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND BASED ON WHAT I SEEN WRITTEN ONLINE SO FAR, I EXPECT THAT THE DEALER IS GOING TO TELL ME THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR ENGINE REPAIRS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY ARE SAYING THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS ISSUE OCCURRING WITH THE VEHICLES THEY SERVICE. *TR