NHTSA Complaint #10555194 — 2004 TOYOTA RAV4

IN OCTOBER/2013 WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD, MY 2004 TOYOTA RAV4 START SMOKING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT IT WAS COOLANT FLUIDS ALL OVER THE ENGINE, TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND AFTER CHECK IT OUT, IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE, RESULTS WAS THE HEAD BOLTS WERE LOOSE AND STRIPPED FROM THE BLOCK OF THE ENGINE, AND THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED, REPLACED THE AFFECTED PARTS, NEW COOLANT, TOTAL COST $1874.00, THE VEHICLE IS BACK ON THE ROAD, NOTE TO THAT IS THAT THE CAR HAS ONLY 53000 MILES, PURCHASED NEW A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS ONLY WHAT IT WAS DRIVEN. TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS (3 CONTACTED), THEY WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROBLEM AND THEY "HAVE NOT KNOWLEDGE OR RECALLS FOR THE PROBLEM", (LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVED TO ME) THE LOCAL MECHANIC FOUND THAT THERE IS A KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM, DRILL AND RE-TAP, INSERT NEW HEAD BOLTS, NEW HEAD GASKET, BACK ON THE ROAD. UNFORTUNATELY TOYOTA AS MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY OR HAVE THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE PROBLEM, ARGUING THE VEHICLE ALREADY IS OUT OF WARRANTY, EVEN AS IS NOTED IS A MANUFACTURER ISSUE. *TR