NHTSA Complaint #10593572 — 2008 SCION TC

MY VEHICLE IS ALMOST 6 YEARS OLD. IT WAS BROUGHT BRAND NEW IN JUNE 2008. I'VE ONLY TAKEN IT TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIPS SINCE PURCHASE FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE. THE MILES CURRENTLY ON MY CAR IS 70,775 AND I WAS SCHEDULED FOR MY NEXT MAINTENANCE CHECK AT 71,443 PER THE DEALERSHIP MAINTENANCE STICKER. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-95 SOUTH IN EMPORIA VA ON 05/21/2014 COMING FROM WASHINGTON, DC, I EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE WHILE GOING THE SPEED LIMIT OF 70 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO COAST SAFELY TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AFTER AVOIDING MULTIPLE CARS AND TRUCKS THAT ALMOST CRASHED INTO ME. MY CAR INSURANCE COMPANY WAS CALLED. I WAS ABLE TO GET TOWED TO AN APPROVED REPAIR SHOP THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DIAGNOSTIC FROM THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE DUE TO "WHOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK CAUSED BY LOW OIL" OF WHICH THE LEAST EXPENSIVE WAS GOING TO COST $4,000. I CALL THE NATIONAL SCION CENTER TO REPORT WHAT HAPPENED. THEY ADVISED ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE CLOSEST AUTHORIZED DEALER TO HAVE THEIR COMPANY LOOK AT THE VEHICLE WHICH I DID. PER THE AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIPS DIAGNOSTIC REVIEW "THE TECHNICIAN FOUND HOLE IN BLOCK BY CYLINDER #1, FOUND PISTON WRIST PIN IN BOTTOM ON ENGINE COVER, NEEDS NEW OR USED ENGINE". WHEN I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS HE SAID THE OIL LEVELS WERE VERY LOW AND THAT THE OIL WAS ALSO VERY DIRTY. I CALLED SCION TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT AND I WAS TOLD NOTHING WOULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OVER 60,000 MILES. I FIND THIS VERY UNSETTLING SINCE THE CAR WAS IN GREAT CONDITION PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE AND THERE WAS SO INDICATION SOMETHING WAS WRONG. LIKE I MENTIONED, I'VE ONLY ALWAYS TAKEN MY CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND I WASN'T DUE FOR ANOTHER SERVICE CHECK FOR ANOTHER 668 MILES. *TR