NHTSA Complaint #10695442 — 2008 TOYOTA RAV4

I FIRST HEARD KNOCKING NOISE UPON COLD START-UP. THIS HAS NOW BECOME A CHRONIC NOISE. WHEN GETTING TRUCK SERVICED FOR ANOTHER MATTER THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE VVT-I BOLTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR A CHARGE OF $3500-$5600. HE ALSO NOTED THIS WAS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT IS A LEXUS ENGINE. UPON RESEARCHING THIS MORE I DISCOVERED THIS IS THE SAME ENGINE 2GR-FE V6 INSTALLED IN THE LEXUS RX350S WITH SAME PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR RECALL BY TOYOTA FOR LEXUS VEHICLES BUT NOT TOYOTAS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA BUT THEY REFUSE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS EXACT SAME DEFECT WHICH IS A RECALL FOR LEXUS MODELS. SEE ARTICLE //PARTS.OLATHEOYOTA.COM/GR-SERIES-ENGINE.HTML. THE RECALL IS LISTED ON NHTSA. ONCE BOLTS LOOSEN THE VVT-I GEAR HOUSING AND SPROCKET TO SEPARATE AND RESULT IN THE ENGINE STOPPING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. SEE ARTICLE: TOYOTA RECALLS VARIOUS LEXUS VEHICLES WITH ENGINE BOLT PROBLEMS THE BOLTS COULD BECOME LOOSE DUE TO ABNORMAL IMPACTS 09/10/2013 | CONSUMERAFFAIRS BY [XXX] I CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THESE DEFECTIVE BOLTS UNDER A TOYOTA BODY STYLE, BUT ON THE SAME ENGINE ARE EXCLUDED FROM THIS MAJOR RECALL. THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES REMAIN THE SAME REGARDLESS OF BODY STYLE SHOULD BOLTS LOOSEN DURING HIGH SPEEDS. I HAVE ESCALATED THIS COMPLAINT TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL AT TOYOTA WITH NO RESULTS SO I AM COMPELLED TO FILE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A TODDLER ON BOARD EACH DAY DRIVING THIS VEHICLE WITHOUT FUNDS TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM AND ARE NOW UNABLE TO SELL THE CAR. YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER IS APPRECIATED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR