NHTSA Complaint #10948371 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

STARTING IN 2014, I HAD TO REFILL 1 QT OF OIL EVERY ~1200-1500 MILES DESPITE METICULOUS MAINTENANCE. AFTER RECEIVING A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION" LETTER FROM TOYOTA MOTOR SALES U.S.A., INC. ADDRESSING EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, A FIRST OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS INITIATED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER 2015 AND EVALUATED IN DECEMBER 2015. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE CAR PASSED THIS TEST; OIL CONSUMPTION WOULD STILL BE WITHIN ENGINE SPECIFICATION. THIS WAS A SURPRISE, GIVEN THAT THE OFFICIAL MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE REQUIRES AN OIL CHANGE EVERY 5000 MILES, AND THAT THE PERMITTED OIL CONSUMPTION IN SUCH AN INTERVAL ACCORDING TO ENGINE SPEC. COULD LEAD TO SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE, OR FAILURE. A SECOND OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS INITIATED IN SEPTEMBER 2016, AND EVALUATED EARLY DECEMBER 2016 BY THE SAME TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THIS SECOND TEST CONFIRMED AN EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, I.E. THE TEST HAD FAILED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WOULD BE REPAIRED UNDER THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT FREE OF CHARGE. SOON AFTER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENHANCED WARRANTY PERIOD OF MY VEHICLE HAD EXPIRED 10/31/2016; THEREFORE, ANY COST FOR THE ENGINE REPAIR WOULD NO LONGER BE COVERED. CONSEQUENTLY, THE ENGINE REPAIR WAS CANCELLED. THE DEALERSHIP ARGUED THAT ALTHOUGH THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS INITIATED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, THE CONFIRMATION OF THE CONDITION TOOK PLACE AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRATION. THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST REQUIRES ME TO DRIVE 1100-1300 MILES BEFORE I CAN BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION. THE DEALERSHIP RESPONDED THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY DUTY TO DRIVE THE REQUIRED MILEAGE BEFORE THE END OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE. I CHECKED THE DETAILED CONDITIONS OF THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT AND FOUND NO WRITTEN STATEMENT MENTIONING THAT THE TEST HAS TO BE EVALUATED BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRES; IT IS ONLY STATED THE TEST HAS TO BE INITIATED DURING WARRANTY. *TR