NHTSA Complaint #11098115 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION RELATING TO TOYOTA'S WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION - ZE7. I KNEW MY ENGINE CONSUMED OIL CHRONICALLY SINCE AT LEAST 75,000 MILES SO WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN THIS WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT CAME IN THE MAIL. HOWEVER, WHEN I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET TESTED, THEY SAID IT PASSED THE TEST (THIS WAS IN APRIL 2015 AT ABOUT 135,000 MILES). I WAS FRUSTRATED AND SHOCKED. I THOUGHT I WAS STUCK WITH NO OTHER OPTIONS. RECENTLY, WHEN ADDING OIL I NOTICED I WENT THROUGH 2-2.5 QUARTS IN A WEEK. THAT'S WHEN I INSISTED ON ANOTHER OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. IT FAILED THIS TIME, BUT ACCORDING TO TOYOTA, IT WAS TOO LATE FOR THEM TO COVER AS I WAS OVER THE TERM OF 150,000 MILES (CASE #1803133073). I ASKED FOR OTHER ALTERNATIVES SINCE I BELIEVED THE ORIGINAL TEST TO BE FLAWED (ALLOWING FOR 1-1.5 QUARTS OF OIL CONSUMPTION WHEN THE OWNER'S MANUAL RECOMMENDS OIL CHANGES AT 5,000 MILES. SINCE THE CAR ONLY HOLDS JUST OVER 4.5 QUARTS OF OIL, NO OIL WOULD BE LEFT AT OVER 4,000 MILES). AT THE RATE OF CONSUMPTION, I WORRY ABOUT EXCESSIVE ENGINE HEAT LEADING TO FIRES AND OBVIOUSLY EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE ENGINE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A 'WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT' AND INSTEAD A RECALL AS THE EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION IN THE 2AZ-FE TOYOTA ENGINE IS WELL DOCUMENTED AS A DESIGN FLAW OR ENGINEERING ERROR WITH THE PISTON RINGS NOT BEING LARGE ENOUGH TO DRAIN OIL OR NOT HAVING ENOUGH HOLES, TRAPPING THE OIL AND CAUSING OIL BURNING. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR POOR ENGINE DESIGN AND ANY SAFETY ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AT A MINIMUM THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT SHOULD BE EXTENDED FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE.