NHTSA Complaint #11207633 — 2013 SCION FR-S

SATURDAY, 2ND FEBRUARY, I DROP OFF THE CAR AT TOYOTA OF SANTA CRUZ FOR THE VALVE SPRING RECALL. THE CAR IS FINISHED ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I PICK IT UP AND DRIVE IT FOR ANOTHER WEEK WITH NO ISSUES. I MAINLY USE THE CAR TO COMMUTE TO MILPITAS. TODAY, 21ST FEBRUARY, ON MY WAY TO WORK ON HWY17, JUST PAST THE LAST SCOTTS VALLEY EXIT, THE CAR STARTS KNOCKING AND LOSING A BIT OF POWER. THERE WAS NO "CHECK ENGINE" OR WARNING LIGHTS AT ALL. I DOWNSHIFT FROM 6TH TO 5TH AND THE CAR DIES. I COAST OFF THE HIGHWAY, ONTO VINE HILL RD. AND CALL AAA, MY BOSS, AND THEN CALL TOYOTA OF SANTA CRUZ TO GIVE THEM A HEADS-UP THAT I'M BRINGING THE CAR IN. WHEN I ARRIVE WITH THE CAR ON A FLATBED, ABOUT FIVE OR SIX TECHS POP THEIR HEADS OUT FROM THE SERVICE GARAGE AND START LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. I LOOK AT THEM, THEY LOOK AT ME POINT TO MY CAR AND SHAKE MY HEAD. THEY DISAPPEAR. THE SHOP FOREMAN AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAY THAT THEY WILL FIX THE CAR FOR FREE IF THEY CAN PROVE IT WAS THEIR FAULT, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS APPROX. 1K MILES ON IT SINCE THE SERVICE. I TOLD THEM I HAVE HOURS OF MIND-NUMBING DASHCAM VIDEO OF MY COMMUTE TO PROVE I DIDN'T ABUSE THE CAR. 2/22/2019 UPDATE:TOYOTA CALLED TODAY AND STATED THEY BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS INTERNAL, AND THE ENGINE IS COMING OUT AND WILL BE TAKEN APART TO FIND THE ISSUE. 2/25/2019 UPDATE: SERVICE CALLED AND SAID THEY PULLED THE OIL PAN AND FOUND THE #4 CYLINDER ROD BEARING SPUN. UPDATE: 03/04/2019 THEY LOOKED INTO IT AND FOUND THAT IT SHOULD MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA WITH WHAT THEY HAVE AT TOYOTA AND IN THEIR DATABASE AND SAY THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING GOING ON BEFORE THE CAR BROKE. FOR EXAMPLE: RUNNING A CUSTOM TUNE THEN RE-FLASHING THE STOCK TUNE BACK BEFORE MY HANDING THE CAR OVER TO THEM. UPDATE: I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP WHICH FOUND GASKET MATERIAL IN THE OIL PICKUP TUBE ~25% BLOCKED.