NHTSA Complaint #11222246 — 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA

OIL COOLER LINE FAILURE: WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE ROUTE IN A RURAL AREA MY OIL COOLER LINE RUPTURED IN MY 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA, RESULTING IN MAJOR LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, THUS BEING STRANDED IN A RURAL AREA AND REQUIRING A TOW. THE METAL OIL LINE WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH A SECTION OF RUBBER IN THE MIDDLE WHICH DETERIORATES AND FAILS. TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR YEARS, AND FIRST CHANGED THE RUBBER COMPOSITION IN A REPLACEMENT PART BUT THIS PART STILL HAD A SIGNIFICANT FAILURE RATE. SO THE CURRENT REPLACEMENT IS ALL METAL LINE. WHY WOULD YOU HAVE A RUBBER SECTION IN AN OIL LINE? OBVIOUSLY THE FIRST TWO DESIGNED PARTS WERE A VERY POOR DESIGN. TOYOTA ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR SIENNAS FOR 10 YEARS AND 150,000 MILES BUT THIS HAS SINCE EXPIRED. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. WHY EXPIRE A WARRANTY IF THE VEHICLE IS STILL WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE WARRANTY (10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES)? TOYOTA SAYS THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. BUT AS A RETIRED CORPORATE SAFETY MANAGER/ENGINEER WITH A MAJOR TIRE MANUFACTURER I DISAGREE. THERE ARE POTENTIAL FIRE ISSUES FROM OIL BEING SPRAYED ON A HOT ENGINE/EXHAUST, A ROADSIDE ACCIDENT POTENTIAL ESPECIALLY IF YOU SUDDENLY LOST OIL WHERE YOU COULDN'T PULL OFF AND THE MOTOR SEIZED, AND A SECURITY ISSUE DEPENDING ON WHEN AND WHERE YOU BREAK DOWN. WHAT IF YOU HAD LITTLE KIDS AND BROKE DOWN IN A RURAL AREA (NO HEAT). I WILL END UP PAYING $94 FOR A TOW, $500 TO FIX, AND 4-7 DAYS CAR RENTAL TO FIX. BUT MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE SAFETY ISSUE.