NHTSA Complaint #11255713 — 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

MY 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 AWD SUFFERED A SUDDEN OIL COOLER PIPE FAILURE/RUPTURE LEADING TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE/DAMAGE AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH CERTAIN 2008-2011 HIGHLANDERS AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF A SERVICE BULLETIN AND EVENTUALLY A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT (ZE2) STARTING IN 2014, BUT WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE VIA MAIL OR BY THE TOYOTA DEALER AT WHICH THE VEHICLE IS REGULARLY SERVICED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL HAD CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO A BENT ROD FROM RUNNING WITHOUT OIL. AS THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER (NOT TO MENTION THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE IF A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED) A MANDATORY RECALL SHOULD BE PERFORMED.