NHTSA Complaint #11292466 — 2013 SCION FR-S

TOOK OUR 2013 SCION FR-S TO TEMECULA VALLEY TOYOTA FOR J02 VALVE SPRING REPLACEMENT RECALL. AFTER ABOUT 6,000 MILES OF EASY DRIVING, FR-S BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THIS ROUGH RUNNING WAS ONLY INTERMITTENT AND EVENTUALLY SUBSIDED. ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE RETURNED ALONG WITH WHAT I CONSIDERED A "ROD KNOCK". WE IMMEDIATELY PARKED THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT USE IT AFTER FIRST NOTICING THE KNOCK. VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO DEALERSHIP WHO PERFORMED RECALL. DEALERSHIP INFORMS US THAT THE ENGINE IS "DESTROYED" (THEIR WORDS). DEALERSHIP CLAIMS ROD BEARING OR BEARINGS DAMAGED DUE TO "OIL STARVATION". DEALERSHIP QUOTES US $17,000 TO REPAIR VEHICLE, INCLUDING A REPLACEMENT SHORT BLOCK. WE REFUSE DEALERSHIP'S OFFER AND ASK THAT THEY LEAVE ENGINE OUT OF THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP PLACES ENGINE BACK INTO OUR VEHICLE AND SETS THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADS IN THE TRUNK WITH OTHER VARIOUS PARTS PLACED ON THE BACK SEAT (NICE TOUCH). WE HAVE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR HOME. WE LOCATED A SUBARU MECHANIC IN OUR TOWN, REMOVE ENGINE FROM VEHICLE, TAKE ENGINE TO SAID MECHANIC WHO IS GOING TO INSPECT FOR DAMAGE, BALANCE, REBUILD, AND INSTALL THE ENGINE BACK INTO OUR VEHICLE. MECHANIC'S COST = $6,400. UPON OUR PARTIAL TEARDOWN OF ENGINE I FOUND, WHAT I CONSIDER, AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF RUBBERY COMPOUND ON THE FRONT CASE OF THE ENGINE. I ALSO FOUND THIS SAME TYPE OF RUBBERY COMPOUND COVERING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE OIL PICK UP TUBE SCREEN. I DO NOT KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE OILING PASSAGES WITHIN THE BLOCK. WE FOUND VERY LITTLE METALLIC MATERIAL IN THE OIL PAN. I AM SUSPICIOUS THAT THIS RUBBERY COMPOUND MADE ITS WAY INTO THE OIL AND CLOGGED OILING PASSAGES. DEALERSHIP IS DENYING ALL. MY COMPLAINT?: DEALERSHIP WAS OVER AGGRESSIVE IN THEIR USE OF SEALANT, CLOGGING OIL PASSAGES AND CAUSING OIL STARVATION TO THE BEARINGS. THEN, DENYING RESPONSIBILITY AND QUOTING A HIGH DOLLAR AMOUNT TO REPAIR