NHTSA Complaint #11319173 — 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

THE RUBBER OIL COOLER LINE (PART NUMBER: 040004-29131) OF OUR 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER BURST AT 139,000 MILES CAUSING AN OIL SPILL AND COMPLETE AND IRREVERSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OIL STARVATION WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN HIGH-SPEED MOTION IN A CONGESTED HIGHWAY DURING ICY-AND FOGGY CONDITIONS. DRIVER MANAGED TO REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROAD, NOT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENTS, JUST BEFORE THE ENGINE IRREVERSIBLY BROKE AND SHUT DOWN. TWO DAYS PRIOR THE INCIDENT, OIL-CHANGE SCHEDULED SERVICE WAS PERFORMED BY A TOYOTA-CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP SHOWING NO SIGNS OF ENGINE/ENGINE OIL-COOLING LINE ABNORMALITIES. DEFECTIVE SOFTWARE DISPLAYED WARNINGS ON THE DASHBOARD OF LOW ENGINE OIL/PRESSURE SECONDS BEFORE THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THIS DEFECTIVE PART HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGED IN THE TOYOTA'S 2014 "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, ZE2" FOR REPAIRS AT NO COST UNTIL JANUARY 31, 2016 OR PAST THAT DATE FOR "10 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE OR 150,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST." TOYOTA CLAIMS THEY MAILED A LETTER FOR "SEVERAL MONTHS" AFTER "LATE JULY 2014" FOR ZE2 TO OWNERS BUT THE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE NEITHER EVER RECEIVED SUCH LETTER NOR WAS NOTIFIED BY TOYOTA CORP./DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE HAS BEEN UNDER *CONSISTENT, SCHEDULED, AND REGULAR CAR SERVICES* SINCE ITS ORIGINAL AND SOLE PURCHASE IN 2008. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL TO THE NHTSA UPON *UNREASONABLY DANGEROUS DESIGN* FOR USING RUBBER PRESSURIZED PIPES IN V6 ENGINES INSTEAD OF METAL-BASED MATERIALS, DEFECTIVE PART AWARENESS, INCIDENT HISTORY, AND THE EXTENT OF THE HIGH HAZARD RISK THAT INVOLVES THIS PART FAILURE: OIL SPILL (NOT OIL LEAKING AS STATED IN ZE2) CAN OCCUR AT HIGH RESULTING IN A NON-OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT VEHICLE LOSS AND HIGH PROBABILITIES OF CRASH, INJURIES, FIRE, AND/OR FATALITIES. THIS IS ALSO EXACERBATED BY THE EMBEDDED DEFECTIVE SOFTWARE IN TERMS OF POOR TIMING TO DISPLAY ENGINE FAILURE.