NHTSA Complaint #11389146 — 2013 SCION FR-S

AFTER SEEING NUMEROUS TOYOTA J02 (2018) VALVE TRAIN RECALL CATASTROPHES, I DECLINED THE SERVICE. WHEN THE CA DMV REQUIRED IT FOR REGISTRATION RENEWAL, I WAITED UNTIL THE DEADLINE SO THE TOYOTA MECHANICS WOULD GET MORE PRACTICE ON OTHER CARS BEFORE SERVICING MINE IN JANUARY 2020 WITH 98K MILES ODOMETER. I THOUGHT THE STRATEGY WORKED, UNTIL NOVEMBER 2020 AT 111K MILES ODOMETER. ON MY DAILY FREEWAY COMMUTE, WITH A CLATTER AND THEN A BANG, A HOLE WAS BLOWN IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE, OUT OF WHICH OIL SPRAYED ONTO THE CAT PRODUCING BILLOWING SMOKE, CEL'S, AND THEN A LOW OIL ALERT. BY THE TIME I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE STILL RAN BUT WAS KNOCKING. PUENTE HILLS TOYOTA RECOVERED A ROCKER ARM THAT HAD SOMEHOW DETACHED ITSELF FROM ITS SWIVEL, THRASHED AROUND INSIDE THE VALVE CASE, AND THEN GOT EJECTED OUT THROUGH THE VALVE COVER. THEY INSISTED THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR SERVICE WARRANTY, WHICH WAS 12-MONTHS UNLIMITED MILES IN PRINT, FOR DEPRAVED REASONS THEY ADDITIONALLY REFUSED TO PUT IN WRITING. THEY, AND OTHER LOCAL SHOPS, ATTEMPTED TO QUOTE ME TO SWAP IN A USED ENGINE, BUT NOW THERE'S COINCIDENTALLY A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE OF THESE ENGINES, TURNING MY CAR, WHICH HAD RUN 98K MILES FLAWLESSLY, INTO A TOTAL LOSS. THE NHTSA FAILED THE PUBLIC FOR FORCING AND THEN NOT RESCINDING A RECKLESS RECALL DECISION, WHERE THE HAZARDS OF A SPECIALIZED ENGINE SERVICE PERFORMED BY UNSPECIALIZED DEALERSHIP MECHANICS DWARFED THE HAZARDS OF TAKING NO ACTION. IN TRYING TO PREVENT DOZENS OF POTENTIAL ENGINE STALLS, THEY CAUSED HUNDREDS OF TOTAL LOSS ENGINE FAILURES. A LEVEL OF SYSTEMIC INCOMPETENCE AND CORRUPTION HAS ALSO BEEN EXPOSED IN THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS OF NORTH AMERICA. I ONLY HOPE THE NHTSA, TOYOTA, CLASS ACTION LAWYERS, OR SOMEONE CAN STEP UP.