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I hope others have better luck getting support. I will never buy another Toyota. I know it's trivial compared to their annual sales but it's still one less sale I was going to make until this happened.
I have since traded my 2008 Rav 4 and bought another Rav 4.
I think it depends on what dealer you have but I would continue to fight this because Toyota should be taking care of this.
I agree with lizzie07 in that a GOOD dealer would want to support their customer and push back to Toyota. In my case, the dealer made me feel like it was all my fault and that they didn't have a clue about this condition.
It seems that this happens more progressively as the vehicle approaches the 50-60k mile mark. Regardless, my oil light never came on but once and the reservoir was empty by then and the damage was done. Bottom line is that any vehicle that consumes oil that much with todays technology is just a poor design. In this case, Toyota realizes the design flaw but opts to pick and choose who they help starting with whether you had your vehicle seviced by Toyota or not (which is against the law according to the Magnuson Moss Warraty Act).
Different story if your vehicle is still under warranty.
The Secret Warranty
How Can a Technical Service Bulletin Help Me?
A favor to ask: could you please post the TSB (Toyota Service Bulletin) listing that you obtained regarding this particular issue, including all of the affected VIN #'s? I found the 2007 Rav4 TSB online @ toyotaproblems.com, but it did not list this issue.
Thank you very much in advance,
Jeremy Mush1
I have heard of some folks getting much better support from their dealers. They must have had better training in customer service or they were just compassionate people that understood that there was a big problem with the manufacturer that they were willing to fight for.
I am struggling with the Oil consumption issue for last 9 months. I had done all the scheduled maintenance and oil changes with the dealer and I was made to undergo almost 6 oil consumption tests by Woburn Toyota MA, Every time they sent me back saying it is within the spec ( even though the car burnt 1 quat in 1200 miles).
This time I went to Lexington Toyota MA, They agreed to use my own Mobil 1 - 5W20 synthetic oil and allowed me to watch it personally, I took pictures of the dip stick level (to make sure they fill only till max level in dip stick), I had them mark everything with a white marker and at the end of 1200 miles I checked again with the technician. The car was consuming little more than 1 quat.
Now I have called the Toyota financial svcs customer care and spoke to a few representatives and a supervisor, here is the update.
Toyota will cover the repair, if it is part of TSB0094-11 oil burn problem ( http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0094-11.pdf ).
I have to give the dealer a Customer Authorized Tear Down of the engine. If it turns out to be a TSB oil burn issue, Toyota will pay for it, if not I am liable for the tear down charges. I still do not know how much it costs or if the dealer will waive it for me. I will keep you posted here.
Here is what I want to know from any of the experts here
1. My old dealer was using 5W30 oil in my RAV4 since around 15k miles even though Rav4 4 cylinder engine is supposed to use only 0W20 or 5W20 oil. Is the viscosity of the oil anything to do with the Oil Burn problem, Could they be using the higher viscosity 5W30 oil to suppress the oil burn problem till the warranty expires?
2. Is the Oxygen Sensor replacement related to the oil burn issue? I too had to replace the oxygen sensors a few months back.
I really wish Toyota made a recall for this, instead of making me undergo such a lengthy & painful process in spite of me spending ton’s of money on the platinum coverage extended warranty.
I checked out the TSB for this issue posted above (I requested that someone post a while ago); here it is again:
http://www.rav4world.com/tsb/2011/T-SB-0094-11.pdf
It looks like the TSB states that this issue is limited to 4-cylinder Toyotas. Has anyone experienced this issue w/ V6 Rav4's?
Thanks alot -
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/AskMobil/Using_Higher_Visc- osity_Oil.aspx
I filed my complaint with NHTSA, but I'm not expecting anything other than owning my last Toyota.
Do I have to replace the whole engine? Is it worth it?
I have 59K miles on it, The car is still under 7 yr 75k mile platinum service warranty.
Earlier Woburn Toyota MA had made me do 5 consumption tests in spite of the extended warranty and rejected me that the burn is all within manufacturer limits.
This time I took it to Lexington Toyota MA - they did the test and my car burnt 1.3 Quats of oil in 1116 miles. The dealer was fair and allowed me to personally supervise the oil change and the final check as well.
The dealer agreed that there is an a problem and asked me to drop the car next week. Meanwhile I called Toyota they still would not promise coverage, They said the dealer needs to open the engine and only if it is found to be a covered issue, if so toyota will cover else I will be responsible for the engine tear down charges !.
I went ahead and gave the car to Lexington Toyota, they gave me a loaner car and got my engine fixed in 3 days - The pistons, piston rings, piston pins, connecting bearings, valve assembly, gaskets & etc were replaced.
Everything was covered under Extended Warranty and I didnt have to pay anything. The service adviser told that I was lucky because my car was still under warranty and the oil burn level is just above the tipping point and I pulled the right stings by talking to the right decision makers the Service Manager and Toyota Extended Care warranty people.
After the fix the engine now feels softer, The dealer has asked me to bring the car back after 1200 miles to make sure the prob is fixed once for all. The the job also comes with a 12k mile warranty on the engine.
Though I got the Engine fixed under warranty, I still believe Toyota should have done a recall.
for folks out there, if you are still under extended warranty and have this issue, try taking the car to multiple dealers, Some Large Dealers ( like Woburn Toyota MA) are reluctant do do the job and do to turn this down citing some or other reason.
When you have to do a consumption test, make sure you are there to supervise both during oil fill and verification at the end of 1200 miles. Oil should be filled only to the max level mark, not above it - do not give away the keys for the dealer check. Preferably use your own oil ( I took my own 5w20 mobil 1 synthetic oil for the oil change) - this will help avoid any foul play by the dealer, they may use 5w30 or other high viscosity oil and hide the issue.
I have exhausted every avenue and in the end, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA! I also work for a company that references manufacturing philosophies described in the "Toyota Way Field Book" where they describe the customer as the key to success (Bull-sh**).
:mad:
Just under 4,000 miles after the last oil change, my light flickered on the panel, hard to read, but my husband finally saw it the next day. It said it was low oil pressure, so I brought it in the next day. They said I was 5 quarts low! We did two oil consumption tests and at the 2nd 1,000 check they said I had an issue. My husband didn't believe it so now I am at the second dealer where I bought the car and I am starting on my 2nd check, cause I was down a quart just under 1,000 miles. I am under extended warranty but you know how that can go. After paying the deductible and them trying to decide what and who should pay what, I get stuck with a bill. I was mowed over by Ford with the 2004 diesel engine and I am not going to get mowed over on this car. I will check back and let you all know what happens next.
The technical service bulletin (T-SB-0094-11) issued in August 2011 has to do with oil consumption. The corrective action, if the vehicle fails the allowable consumption rate of 1 qt in 1200 miles, is to replace the pistons and rings (essentially undoing what the design change was).
Start with Toyota Customer Service 1 (800) 331-4331 (They will most likely say they know nothing about this issue). keep insisting that they do something to help you. I went as far as sending a letter directly to the president of Toyota residing in Japan (Mr. Akio Toyoda) and received a letter to contact the Toyota Motor Sales Executive Offices in Torrance CA. (310-468-2442). Be persistent and hopefully you'll get something. I didn't but if enough people contact them, maybe they'll give a little.
Good luck!
Will buy a honda next time.
At 110k on my 2006 RAV 4, I was driving with NO OIL until my car began to sputter and died.
No engine light ever came on, as others have written here. My car remains in the driveway as I attempt to put 5 quarts in tomorrow in hopes that it will work again. I've always changed oil every 5000 miles.
I've always said if I had to buy another car, it would be another RAV 4.
Well, I was fooled. Never again..
The article I linked notes that a manufacturer does not have to offer any after warranty assistance, but they are more likely to if the consumer shows loyalty.
Being a repeat customer is certainly one way to demonstrate that loyalty. Having your car maintained at the dealer is another.
The other factor that may work against you is whether you purchased your used RAV4 in '08 at a Toyota dealer or not.
You're describing a one way street. Buying the Toyota in the first place is showing loyalty. Toyota reputation for quality was a decision maker.
My RAV4 died because of a manufacturing defect, not because I abused it or had it maintained by someone other than TOYOTA. The dealer I worked with also played DUMB.
My RAV never gave any indication that the oil was low, all the way to the point of severe damage. This is 2013 (2007 when I bought the junk) and technology should be better at preserving the engine. In addition, TOYOTA is on a panel of experts claiming that oil changes are not necessary as often as suggested because the oil manufacturers have made significant improvements to the formula (going green).
It is BS to suggest having a vehicle maintained at the dealer will show loyalty. The dealer makes the money on this, not the manufacturer.
What pisses me off is that I can't buy a vehicle directly from the manufacturer so when I have a problem, I expect the dealer to go to bat for me. I tried taking my dealer to court and they claimed that they only sell the cars and my problem should be directed to Toyota. That's a major cop-out!
Toyota has a field book dedicated to describing good business practices that made them the #1 manufacturer on the world. At the heart of their business model is the customer. What they write and what they practice are two different things.
The only way for consumers to show dissatisfaction is to NOT ever buy another Toyota and also, spread the word. Money is the only thing that rules.
The dealer makes the money on this, not the manufacturer.
That's not necessarily true - the manufacturer doesn't pay "retail" for warranty claims and dealers often complain that they lose money on warranty work. So there's another source of friction that makes it harder for owners to get help either from the dealer or the manufacturer.
And yeah, the dealer lobby is strong so it's unlikely that you'll be able to buy direct from a manufacturer anytime soon, unless you get a Tesla.