The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[macpcs]

55 plate LC3, FSH and 63k, serviced 6 weeks ago, owned almost from new (ex demo).

Friday, on cruise at 70mph, hung in 4th gear, "tappety" noise, lost power, oil light illuminated, pulled onto side of motorway (6 passengers, such fun, engive dead.Turn over but not firing.

Toyota recovery (cannot fault club Toyota) Garage investigation - holed piston, head knackered, 1 bore knackered, new engine required (garage diagnosis, not mine). Head and bits in boot and now at my local Toyota dealer (rather than recovering garage in the middle of Scotland).

Anyway, the initial garage suggests maybe an injector issue has caused this failure. I spoke to local Toyota dealer (where my car is now deposited) and they said they currently have a landcruiser in with very similar problem but they have caught it before it pops a piston etc.


I read various reports of LC D4D engine failures shortly after 55k etc., and various injector issues etc. I would expect that a LC with FSH and 63k mileage to last a little longer than this (obviously a hugely expensive repair).

It has also been intimated (by local dealer) that Toyota may make a "contribution" to any repair. Quite what this may be I am unsure. Is there any issue that Toyota are aware of and are attempting to placate oweners into silence?

My local Toyota dealer will be giving their views on the failure/cause etc over the next few days so other things may come to light, but not comfortable that I have a vehicle in bits, possibly facing a repair bill of between 2k and 8k and not knowing is there was a known contributory cause for this which should have been addressed prior to the engine going pop.

Having read the threads re extended warranties on these engines I'm now off into my local dealer to "encourage" them to resolve this. Will let you know

Mac

[Google]

[cir287]

I wish you luck, dont take NO for an answer, despite what they may admit to, they are fully aware of this issue.
If you need to go down the legal route then your claim is with the place of purchase (as far as I'm aware), not the manufacturer. You may need to point this out to the garage, wont look well for them especially if they are the ones that serviced it.

anyway, try the gently, gently, poor me, sob, sob line first, if that doesnt seem to get anywhere then I'd be threatening legal.

[macpcs]

Had a face to face with dealer (they are always good with me anyway. Have used them for years with Toyota's and Lexus etc) and they have had a look at the engine (head etc already removed) and said that they dont anticipate Toyota arguing about covering the cost of a total engine replacement (new). They are going to take pics and discuss with Toyota. Courtesy vehicle supplied for duration.

Of course, I was armed with necessary info when I went in, but didn't need most of it. When I intimated about the 5yr/100k extended engine cover from Toyota they said it wasn't necessarily as clear cut as that...more a case of Toyota replacing a blown engine under these circumstances as a gesture of goodwill, rather than a defacto extension of the warranty.

Dress it up how you like, it certainly DOES appear to be the case of (for those dealers in the know/willing to be co operative) that anyone popping an engine under these circumstances will, or highly probable, receive a warranty replacement of the faulty engine, or at least parts affected.

Incidentally, it appears that it is cheaper for a dealer to buy the complete motor in parts (bottom end/block/head etc) and assemble themselves than to buy a completely built motor. Usually cheaper to buy complete units of things rather than component parts. Anyway, that's irrelevant.

Will update when something to tell.

mac

[macpcs]

oh, and conversant with litigation and consequential loss situation's, so have no concerns regarding a positive resolution really. Yep, there may be some trauma before resolution, but will be resolved I am sure.

mac

[marlot]

Sounds like another case of the copper injector seals failing.

It's time toyota bit the bullet and did a recall to swap them all to the later aluminium design, like toyota ireland have done.   I believe mercedes have already done a similar uk recall.

[cir287]

good news macpcs, hope all flows smoothly and they get you back on the road soon.

with regard to the MB recall, they had a problem with the initial E class (and whatever other models share the engine) injectors, then they had a bigger problem with supply of the new replacement injectors I'm told by someone working for them that due to supply shortages, production of the new E class was halted until they replaced every injector on every new model already sold, once that was done they started producing new cars again. That is how seriously they valued their reputation.

its a different senario as their injectors were troublesome from new but it shows they took the bull by the horns and fixed it. Dont get me wrong, MB are as bad as anyone else now when it comes to warrenty cover a minute over.

[marlot]

Given that there seems to be an inherent fault, I would think that anyone suing their Toyota garage would stand a pretty good chance of winning at small claims court.  Especially as Ireland made the sensible decision to change the injector seals rather than the UK decision to pay for engines as they occur.

LCs will have the same reliability reputations as Landrovers and Nissan Navaras at this rate.

[macpcs]

As this could take some time to resolve (dealer to strip motor fully, take pics, enciurage toyota to play ball, toyota send expert to look, toyota uk esaclate to toyota europe blah blah blah) does anyone have any names of the chief execs/senior management team at Toyota UK and Toyota Europe? Ths is so I can encourage a swift resolution rather than a dragged out pissing contest.

The other LC, with similar - though not as serious failure - problem thats in my Toyota dealer for consideration and repair has been there a month. Toyota came and had a look this week. If I have to wait a month of so for a new engine under warranty, so be it, but can do without unecessary pontificating and wriggling from Toyota HQ to try and avoid costs etc.

Also, who is the motoring correspondent(s) in the main (reputable) papers and mags?.

Just collating info so I can get straight into robust and informed action, should it be required.

Thanks

Mac

[marlot]

Miguel Fonseca is MD of Toyota GB

http://blog.toyota.co.uk/miguel-fonseca-md-of-toyota-gb-describes-the-process-for-the-pedal-recall-in-the-uk

[dannyson]

Look under "General Technical' and maybe 'quote' the guy from Dunblane who got a £7K bill paid by Toyota for - what it appears - is the very same issue!!  

[nick j]

Here is his email address:  miguel.fonseca@tgb.toyota.co.uk I would initially make him aware of the problem and current situation.
Good luck

[Rick]

If you're going to write to him, I would also make him aware of a growing number of informed owners who are very pi55ed off with the situation with these engines and in particular Toyotas attitude.  Might be worth pointing out that unless he starts to act appropriately, Toyota might end up with another Prius situation, only this time with the world's (supposedly) most reliable 4x4.  If Toyota have any sense, they should be extremley worried about protecting the fantastic reputation of the Landcruiser.
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Rick

[TobyJug]

Either way good luck mate and hope all is sorted soon....
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Early K-reg (UK truck) Landcruiser Amazon 4.2 TD VX

[wooly0000]

Hi all, just a quick up date, emailed my concerns this morning then visited mr t to book my Lc in for a copper to aluminium seal change, to be honest they where very good and unaware of the problem, anyway, seal and pipe change will take approximatly 3.5 - 4 hours to complete at a cost of around £610, so ive booked it in for the work next tuesday. dont get me wrong its pricey for work where by i havent got any fault to fix, but the hope is, its preventative medcin and cheaper than £7000 - £8000 repair bill plus hasle. will post on how it all went next week, fingers crossed.

[wooly0000]

I have had some feed back from customer services today, it would appear that i have not made my point clearly enough to them, so restated my concerns over the engine failure issue,


also i wanted to make me 50th post