I have a 2000 4Runner SR5 that I took to the local dealer for an oil change & tire rotation. They apparently test drove it due to the tire rotation and 50 yards after leaving the parking lot it threw a rod through the oil pan! It had 129,000 miles, oil changes every 5000 miles and no indication of any noises or problems. It seems incredibly coincidental that I drove it 129k miles without any problems and the dealer threw a rod after 50 yards. What could they have done wrong to cause this? At the moment the dealer has indicated that a rod bolt broke loose causing it to throw the rod but they have not indicated who will be responsible.
I have a 2000 4Runner SR5 that I took to the local dealer for an oil change & tire rotation. They apparently test drove it due to the tire rotation and 50 yards after leaving the parking lot it threw a rod through the oil pan! It had 129,000 miles, oil changes every 5000 miles and no indication of any noises or problems. It seems incredibly coincidental that I drove it 129k miles without any problems and the dealer threw a rod after 50 yards. What could they have done wrong to cause this? At the moment the dealer has indicated that a rod bolt broke loose causing it to throw the rod but they have not indicated who will be responsible.
Sure sounds like someone forgot to add oil!
Sorry to hear and if I was you, THE DEALERSHIP IS RESPONSIBLE for replacing your motor!
IT does sound like they did not put oil in it after it was drained...
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Haley Toyota in Richmond, VA is refusing any responsibility. After a teardown, they indicated that 2 rod bolts broke causing the rod to go through the oil pan. They would not accept any responsibility despite the fact that it happened in their possession and acknowledging that the vehicle was well maintained. They offered a whopping 10% discount off the cost of replacing a used engine! Thanks, I'll sleep well tonight.
I have a 2000 4Runner SR5 that I took to the local dealer for an oil change & tire rotation. They apparently test drove it due to the tire rotation and 50 yards after leaving the parking lot it threw a rod through the oil pan! It had 129,000 miles, oil changes every 5000 miles and no indication of any noises or problems. It seems incredibly coincidental that I drove it 129k miles without any problems and the dealer threw a rod after 50 yards. What could they have done wrong to cause this? At the moment the dealer has indicated that a rod bolt broke loose causing it to throw the rod but they have not indicated who will be responsible.
I'm confused. Why would they test-drive it for a simple tire rotation. The only time they test drive it for tire related issues is when they do an alignment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flashgordon
Sure sounds like someone forgot to add oil!
Sorry to hear and if I was you, THE DEALERSHIP IS RESPONSIBLE for replacing your motor!
Perhaps but I doubt it. The dealer is not responsible for problems that arise while the vehicle is in their possession, which are not directly their fault.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolongerrunnin
Haley Toyota in Richmond, VA is refusing any responsibility. After a teardown, they indicated that 2 rod bolts broke causing the rod to go through the oil pan. They would not accept any responsibility despite the fact that it happened in their possession and acknowledging that the vehicle was well maintained. They offered a whopping 10% discount off the cost of replacing a used engine! Thanks, I'll sleep well tonight.
So when the dealer called you and said the motor seized up and threw a rod through the oil-pan you asked them to tear it down to determine what happened? Was there oil all over the ground where it died?
Quote:
Originally Posted by stir_fry_boy
You should threaten to sue.
That won't get you anything but a closed door. Often dis-honest people will blame dealers for anything while their vehicles are in for simple oil-changes. This is why service advisors must now inspect vehicles thoroughly for outside damage when they come in because people will later file claims for minor scratches. I'm not concluding that this is what the OP is doing but much of this story just doesn't add up.
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Haley Toyota in Richmond, VA is refusing any responsibility. After a teardown, they indicated that 2 rod bolts broke causing the rod to go through the oil pan. They would not accept any responsibility despite the fact that it happened in their possession and acknowledging that the vehicle was well maintained. They offered a whopping 10% discount off the cost of replacing a used engine! Thanks, I'll sleep well tonight.
Hmm, rod bolts don't just break. They will break when the piston/rings are encountering extreme friction against the cylinder walls (i.e. lack of oil) as the engine is loaded down.
IIRC, 5VZs use a stud and nut assembly, not the plastic region tightening bolts used today. But as with any engine, it could have been updated. Either provide clamping force to go over 200k miles without issue.
If there was no oil in the engine, or insufficient oil in the engine, and it was done by them, they should have insurance to cover those sorts of things.
TS, I disagree.
If while at the dealership and your vehicle falls off the lift, they are responsible.
If they are test driving your vehicle and they get in an accident, they are responsible.
If they work on your vehicle and it bursts into flames, they are responsible.
If they forget to add oil after an oil change and on a test drive the engine throws a rod, they are responsible.
Now while I agree it's going to be tough to prove that that in fact they neglected to add oil, (unless they say..."oops, sorry, we forgot to add oil") fault on the dealership can be proven but it all boils down to how much time and effort you want to pursue it.
I agree with what you are saying, but just because something breaks when it is in someone's posession does not make them liable. In this situation it does sound suspicious that it happened to throw a rod on that particular test drive.
In this situation I think I would have taken it somewhere else for the tear down. It should be pretty obvious that it was ran without oil.
Everyone I have discussed this with all asked the same question - Why would the dealer test drive a vehicle after a test drive? I called 2 other dealers within this same franchise and they both said they would not test drive for a tire rotation unless the customer made a specific request. I have now spoken with the G.M. and he also denied full responsibility but offered to install a used motor at cost. He indicated that this particular dealership does test drives after tire rotations while others might not. Yeah right! I am now pursuing Toyota and consulting an attorney. In hindsight, it's easy to say that I should have had someone else complete the teardown & diagnostic.
Threw a rod at the dealership!
Re: Threw a rod at the dealership!
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