1995 Toyota 4Runner Engine

HAD VEHICLE PARKED. NOTICED BENEATH VEHICLE A SMALL PUDDLE UNDER ENGINE AREA. TOOK TO PRIVATE MECHANIC. WAS INFORMED HEAD GASKETS HAD BLOWN AND WERE LEAKING. ALSO A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR HEAD GASKETS. OWNER CONTACTED BOTH MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP. INFORMED CAMPAIGN WAS FOR HEAD GASKETS, BUT NOT VEHICLE.*AK *TT

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY VEHICLE OVERHEATED. HEAD GASKETS WERE DAMAGED. *MR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND EXPERIENCED ROUGH IDLING AND POOR PICKUP. TOOK INTO HAVE SERVICED AT AN INDEPENDANT SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET, RESEARCHED ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND THE RECALL AND REPAIR CAMPAIGN FOR THIS VEHICLE. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD ALREADY HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED PRIOR TO MY OWNING THE VEHICLE. NOW I'M LOOKING AT A WEALTHY REPAIR BILL AND NO ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA ON THIS KNOWN ISSUE. DT

TOOK TRUCK IN TO GET OIL CHANGED AND GET A TUNE-UP, MECHANIC TELLS ME I HAVE A BLOWN GASKET. TALKED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP NEAR ME, SAID THAT IT WAS A RARE PROBLEM AND IT WAS GOING TO COST AT LEAST $1500 TO REPAIR. CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, SAID IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. CALLED TOYOTA'S "CUSTOMER SERVICE" AFTER READING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT AT "SECRET WARRANTY" FOR THIS PROBLEM. "CUSTOMER SERVICE" INDICATED MY VIN WAS NOT PART OF THE CAMPAIGN TO FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM MANIFOLD PIPE, AND VEHICLE'S TEMPERATURE GAUGE REGISTERED HOT. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A DULL BANG NOISE FROM ENGINE, AND HEAVY GREY SMOKE CAME FROM EXHAUST. ENGINE HAD GASKET BLEW OUT. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE: DULL BANG OCCURS IN ENGINE, EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE BILLOWS FROM EXHAUST. EXHAUST SMELLS SWEET FROM ANTI-FREEZE. ENGINE RAN ROUGH FROM ONE CYLINDER MISFIRING. COOLANT IS BEING BLOWN FROM RADIATOR CAP. HAD TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. VEHICLE TOWED TO HOME. TEST ON ENGINE OIL FINDS THAT COOLANT HAS MIXED WITH ENGINE LUBRICATING OIL. DISCUSSION WITH TOYOTA CERTIFIED MECHANIC RESULT: THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE NEW HEAD GASKETS AND IS USUALLY CATASTROPHIC NEEDING ENGINE REBULD/REPLACEMENT AS THE ENGINE BLOCK USUALLY NEEDS RE-DECKING(MILLING) BEYOND MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TOLERANCES; COOLANT GALLERY COMES TOO CLOSE TO CYLINDER WALL AT HEAD. CONTACTED DEALER, REFERED TO TOYOTA NATIONAL SERVICE HOTLINE (800-331-4331) AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PRIOR YEARS HEAD GASKET RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE MY YEAR, AND WAS RESOLVED FOR MY YEAR VEHICLE BY INSTALLING HEAVIER HEAD GASKETS AT POINT OF ENGINE MANUFACTURE. NO ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA NATIONAL SERVICE, BUT IF I WAS WILLING TO PURCHASE A NEW TOYOTA THAT TOYOTA NATIONAL SALES WOULD OFFER ASSISTANCE AFTER THE SALE WAS MADE. THE ESTIMATE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IS $5,300.00 WITH REBUILD (JASPER OR OTHER). SEEKING FINANCING TO REPAIR/REPLACE ENGINE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE OVERHEATED AND RADIATOR BLEWOUT. CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO DRIVE OFF ROAD, AND SAW STAIN COMING OUT OF TAIL PIPE. THEN, SAW A LEAK CAUSED BY A BLOWN OUT HEAD GASKET.*AK

INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP INDICATED HEAD GASKET MAY BE BLOWN. COOLANT LOSS CAUSED ENGIN TO OVERHEAT. WATERPUMP AND PULLIES FROZE BREAKING TIMING BELT. DEALER FIXED WATER PUMP, PULLIES AND TIMING BELT. SAID HEADGASKET NOT COVERED BY CURRENT RECALL AND COOLANT LOSS IS DUE TO BAD RADIATOR CAP. ENGINE RUNNING ROUGH ON COLD START. DEALER SAID THEY FORGOT TO CORRECTLY GAP SPARK PLUGS- DID NOT FIX RUNNING ROUGH. ENGINE STILL LOOSING COOLANT 1 GAL/WEEK. APPEARS TO BE HEADGASKET PROBLEM BUT TOYOTA SAYS THICKER HEADGASKET WAS INSTALLED IN ALL V6 4-RUNNERS AFTER 10/94 AND THAT IS WHY 1995'S ARE NOT INCLUDED. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY NHTSA TO TOYOTA. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILURE, POTENTIAL FIRE.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

HEAD GASKET FAILED RESULTING IN ENGINE MISSES. SERVICE CAMPAIGN ISSUED FOR SAME MK/MODEL BUT EXCLUDES THIS VIN.*AK

WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS IS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 20-25 MPH AND WHEN PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT VEHICLE WAS DRIVING VERY ROUGH. ALSO, SMOKE WAS COMING FROM EXHAUST PIPE. CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER NOTICED THAT HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

I HAVE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE GASKET DEFECT/PROBLEM, WHEN OR WILL THERE BE A RECALL ON THIS PART!?*AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE CAUSING LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE FORMED FROM FUEL EXHAUST AND ENGINE COOLANT MIXED. CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER FAILURE BECAUSE OF BUILD UP OF COOLANT INSIDE THE CYNLINDER SO PISTON WOULD NOT COMPRESS AND CAR WOULD NOT START. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKETS BLEW CAUSED THE ANTI-FREEZE TO GET INTO THE SPARK PLUGS WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO IDLE ROUGH ON A COLD START. MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL TO REPLACE THE HEAD GASKETS.*AK

BLOWN HEAD GASKET RESULTED IN CONTAMINATION OF OIL, ENGINE FAILURE. BLOWN HEAD GASKET RESULTED IN CONTAMINATION OF OIL BY COOLANT, WHICH EVENTUALLY CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE NEEDS NEW SHORT BLOCK, AT COST OF $5,200-$6,200. TOYOTA SAYS "IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM." HEAD GASKET REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY AT 58,652 MILES. NOW ENGINE FAILS. HAVE LEARNED INDEPENDENTLY OF POSSIBLE COOLANT CONTAMINATION OF THE OIL AND SERIOUS DAMAGE TO ENGINE (E.G. CRANKSHAFT BEARINGS) WHEN HEAD GASKET FAILED. CUSTOMER NEVER NOTIFIED OF HEAD GASKET DEFECT OR RECALL UNTIL MINE FAILED. NEVER TOLD OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. INDEPENDENT MECHANICS HAVE ADVISED THAT THE SHORT BLOCK SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT TIME HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF PROBABLE COOLANT CONTAMINATION OF OIL, WHICH DAMAGES BEARINGS AND EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN ENGINE FAILURE. TOYOTA ONLY REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET. NOW UNWILLING TO COVER RESULTING DAMAGE TO ENGINE B/C OUTSIDE OF 100,000 MILE WARRANTY AND THEY DENY RELATED TO HEAD GASKET FAILURE.

THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA'S 4RUNNER. WHY NO ACTION YET??? TOYOTA DID A NON-MANDATORY CAMPAIGN FOR THE PRIOR MODEL YEAR FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN OBLIGATED TO DO ONE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR AS WELL? WHEN I TRY TO SPEAK WITH TOYOTA THEY ARE INTENTIONALLY AMBIGUOUS AND NEVER WILLING TO DISCUSS THE CHANGES THEY PERFORMED ON THE PREVIOUS MODELS. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO BOTH TOYOTA AND INDEPEDENT MECHANICS THERE ARE INTRINSIC PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. CURRENTLY 25% OF YOUR COMPLAINTS WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL ARE RELATED TO THIS INTRINSIC ENGINE PROBLEM. HOW CAN YOU A GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY JUSTIFY YOUR LACK OF ATTENTION AND SUPPORT FOR THE PUBLIC???? YOU NEED TO BEGIN SOME TYPE OF ACTION!!!! *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MAJOR OIL LEAKAGE, HAD SAME PROB W/'90 4RUNNER, SEAL FAILED OIL/ANTIFREEZE MIXED AND KILLED ENGINE-OBVIOUSLY TOYOTA HASN'T FIXED THIS DEFECT. *AK

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW. NO ADVANCE WARNING WAS GIVEN. WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING OIL STARTED TO DROP, AND THE TEMPERATURE WENT UP. ALSO THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE. AFTER BEING REVIEWED BY A MECHANIC, ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REBUILT. *AK

ANTI-FREEZE GOES INTO A BLOCK ENGINE BECAUSE OF A BAD HEAD GASKET, AND CAUSES ANTI-FREEZE TO BECOME A TOXIC GAS. CONSUMER CAN SMELL AND TASTE ANTI-FREEZE WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THE VENT. CONSUMER FEELS THE ARE BEING POISENED. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A BLOWN ENGINE HEAD GASKET. IT WAS DISCOVERED BY AN INDENDENT REPAIRS SHOP. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMERTHAT VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL. *AK

HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL CAUSING THE ENGINE TO BLOW UP. YH