Vvt-I oil line failure causing complete loss of engine oil while driving at speed on a highway. Car had to be towed and repaired due to lack of quality parts used in the manufacturing process. Toyota identified this problem internally yet failed to take appropriate measure to identify all models equipped with substandard oil lines and, likewise, did not attempt in earnest to notify owners of affected models. The result of Toyota's lack of appropriate effort in notifying owners resulted in oil line parts failures occurring outside of an extended coverage period instituted by Toyota. Because Toyota did not act in good faith, owners were not notified and were subsequently put at risk of oil line parts failures resulting in engine damage or even engine failure. Many of the affected models are still in operation and the drivers of these vehicles will have no idea until the part fails due to Toyota's lack of appropriate action. Toyota offers no support for this defect outside of a warranty enhancement or limited service campaign which owners were not sufficiently made aware of.

- Pfafftown, NC, USA

Oil cooler pipe malfunction. While driving, the oil cooler pipe started to leak from a hole in the rubber section between the metal clamps. All the engine oil came out within a few minutes while driving on the highway. Toyota had a recall in 2011 for this equipment, but no longer allows repair or replacement under recall.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

I recently learned it is a "known" issue by Toyota that the oil cooler line could rupture. This happened to me as I was driving on a very busy 3-lane highway. My only indication was when the oil pressure light came on, indicating an urgent need for me to pull over. Luckily I was already in the right lane getting ready to get off at the next exit, however only 5 minutes earlier I was traveling at a high rate of speed, keeping up with the 3 lanes of traffic. I feel this issue is very unsafe because I barely had enough time to exit the road quickly and since this has the possibility to cease the engine, I feel it could have caused an accident. When my SUV was checked my the mechanic he informed me that I had very little oil left in my engine. I contacted Toyota who stated they did not see how this was a safety concern. I disagree.

- Pipersville, PA, USA

Driving down roadway when a loud noise was heard in the engine, followed by check oil light to illuminate shortly after. Drove to nearest automotive repair site for service fearing more damage to engine by driving farther. Mechanic discovered oil line (previously repaired under recall) had burst and emptied all oil onto roadway. Previous repair, done under specs of recall, didn't hold up and required another repair. Toyota dealership called due to recall being performed there prior. Because it was completed to specs, no further assistance was offered. Repair completed with metal (not rubber) tubing and paid for out of pocket by driver. Fire risk noted since oil sprayed underneath car, onto back of car and onto roadway.

- Elmira, NY, USA

Sudden loss of oil while driving causing me to pull over immediately secondary to loud engine noise, decreased power, and fear of causing more engine damage. Local mechanic discovered that the engine oil cooling tube burst and dumped all the oil. Serious safety issue when you are forced to pull over to the shoulder on a busy road and left stranded as well as the fire risk when all the oil now covers the engine/underbody/back of vehicle.

- Zionsville, IN, USA

The car blew the engine oil cooler pipe leaking profusely I drove it at night came home and there was a 12 X 12 oil leak in my garage. I pulled it out of the garage with the motor running and there was another 12 X 12 oil spill on my drive way. I have a line all the way down my street of the oil spewing out of the engine. I had to get the car towed the following day to Toyota who knew about the part and offered an extended 10 year warranty to fix this problem. There was only 2 quarts of oil left in the crank case. No low oil light came on. I would have blown my motor for sure if I was on the highway. There is a video from Toyota about the engine oil cooler pipe leaking and that they changed the part from rubber hoses to metal. Why was there not a recall on this part. It is not a matter of if it will fail but when. This could have caused a serious situation!

- Addison, IL, USA

Driving on a rural 2 lane road the car started knocking and the light for the vsc came on. It said to bring to the dealer. Got home and checked the oil and there was not one drop on the dip stick. (my oil was changed at the dealer two weeks prior). The oil was however sprayed under the entire undercarriage. The part that is the problem is the oil cooler line.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Purchased this 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid new from greentree Toyota in danbury ct. We selected the hybrid version to save on gas. Little did we know our savings in gas would be sucked up in oil consumption. I need to carry a case of oil in the car at all times. Asked Toyota service in danbury ct to investigate and they conducted the same oil test others speak about. Although they say our Highlander passed the test I end up adding about 2 quarts of oil between every oil change. This car was serviced in exact compliance with the recommended service schedule. The Toyota service department in danbury ct just says that it is normal for a car with 135,000 miles on it to burn oil. This was a huge investment. I would expect at least 200K miles on a car before experiencing this sort of problem. Very disappointing. I would have expected Toyota to stand behind their product. Instead we get a well orchestrated don't admit any wrongdoing response. Toyota should be held accountable for producing a substandard product.

- Ridgefield, CT, USA

The primary issue of concern is regarding the vehicles valve springs. As a result of the valve spring which was in place, the vehicle in which I drove, stalled multiple times while in motion on a highway, before I was able to get it checked. In order to rectify this it cost over $2,000 in repairs. This issue is of grave concern, as a faulty valve spring, if it were to happen on a highway, could result in the death of a driver, passengers, and other vehicles. This issue is similar to the 2010 valve spring issue which affected Lexus vehicles. In that 2010 issue, Toyota admitted fault and recalled issues for 2006 to 2008 Lexus models. Given that the issue happened to other brands owned by Toyota the dot should see whether the issue is more widespread, and whether my vehicle falls under this issue as well.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

Engine oil cooling (rubber) hose burst while driving and dumped all of my oil... Toyota has since repaired this part with a series of metal pipes, which suggests to me that they realize that this is a defect but it is not acknowledged as a recall

- Apex, NC, USA

I recently noticed a rattling sound out of the engine area that occurs intermittently. It typically occurs after the vehicle sits for a couple hours after it has been driven up to operating temperature. The sound happens for less than 2 seconds. The Toyota dealer in our area diagnosed the issue as a failure of the intake cam gear per Toyota technical service bulletin 0094-09. The service advisor stated that if the issue is left unaddressed, it could lead to complete engine failure. He also stated that the updated cam gear made by Toyota does not fit the existing camshaft. This means that all 4 cam gears and two camshafts would have to be replaced which dramatically increases the labor and parts costs. I was given the following quote for the repair: Part's $3748 labor $2137 tax $348 total $6233 I took the vehicle to another Toyota to confirm the diagnosis and they confirmed the issue and quoted me at a similar price to do the repair. Message boards all across the internet describe a similar phenomenon. After discussing the matter with Toyota corporate, they agreed to cover 50% of the parts cost, but I believe this to be unfair because their updated part intrinsically and dramatically increases the labor and parts costs. Even though only one cam gear failed, the replacement of all 4 cam gears is now necessary.

- Chicago, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the air condition tube failed while driving. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the air condition tube was exposed to the motor ventilator causing the tube to overheat and explode, spilling the coolant. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

- San Jose, CA, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. While driving 50 mph, the contact smelled burning oil. The contact pulled over and found a leak in the motor oil cooling hose. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be repaired. In addition, the mechanic found an issue with the cam shaft of the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 126,000.

- Millis, MA, USA

According to the following website, there is a known issue with a cheap part on the Toyota V6 engines. There was even a recall for the part, however, I"M told my car wasn't on the recal list. Https://sites.google.com/site/toyotav6oillinescandal/ the issue at hand is the car has been to the dealer for all maintenance, so its not a neglect issue. The rear bank vvt-I oil line used in prior to 2008 (mine has this issue as well) is metal with a rubber host connecting the two. The hose ruptures, dumps all of the oil, which squirts onto the passenger wheel, in the brakes, etc. It can not only cause a fire in the engine bay (which it did not in this case), but it could also lead to an inability to steer or brake (neither were the case here). Lastly, 6 quarts of oil drained out in less than 60 seconds, and the engine could have seized. This is a seriour issue for a $35 part.

- Columbia, MD, USA

When you start up car there is a engine grinding noise for a few seconds. This has been reported by many people on the internet, just google 2008 Toyota Highlander start up engine noise and you will get a better look at what it sounds like. This could lead to severe engine damage. It is a defect in the engine.

- Glenview, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The technician stated that the fuel pump failing was a known issue. The vehicle was then put through a stress test and the service department kept and drove the vehicle. The service manager stated that the failure was not the fuel pump and that there was an issue within the system once the vehicle warmed up that caused the vehicle to lose power. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Parker, CO, USA

I purchased a qualified pre-owned 2008 Toyota Highlander sport from rice Toyota in greensboro, nc in February of 2013. Since that time, I have properly serviced the vehicle and retained all service records. On or about March 31, 2015, while I was driving home from work on I-40 (65 mph interstate highway), the engine in my Highlander suddenly stalled and the check engine light came on. I coasted into a rest area (luckily) and was towed to a service station in greensboro. A complete diagnostic was performed and it was determined that the engine failure was due to a faulty engine valve spring. Every mechanic I have spoken with have indicated that a valve spring should not break on a 2008 Toyota with around 100K miles. I searched online and found that Toyota has recalled hundreds of thousands of certain Lexus models, including models from 2008 with the same 3.5 liter V6 engine as is in my Highlander, for faulty valve springs that result in sudden engine stalling. Rice Toyota has refused to provide any assistance, as has Toyota corporation. Further, Toyota corporation has refused to provide me with any information regarding the manufacturer of the valve spring in my vehicle and/or any indication if the same valve spring was in the recalled Lexus modes. I have seen class action law suits filed against Toyota for concealing issues with valve springs. This defect can be very dangerous as the vehicle stalls suddenly and without warning. I need assistance to motivate Toyota corporation and rice Toyota to correct a clear design and/or manufacturing defect that caused a potentially dangerous engine stall in the middle of a major interstate highway.

- Greensboro, NC, USA

Engine oil leaked almost empty. When I picked up kid from school parking on the driveway on that rainy day, saw a leak line on the wet ground. Next Saturday I filled a qt oil to the level and drove to repair shop. The technician said almost all 5.5 qt oil was leaked out. Turned out it was timing chain covers silicon sealer broken. I am the person always check around my car before going out, if not checking, things could be very bad.

- Herndon, VA, USA

The oil cooler hose on my 2008 Highlander suddenly malfunctioned, causing most of my car's oil to spill out on to the driveway. Apparently, this particular rubber hose has been the subject of recalls and equipment upgrades to a metal pipe in other Toyota models, but not the Highlander. This is a safety issue that Toyota is neglecting to acknowledge in its Highlanders. I called my local Toyota dealership to report the problem, and ask what Toyota is doing to fix it, and they denied there was any kind of problem with the oil cooler hoses. A simple google search implies otherwise.

- Granville, OH, USA

We were starting off to go on vacation when warning lights came on the dashboard and information panel with hybrid system warnings and brake warnings then the car completely stopped in the middle of the road and steering was lost. We were able to get off to the side enough to prevent causing an accident however we were on a busy street. Had it towed to the local Toyota dealer and the diagnosis was a failed coil. They replaced all 3 coils saying that it would be prudent as the engine was already apart (I agree). They also said that this is a relatively common occurrence with some of the Highlander hybrids. I have the part and it looks like the top of the coil became over heated and blew out the top plastic compound. I consider myself very lucky that this did not happen while on a highway on a rainy day where the vehicle abruptly stopping would certainly have caused me to be in an accident. This is certainly a flaw that Toyota should address for safety reasons and it makes me hesitant to want to purchase another Toyota product again.

- Sutton, MA, USA