The Engine Is A Goner, Warped Head And Long Block!!

[Monkeydad]

Naw

Josh,

I'm not an extremist.

We bought the 4Runner based on numerous accounts of 200-300K 4Runners out there, and Toyota's reputation for building very long lasting cars (specifically engines) that do not need MAJOR engine repair/rebuild/replacement like American cars so often do.

My father had a Toy. pickup that is still going strong after 350K on it's original engine. He has replaced a couple of clutches but that is normal.

Our 4Runner needs thousands of dollars of engine repair or replacement. My very good friend has a Camry 4-cylinder about five years old (don't know the mileage) and it needs major head work.

A few years ago, Toyota made a deliberate decision to become the #1 auto maker in the world; to topple GM. They achieved that goal, and IMHO, Toyota has sacrificed longevity in this endeavor.

Toyota now builds cars to pass the Consumer Reports reliability tests, JD Power's initial quality tests, and to have the car last as long as the average first owner is likely to keep a car; basically, Toyota now builds 100K cars, not 300K cars.

As a consumer, I expected a 300K car, but what I got was a 100K car. If that is going to be the case, I no longer will remain loyal to Toyota, and will chose my next vehicle based on features other than long-term reliability.

You and others have inspired me to attempt to R&R the heads myself, and save a lot of money.

I think this forum is very helpful.

 

[codename607]

So what do you guys think? Is the V8 a more reliable engine?

 

[paintpollz]

warping of the head is a characteristic of aluminum and it pretty much happens right when the engine overheats, thats just aluminum for ya!!

i asked my friend about why the engine was a goner and how come it cant be fixed and also why does it seem that newer toyotas just dont last as long as older generations and he told me its all down to the materials used, he said this engine can continue to run for years in its condition as it is all i have to do it just keep adding more water to radiator to keep it going, and there are many people out there probably with this same issue, but internally the engine just keeps getting worse and that not what i wanted, i ant to fix the problems and have a good engine again. he also said that the reason the engine is all aluminum is because of comsumer demand, they wanted a 4runner that can get 15-20mpg and how can you possibly get that? well you have to shed 400 pounds by going to a aluminum block and heads among other things- the older generations had cast iron blocks and can take more abuse but thats just not the same with aluminum

the only symptom i can possibly recall to what cause this whole issue was one time i was towing a decent sized load probably 2500-3000 pound load in traffic and and then water temp was fine but then the a/t temp warning light came on and i pulled over immediately for 30 mins to cool down then i went home and it ran fine, but it was around that time frame that i started noticing the misfire but i cant be fore sure if the misfire happenned before or after-

This thread is vital to potential buyers like myself and should be immediately stickied. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this, it is not well documented anywhere else.

Is the solution as simple as it seems? Never let the engine temp rise above normal? And if you see it rising, get the car towed and replace your cooling components? I was going to go for the v6 (specificially years 2007-2008). But because of this thread, I'm concerend that preventative maintenance is not going to keep this from happening to the motor. If the v8 is that much more of a solid motor, than it is a no brainer from a reliability/cost/benefit standpoint.

 

[Zinarac]

I still believe the V6 is a good engine, but I also had to replace my head gaskets after I discovered the failure. Toyota needs to know about this issue, because every dealer I talked to and even corporate denied the fact that the number of V6 head gasket issues are on the rise regardless of your preventative maintenance habits. It seems to be happening to most V6 owners between 90-150k miles, which is way to early for a repair as costly as this.

I reported my head gasket failure in a letter to Toyota and I would hope that anyone that has experienced this problem would report it to.

Here is the address if you are interested in sending a letter:

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
19001 South Western Ave.
Dept. WC11
Torrance, CA 90501

 

[paintpollz]

I still believe the V6 is a good engine, but I also had to replace my head gaskets after I discovered the failure. Toyota needs to know about this issue, because every dealer I talked to and even corporate denied the fact that the number of V6 head gasket issues are on the rise regardless of your preventative maintenance habits. It seems to be happening to most V6 owners between 90-150k miles, which is way to early for a repair as costly as this.

From a prospective buyer standpoint, this motor is not good. Sad in the fact that I would love to own one of these trucks, but I'm looking for preowned 2007-2008s with 70-100k miles. You can bet I won't not touch a 4.0L now that I've heard of this. It sounds like this board will be hearing of a lot more of this as these vehicles mature.

This and the current standings of the election have me in the dumps.

 

[p nut]

It's a shame to hear about head gasket issues (yet again) for 4Runners. Thought Toyota would have learned with the 2nd gens. Seems like most popping up are 04's. Well, best of luck to all.

So what do you guys think? Is the V8 a more reliable engine?

It would seem so, based on the number of blown headgasket threads I'm seeing. My 2UZ has been solid (currently at 160k) and I personally haven't seen a thread of a failure on the 4.7's.

 

[boston_kevin]

Josh,

I'm not an extremist.

We bought the 4Runner based on numerous accounts of 200-300K 4Runners out there, and Toyota's reputation for building very long lasting cars (specifically engines) that do not need MAJOR engine repair/rebuild/replacement like American cars so often do.

My father had a Toy. pickup that is still going strong after 350K on it's original engine. He has replaced a couple of clutches but that is normal.

Our 4Runner needs thousands of dollars of engine repair or replacement. My very good friend has a Camry 4-cylinder about five years old (don't know the mileage) and it needs major head work.

A few years ago, Toyota made a deliberate decision to become the #1 auto maker in the world; to topple GM. They achieved that goal, and IMHO, Toyota has sacrificed longevity in this endeavor.

Toyota now builds cars to pass the Consumer Reports reliability tests, JD Power's initial quality tests, and to have the car last as long as the average first owner is likely to keep a car; basically, Toyota now builds 100K cars, not 300K cars.

As a consumer, I expected a 300K car, but what I got was a 100K car. If that is going to be the case, I no longer will remain loyal to Toyota, and will chose my next vehicle based on features other than long-term reliability.

You and others have inspired me to attempt to R&R the heads myself, and save a lot of money.

I think this forum is very helpful.

Sadly enough - I have to agree with you. 100k on my '04 v6 and already invested thousands in repairs - steering shaft, radiator, alternator, exhaust, O2 sensors, brake calipers & rotors, not to mention routine maintenance, and it has only been off-road on sand a couple of times. Hitting the misfire issue seems inevitable with the current long-term durability of these 4th gens. Putting on new tires (per request of a new buyer) and it's going to a new owner in April. bye-bye Toyota!