Toyota Tech forgets to put oil in a 14 T4R for 20k service!

[Kennyr44]

There is no good answer here. In my opinion they should buy you a Toyota (not aftermarket) extended warranty. The longest one available. I've seen this happen and not cause any damage and I've seen it destroy the rod bearings. I'm coming up on 10k and it's making me think real hard about buying my own oil and filter. I have a lift so the work is not a problem.

 

[Saker]

As ben550 said, you have no idea how long the tech let the T4R idle, with no oil.
I've seen mine idle for 15 minutes, easy, in the bay.....

No easy answer here, maybe as others said, contact coorporate and tell them your truck was run without oil and see what they say....if they say that voids the warranty, then inform them this was done at the dealership....play your cards right to protect your investment.

 

[KidVermicious]

You need to get completely off the hook with this.

Step one: Get into that service managers office with a hidden camera or two and see just how far you can bend him over. Tell him you need a new truck, you need a professional massage to compensate for the stress, you need a nice suit to meet with your lawyer to discuss the lawsuit against his dealership, get stupid with it. Once he gets his back up, get REALLY outrageous and start demanding hookers and blow and threatening to go on Jerry Springer or Judge Judy. Keep going until he has security escort you out.

Step two: post it on Youtube, and turn on ads.

Step three: profit!

 

[Antman]

I would just get a lawyer and let him handle it.

I'm not a "sue everybody" kind of guy but damn, if that happened to me every noise from that engine would have me guessing every time I drove it.

I hate hearing things like this. Good luck.

 

[aimalick]

The problem is, is that's not a reasonable request. If he keeps the truck, and the motor lets go at 500k, should toyota still be required to provide a new one due to a screw-up 480k miles ago? OP, be realistic and they'll be more apt to work with you without fighting/dragging their feet. Cover your ass, just be realistic about what you request.

i guess i posted this assuming he'd only keep it for 100k miles or so.. if it's a lifer circumstances are different.

 

[1000MPH]

You can get an 8yr/125k mile Toyota platinum VSA. Not sure if they go higher than that.
I've said this before but what really scares me is how many of these !@#$ - ups are actually caught and covered up before the car is brought out to the customer.

 

[brian2sun]

My argument to the dealership would be this.. One of the main reasons I bought a Toyota was to have piece of mind because they are know for their reliability, and they just killed that whole notion on a truck that isn't even fully broken in yet. Now you don't know if this engine is going to last a couple more decades or a couple more days. You no longer have the piece of mind to trust that this truck isn't going to leave you stranded on the road at any given time in the future. An extended warranty would not be enough in my opinion. What if the engine would have lasted 400K, and now it's going to die at 125K (after any extended warranty is up)? Toyota can afford to put a new engine in your truck and give you back the piece of mind that you paid for when you bought the thing... and they need to do that for you. Get a lawyer if you have to, because this shouldn't be a very hard case to win if it came down to it. If I was a judge, as soon as I heard they ran the truck with no oil in it, the case would be over and you'd have a new motor. Period.

 

[Blue Seat Lyfe]

Should probably change your own oil next time

 

[SD G-Mote]

I have a friend who has a 2012 4Runner. He brought it in for service which included an oil change (not at a dealer). He then left Sand Diego area for a long road trip to the Sf Bay Area. The oil light came on and his engine was running a little hot. Every time he stopped he saw a little oil. Long story short, he ran his 4Runner without oil for a while. After a quick review of his car, he realized that the Service tech did not tighten his oil filter all the way. He estimates he ran about 1k miles without oil. That was several years ago and his 4Runner has run perfectly for years. So, I would imagine yours will be fine.

Good luck!

 

[Rock_Rat]

Wrenches screw up. That's all there is to it. Show me a mechanic who hasn't screwed up.

Absolutely not acceptable. I've been in aviation a pretty damn long time. We have a zero margin for error in our industry. You can't just pull it over because someone was distracted and forgot to follow the checklist. People will die becasue "wrenches screw up". We also have strict FAA regulations. I run a Human Factors workshop and I wish everyone on here that works on, or has their vehicles worked on understands the importance of Human Factors in our industry. We call it the Dirty Dozen, and yes there are "safety nets" for things like distraction to help catch those items that were missed like forgetting to put oil in your car. In aviation, human factors, not mechanical failures account for 80% of all accidents and the number one cause is distraction - by pilots and maintenance folks. I've attached a pdf on the "Dirty Dozen" by the FAA for you to look at. When my wife calls me in out of the garage for dinner, guess what, I've been distracted.

If I was the OP I would hold the dealer 100% accountable, get a new vehicle and ask to see what policies they have in place to ensure the maintenance is performed error-free. Sorry, but servicing oil requires one to remove the dipstick and ensure it's properly serviced. It also requires you to start the engine and ensure your filter isn't leaking. It also requires you to fill out a checklist before turning the car over to the owner. I believe the service manager is also responsible for overseeing the maintenance etc.........

I know this isn't aviation but it's the same damn thing. People need to be held accountable for their screwups.

 

[-dustin]

that's an awsome .pdf. Complacency is the one that I see most often.

Curious, what were you before an aviation mechanic?

 

[nevada]

wait, there are 2 of these?

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/gener...4-toyota-4runner-20k-service.html#post2191478

can these be merged? this is confusing.

 

[Rock_Rat]

that's an awsome .pdf. Complacency is the one that I see most often.

Curious, what were you before an aviation mechanic?

Front line mechanic for Manley Chevrolet in NY (No longer there, it's now an Audi VW Dealer) and then took some time off to pursue an Aeronautics degree with Embry Riddle. Ran around the world pursuing other hobbies for a few years. Back in Aviation now but not wrenching. My head's in schematics and drawings most of the time.

Complacency will bite you hard. You see that with drivers everyday, or not putting your basic safety glasses on because "it just won't happen to me."

Here's a great speaker who's a living testimony of the dangers of being complacent. Wrong thread for this as it doesn't help the OP one bit with his situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHXmLBS--oI

 

[ic0517]

You should get a new TRD Pro, for free.

 

[Phoenix4R]

I would just get a lawyer and let him handle it.

I'm not a "sue everybody" kind of guy but damn, if that happened to me every noise from that engine would have me guessing every time I drove it.

I hate hearing things like this. Good luck.

If you can't prove any damage was done, I'm not sure what good a lawyer is going to do you.

 

[KidVermicious]

If you can't prove any damage was done, I'm not sure what good a lawyer is going to do you.

I said. Hookers and blow.

 

[K2lip]

Hells no! Another one? Get a new truck like 4RunRunFun did. Granted, your's has some more mileage, but a tech f-up like that could do more damage then you know. Might want to check your oil pan for metal shavings.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/206862-answer-about-500-yards.html

Shitty situation all around. The guy in this thread drove 500 meters or so and the engine was toast. That's not far at all, and probably less than what yours was run. Long story short, the dealership bought his T4R back at above book value, and gave a massive discount on a new TRD PRO. He was clear about what he wanted, the dealership told him no, then he threatened lawyer action, and they caved. He was clear and firm, but not an a$$hole. I'm not sure if you would have grounds for the same, but just knows it's been done. At the very least get everything documented, get corporate in the loop, and work to get lifetime powertrain coverage. That's not unheard of as my dealership gives it to every Toyota vehicle they sell. As someone else mentioned, that great Toyota reliability could have been greatly diminished by the incident.

Good luck.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

You would be surprised at the amount of people that simply do not notice the idiot lights on their dash. People will jump in and drive off with the e-brake up for miles. I'm pretty sure my aunt did a 50 miles mile trip with the e-brake engaged after I parked her car. She didn't even know what that magical lever did, let alone know how to disengage it.

I agree, but for those of us who wrench on (and know how to do it properly) our own vehicles we know there are two things one does without question:

1) Start the vehicle and watch for the oil light to go out within a few seconds (I pre-fill my filters so the light goes out in less than a second).
2) After running for a minute, flashlight under the vehicle, around the filter, around the drain plug looking for leaks.

There is no excuse for "missing" those two extremely important steps. It's not rocket science and a person who makes their living doing this should never, ever miss these steps. Ever.

 

[nevada]

I agree, but for those of us who wrench on (and know how to do it properly) our own vehicles we know there are two things one does without question:

1) Start the vehicle and watch for the oil light to go out within a few seconds (I pre-fill my filters so the light goes out in less than a second).
2) After running for a minute, flashlight under the vehicle, around the filter, around the drain plug looking for leaks.

There is no excuse for "missing" those two extremely important steps. It's not rocket science and a person who makes their living doing this should never, ever miss these steps. Ever.

3) check for proper oil level via dipstick.

 

[rigtec]

Hi GeneGrit,

The 5'th gen 4Runner has a 5-yr/50K mile POWERTRAIN Service Agreement with it's owners. This is NOT free (as some Toyota owners are lead to believe)... you paid for this (in full) with the purchase of your Toyota 4Runner. To be compensated for the oil change mistake(s) made... Why not just ask the dealership to: 'Re-set' the time on the 50,000 mile powertrain (Engine) agreement back to zero. So you have apprx. 20,000 miles on your 2014 model, the powertrain is to be covered anyway no matter what.

Why not draw up 'In Good Faith' a new sub-contract agreement which just takes your engine coverage back to the beginning; so the engine gets a clean bill of health from this day fwd! If nothing goes wrong with the engine in under the 50,000 miles, no loss. If something does happen regarding an engine part failure with-in just 50,000 miles, your covered. If something wears out at above the 50,000 mile mark you can be pretty sure that it was going to happen anyway and is not related to the recent oil change incident, but at least your relationship with that dealership has been redeemed! Just my 0.00000.02 Rgds!