*** V6 Head Gasket Action Request ***
- Thread starter morphious
- Start date
10ga
New member
I wonder why there's not many 2003 models on the list? Mostly 2004 and 2005. I sold my 2003 4.0 last year with 175,000 miles and never had an issue with it.
My wife has a 2007 Lexus IS350 and Lexus has an issue with the dash cover. When the dash sets in the sun, it gets sticky and if you touch it, you can see a fingerprint if you push hard. Guess what? Lexus is doing a recall to replace all the dash covers from 2006 - 2009 or 10, also replacing the inside door handle that's made from the same material. Funny Lexus is doing a recall to replace a cosmetic part and Toyota will not make the head gasket right. I sent Toyota a couple emails today but I doubt anything will come of it.
My wife has a 2007 Lexus IS350 and Lexus has an issue with the dash cover. When the dash sets in the sun, it gets sticky and if you touch it, you can see a fingerprint if you push hard. Guess what? Lexus is doing a recall to replace all the dash covers from 2006 - 2009 or 10, also replacing the inside door handle that's made from the same material. Funny Lexus is doing a recall to replace a cosmetic part and Toyota will not make the head gasket right. I sent Toyota a couple emails today but I doubt anything will come of it.
morphious
New member
[MENTION=67713]10ga[/MENTION] Not as many 03's probably because not as many sold compared to 04's and 05's. Our 4Runner's have the same dash issue and Toyota is replacing them as-well, pretty obvious there is a problem when there are no moving parts and they are simply self destructing (mine does the same thing as your wife's Lexus). As far as the HG, a lot more variables to pin point as you can see from the list I have been maintaining. True a lot on cylinder 6 but still the problem has been on others, mileage is very spread out as well and I wanted to try and get an idea if production date and 2 or 4 wheel drive made a difference but as you can see, a lot of missing information to really come to a more factual determination if there is an issue or just coincidence. A ton of these V6 motors are out there so if it was 100% design flaw, I would have to think the list would be at least 10 times longer and almost every one would have HG problems as these trucks are 10yrs old and most pushing 100k miles if not 200k. Over the years my family and I have had 8-10 Toyota/Lexus vehicles and if my HG does go I will still probably buy another in the future, for now after owning my 4Runner for over 11 years the only thing needing replacement is my leaky water pump. Not bad in my opinion.
2003-4x4runner
New member
Could it be the Tahara Plant?
This is a great thread and I would like to thank Morphious and NuclearN8 for starting it. As 4Runner owners and conusmers we need to stick together and share information so we can send it to Toyota.
One thing I didnt see from alot of posts are the Plant of Manufacture and Production date. I did notice a few 0-Tahara plants listed and no Hino plants. Could it be that all HG failures came from the Tahara plant?
For me I have had no issues with my 4Runner (knock on wood). Currently I have 151K miles and I just had my 150k service done. I did notice that most of my spark plug well gaskets were leaking oil and it left oil residue on the plug threads. The electrode was not oily and I had no issues with MPG.
Here's a little history on my 4 Runner that I bought used back in 2005
with 16k miles.
> 30k mile service completed at dealership
> 60k mile service skipped (due to unemployment)
> 90K mile service skipped (due to unemployment)
> 120k mile tune up, power break flush, new breaks
> 150k mile service at a local shop ( all fluids changed, tune up, etc)
I did have the oil changed every 5k miles with no issues. I dont tow anything and I have only gone off road a few times.
Production date was June 2003 from the Hino Plant. You can see that I didnt take care of my 4Runner that well and its still runner strong.
Also, I read that the new V6 for the 2016 Tacoma truck will now come with a new 3.5 liter engine. So does that mean the 2016 4Runner will get the same engine?
This is a great thread and I would like to thank Morphious and NuclearN8 for starting it. As 4Runner owners and conusmers we need to stick together and share information so we can send it to Toyota.
One thing I didnt see from alot of posts are the Plant of Manufacture and Production date. I did notice a few 0-Tahara plants listed and no Hino plants. Could it be that all HG failures came from the Tahara plant?
For me I have had no issues with my 4Runner (knock on wood). Currently I have 151K miles and I just had my 150k service done. I did notice that most of my spark plug well gaskets were leaking oil and it left oil residue on the plug threads. The electrode was not oily and I had no issues with MPG.
Here's a little history on my 4 Runner that I bought used back in 2005
with 16k miles.
> 30k mile service completed at dealership
> 60k mile service skipped (due to unemployment)
> 90K mile service skipped (due to unemployment)
> 120k mile tune up, power break flush, new breaks
> 150k mile service at a local shop ( all fluids changed, tune up, etc)
I did have the oil changed every 5k miles with no issues. I dont tow anything and I have only gone off road a few times.
Production date was June 2003 from the Hino Plant. You can see that I didnt take care of my 4Runner that well and its still runner strong.
Also, I read that the new V6 for the 2016 Tacoma truck will now come with a new 3.5 liter engine. So does that mean the 2016 4Runner will get the same engine?
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NuclearN8
New member
There isn't enough data to make any sort of correlation or conclusion about the HG issues some owners have expereinced. While it's unfortunate, the failures reported on this site are less than .01% of 4runners sold in 2004 (the most reported year). I wouldn't consider that a problem even if the actual number of failures was 100 times worse at 1%. So while this thread is a good summary it's pretty much pointless for the intended purpose to try to shed some light on correlations or conclusions if those members who have experienced this failure don't share all the requested information. The production date of the vehicle really doesn't matter because the engine could be assembled at a completely different time and not installed sequentially. What I'm really interested to see are the EIN's seeing how this is a potential engine issue, vehicle production date can't technically be correlated since we can't confirm engines were sequentially installed off the production line since they're assembled seperately, shelved, and then pulled for install to the vehicle at a later date.
to answer your other questions. the new 3.5L will likely go in the 6th Gen 4Runner too, yes. It makes no sense to re-engineer a new motor for essentially a Tacoma with a permanent Camper shell... it makes procurement sense from a volume pricing persepctive. It's a cost effective solution to have the identical powertrain in the Tacoma and 4Runner for Toyota.
Model Year = 2008
Mil at failure = 46,713 (before my ownership)
Cylinder = 6
Prod Date = 03/08
11th digit of VIN = Ive counted 10x it my 11th digit is 'K'
EIN = 8K024165
Hope this helps
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NuclearN8
New member
thanks. I overlooked the possibility of "K" sorry for making you think you were crazy. haha... the EIN is not 1GRFE though.. that's the engine identifier.. the EIN is on the plate of the engine passenger side by cylinder #5. you may need a mirror to see it after wiping it off.
I fixed my post above (EIN). The only digit I am not 100% certain of is the 'K', will try to take a better look at home tonight.
NuclearN8
New member
thanks... I believe the EIn should be 7 numbers (no letters) but your 4Runners seems to like "K's" so who knows... haha
10ga
New member
I sent Toyota an email a couple days ago explaining the situation and they called me back today. The guy was really nice but said there's not been enough complaints about the head gasket in the 4th Gen 4Runners to justify a recall. He said to keep all the receipts and if they have a recall, they will reimburse us the money for the repair. I guess everyone needs to email Toyota that has or had a head gasket issue and start letting them hear the squeaky wheel.
BTW, his 4Runner manufactured day was 07.2004
The 11th digit is O. How do you know what plant is was manufactured at? The O just says Japan.
BTW, his 4Runner manufactured day was 07.2004
The 11th digit is O. How do you know what plant is was manufactured at? The O just says Japan.
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NuclearN8
New member
thanks for the additional info.
Maybe you should have gotten the toyota rep's email and sent him the link to this thread as a start to the squeak noise he'll be hearing more from... haha
just kidding... I'm sure they know the rumor but it's hard to justify action at any major corporation without formal complaints and case numbers (via phone or email).
plant of manufacturer was inferred from this attachement... it's for a different recall on the 1GR-FE.
Maybe you should have gotten the toyota rep's email and sent him the link to this thread as a start to the squeak noise he'll be hearing more from... haha
just kidding... I'm sure they know the rumor but it's hard to justify action at any major corporation without formal complaints and case numbers (via phone or email).
plant of manufacturer was inferred from this attachement... it's for a different recall on the 1GR-FE.
jscarrozzo
New member
2005 Sport 2WD V6
Misfire on 6 cyl around 168,000
Head Gasket!
Sucks it happened because when we tore it down the internals looked brand new..
Misfire on 6 cyl around 168,000
Head Gasket!
Sucks it happened because when we tore it down the internals looked brand new..
Baba Booey
New member
I don't have all of the requested particulars handy, but here is what I have:
2006 SR5 4WD.
Started with misfire on #4 almost a year ago at ~ 140,000 miles.
Mechanic couldn't confirm head gasket even though I suspected it based on symptoms and he did pressure test and bore scope.
Milked it for about a year until I got two misfires within weeks on #6 at 156,000 miles.
Owned since new.
I reported it by phone to Toyota Customer Care and received a confirmation or case #.
2006 SR5 4WD.
Started with misfire on #4 almost a year ago at ~ 140,000 miles.
Mechanic couldn't confirm head gasket even though I suspected it based on symptoms and he did pressure test and bore scope.
Milked it for about a year until I got two misfires within weeks on #6 at 156,000 miles.
Owned since new.
I reported it by phone to Toyota Customer Care and received a confirmation or case #.
10ga
New member
Our family has been bitten by the head gasket bug again. My other son has a 2004 4.0 T4R and found out today more than likely the head gasket is shot. It started about 4 days ago. He started it up and it started missing and shuttering and the check engine light came on. Took it to a friends and it says misfire on cyl #4. We swapped the ignition coil out and cleared it. Did the same thing this morning and same code and same cyl. Also loosing coolant in the coolant reservoir tank. We're going to take it to the dealership to confirm and then for the sake of principal, I'm going to start my campaign to have something done about this problem from Toyota. Will it do any good? Doubtful but I'm going to try everything I can. This is the 2nd head gasket on a 2004 4Runner in the last couple months for us. What's the chances?
You can add me to the list. I've got the parts from various places online and my son is going to start on it this week.
2004 v6 4x4 170k, misfire and leaking coolant into #6. Same symptoms as everyone else. Overflow tank draining and coolant verified in #6 with borescope. Never overheated so I'm hoping heads don't need milled, but I'm having them inspected and pressure tested and getting new valve seals at a minimum. I'm looking at $700-900 with zero labor.
2004 v6 4x4 170k, misfire and leaking coolant into #6. Same symptoms as everyone else. Overflow tank draining and coolant verified in #6 with borescope. Never overheated so I'm hoping heads don't need milled, but I'm having them inspected and pressure tested and getting new valve seals at a minimum. I'm looking at $700-900 with zero labor.
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Add yet another to the list.
My 2003 4runner SR5 has the head gasket leak on the left cylinder bank. We bought the car about 2 months ago with 127,500 miles on it. It drove great and was in good physical condition. It had no starting problems that day. The next day it showed its problems. It has been all over the place with PO300s and PO30x DTCs. I used BlueDevil Head Gasket Sealer based on this and other forums but it didn't work for me (or it caused the problem to move from the more vulnerable Cylinder 6 to 2 and 4 as confirmed by an auto repair shop). Taking it to the local dealer as the shop I took it to didn't want to do it. Hope to have a good vehicle for another 70,000 miles.
My 2003 4runner SR5 has the head gasket leak on the left cylinder bank. We bought the car about 2 months ago with 127,500 miles on it. It drove great and was in good physical condition. It had no starting problems that day. The next day it showed its problems. It has been all over the place with PO300s and PO30x DTCs. I used BlueDevil Head Gasket Sealer based on this and other forums but it didn't work for me (or it caused the problem to move from the more vulnerable Cylinder 6 to 2 and 4 as confirmed by an auto repair shop). Taking it to the local dealer as the shop I took it to didn't want to do it. Hope to have a good vehicle for another 70,000 miles.
I had added myself to the thread Head Gasket -Survey- Specifically V6 previously. I don't know if everyone in that thread is accounted for here or not.
My vehicle and problem
2004 V6 SR5 4x4
approximately 171k miles
coolant in #6
11th digit on VIN is 8
Don't have the other information handy now.
Rough idle at startup, at first occasionally, then after a few times, it would happen every time the vehicle sat for a while. Noticed coolant disappearing from overflow tank. Radiator test did not indicate exhaust in coolant. Leak verified with borescope. Well maintained and never overheated. I also called and reported this to Toyota.
My vehicle and problem
2004 V6 SR5 4x4
approximately 171k miles
coolant in #6
11th digit on VIN is 8
Don't have the other information handy now.
Rough idle at startup, at first occasionally, then after a few times, it would happen every time the vehicle sat for a while. Noticed coolant disappearing from overflow tank. Radiator test did not indicate exhaust in coolant. Leak verified with borescope. Well maintained and never overheated. I also called and reported this to Toyota.
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My 2005 Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition V6 4WD was leaking coolant at #4 cylinder. The check engine light came on and stayed on. On a cold start up, the engine would misfire for about 30 seconds to about a minute before smoothing out.
I never lost a lot of coolant and the engine never over heated. I think that I caught it just when it started to leak.
The dealer said that it was the head gasket causing the problem. So, at 125,000 miles, I replaced both sides.
I never lost a lot of coolant and the engine never over heated. I think that I caught it just when it started to leak.
The dealer said that it was the head gasket causing the problem. So, at 125,000 miles, I replaced both sides.
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