You are FAR FROM ALONE

Head gasket failures? REPEATED? Yes, I would say that the pattern is clearly there in the 4Runner. The special service campaign stated that the head gasket failures would be repaired with UNLIMITED MILEAGE and UNLIMITED AGE. Some owners have gotten the second repairs covered; others have been shown the door. Most all with the repeat failures have only gotten the mileage you mentioned before the failure occurred again.

I would suggest that you posts your story with the details needed to find other similarly-affected Toyota owners. Toyota-supporters state that these vehicles will go to 500,000 miles when maintained properly. Toyotas have long had a reputation for quality.

Why is it that there are now a rash of MAJOR failures, including head gasket failures, transmission failures, and total engine failures secondary to SLUDGE in low mileage, late model Toyota vehicles?? The owners don't get it. Are they being taken for fools? Is the automaker sure that the owners won't compare notes? Is the corporation hoping the owners won't FORMALLY complain?

Send a certified letter with return response requested to Toyota ASAP. Tell it your case with details. ASK it to cover these repairs which have been formerly promised in a nationwide campaign. IF Toyota chooses to ignore you or tell you that YOU are financially responsible for a BAD GASKET that it created, link with other owners and be as VOCAL as possible in sharing your stories on-line. Why should the problem be keep a deep, dark secret? Right....it should NOT be!

File reports with the NHTSA, Center for Auto Safety, the FTC, and your local consumer agencies. Most have websites on which you can formally complain.

Just so you know, the SLUDGE VICTIMS have a policy weaker than the one the head gasket failure victims have. We see YOU being denied repair claims when repeat problems occur. This fact alone shatters any confidence we have that OUR problems will be properly handled by Toyota.

So far, Toyota has denied ANY problems when owners detail their cases. Sliding doors with latches sticking firmly; brakes that clunk loudly on reverse; steering that pulls strongly to one side; transmissions that shift erractically, etc. There is always some EXCUSE that forces the owner to look away from the automaker for the source of the problem. It is NOT FAIR that the automaker is doing this for KNOWN and WIDESPREAD problems. HOW LONG can the information be kept hidden??