Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TC01031 | 11/19/2001 | 627389 | Subject regarding head gasket replacement. *yd | 02/07/2002 | |
| TC99005 | 03/17/1999 | 604869 | Special service campaign x01 involving replacement of the cylinder head gaskets installed on certain vehicles equipped with the 3.4 liter v6 engine. *tt | 05/17/1999 | |
| TC99002 | 01/25/1999 | 603966 | Subject on special service campaign x01 to replace the cylinder head gaskets. *yc | 03/12/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| EG00297 | 02/28/1997 | 52101 | Evap charcoal canister noise. *jd | 07/17/1997 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| EG01298 | 11/20/1998 | 603031 | Information on oxygen sensor improvement. *yc | 01/26/1999 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | |||||
| 120299 | 02/12/1999 | 605423 | Parts information for vehicles equipped with exhaust gas recirculation (egr). *tt | 06/11/1999 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 11/05/2004 | 132405 | 1 | 10/06/1999 |
| Oil sludge problem. coolant is leaking and oil sludge is building up within the manifold. it is using 2 to 3 quarts of oil on a monthly basis and smoking will badly when first cranked. car checked by toyota dealership and says nothing is wrong with car. *jb | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 113413 | ||
| I am the owner of a 1996 toyota 4runner. the 5vz-fe bi-metal engine suffered a catastrophic failure. according to the the authorized dealer (toyota 101 of redwood city), the engine overheated which subsequently led to the aluminum heads to crack around the vales. i am aware that toyota had a national recall on the head gaskets for the 5vz-fe v6 engines for most model trucks (4runner & tacoma) manufactured in the 1990's.the recall was under the guise of a special service campaign ssc-x01. i believe that the defective head gaskets are the core reason for the catastrophic failure of my 4runner's engine. i contacted toyota motor sales corp. in san ramon, ca & torrance, ca on numerous occasions complaining of the engine failure. i asked for assistance & good will warranty, but received unsatisfactory service. i feel that toyota has no interest in taking responsibilty for their defective parts. leaving consumers to pay for the costly repairs. i am seeking the fair and reasonable repair of my engine in a timely manner. | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 113413 | ||
| Head gasket blew on 5vz-fe engine. this was exactly 3 years & 53k miles after the toyota ssc (special service campaign) x01. in which they replaced the faulty head gaskets on my 4runner. also replaced at the time were the; timing belt, water pump, & thermostat. the truck has had all of it's dealer/manufacturers recommended services and oil changes. upon tear down the toyota dealership found that both aluminum heads were cracked between the valves at 2-3 places. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine leaking antifreeze. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 2 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Consumer was losing alot of coolant. vehicle was overheating by the temperature gauge. also, vehicle missing and hesitating. consumer was unable to drive vehicle because of the overheating problem.*ak the dealer replaced both cylinder head gasket as part of recall, but it failed again after a year. *yh | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 08/01/2000 | 2 | 04/01/2000 | |
| Consumer was losing alot of coolant. vehicle was overheating by the temperature gauge. also, vehicle missing and hesitating. consumer was unable to drive vehicle because of the overheating problem.*ak the dealer replaced both cylinder head gasket as part of recall, but it failed again after a year. *yh | |||
| 02/26/1999 | 1 | ||
| Head gasket failed causing leakage onto cylinder, resulting in major damage to engine prior to recall notice. mjs | |||
| 1 | |||
| Engine head gasket has blown, causing the vehicle to overheat and burn engine. dealer is aware of defect. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1996 | |
| My sister also owns a 1996 toyota 4 runner with almost identical build and the exact same 3.4 l engine and she also had the same head gasket failure on her engine. my engine was impeccably maintained, new oil every 3000 miles etc and still had the same failure. my concern is that i don't see a recall for this listed and since its the only problem that both me and my sister have had on two nearly identical '96 4 runner's, it seems a tad coincidental that we're the only ones having this problem. thanks, erik hord | |||
| 10/18/1996 | 1 | 05/21/1996 | |
| Head gasket failed. | |||
| 12/01/1996 | 1 | 03/01/1996 | |
| Gasket failed. | |||
| 2 | 04/08/1996 | ||
| Head gasket blew up. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Blown head gasket failed. | |||
| 11/01/1996 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Severe oil leak from head gaskets. | |||
| 02/01/1997 | 1 | 05/01/1996 | |
| Head gasket failed. | |||
| 04/12/1997 | 1 | ||
| While driving the vehicle smoke came from the front engine and there was a fuel smell. manufacturer said defective head gasket was the cause. consumer stated if manufacturer was aware of problem, why not notify the consumers. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1996 | 1 | 02/01/1996 | |
| Head gasket failed | |||
| 11/16/1996 | 1 | 03/12/1996 | |
| Head gasket failed. | |||
| 12/28/1996 | 1 | ||
| Head gasket replaced prematurely due to poor engine head design. | |||
| 01/25/1997 | 0 | ||
| Notice a lea in garage after parking vehicle, pink liquid (coolant fluid), took vehicle into dealership, was informed of a crack in engine head gasket. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 03/31/2000 | 1 | ||
| My engine catastropically failed at 71k miles. my vehicle had major maintenance performed by toyota dealerships. the failure of a connecting rod in my engine endangered my life and those of my wife and son by causing my engine to seize up in traffic. the total time elapsed from when my engine was properly functioning to when we were completely motionless was 45 seconds. we narrowly escaped being hit by large commercial vehicles while i was attempting to get to the road shoulder. toyota was of no assistance to me in this matter. since my vehicle was out of the 60k warranty, they were not interested in discussing my concerns. my bill to repair this vehicle exceeded $5100.00. i still posses the failed block and componensts. the toyota dealership threw away some of the components that i asked them to save (oil pump, etc.). i would like to know if the nhtsa has information in simialar toyota discrepancies, and is the agency interested in viewing the failed toyota components (block, rods, pistons, etc.) that i have in my possession. i was extremely disappointed in toyota's response to what was a life endangering event for my family. please feel free to contact me at my provided phone number. i will gladly provide copies of coorespondence chronically my saga. *ak | |||
| 09/01/1996 | 8 | 09/10/1996 | |
| The engine stalls when driving and when approaching stop lights. approximately a month ago i was crossing three lanes of traffice and it stalled. this vehicle is unsafe and warrants repurchasing. | |||
| 2 | 05/01/1996 | ||
| Engine computer failed. | |||
| 2 | 04/01/1996 | ||
| Engine shuts off while driving. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| Consumer notice while traveling exhausts leaking sound coming from the engine. vehicle was service by dealer technician notice corrosion on the crossover pipe. please provide further information. ts | |||