2.2 D4D Head Gasket Issue - Servicing

[plasma99]

I have just purchased a 2007 Avensis 2.2 D4D (41K miles) and was dismayed to find out about the potential head gasket problem on this vehicle particularly as I used to own a Rover 416. I know the issue has been talked about alot in these forums but my question is regard to servicing and the extended (112K miles 7 year) warranty. I would normally do all the routine servicing myself but am worried about what Toyota's stance would be on not having the car serviced at a VAT registered garage. Do they examine the service booklet in detail if you present the car with a blown head gasket? Would they refuse to carry out the repair work if, for example, you carried out one of the intermediate services yourself?

[t-spiritpete]

Hi mate and welcome, Toyota may look for any excuse so you are better getting at least an engine service done by them or a vat reg garage. If it's down to cost then you can supply your own oil and save a few £££'s. Just take on board that the engine replacement or rebuild could well cost more than your car is worth!

Pete.

[cabcurtains]

Totally agree with Pete on this, specifically because the service history is graded, if its not good enough they have no reason to assist.

On the subject of HG's this isnt as bad as the Rover situation, not all vehicles are affected. IIRC the Rovers had a HG made of something that didnt work and they were replaced with composite ones. Its a very long time since i last dealt with one.

[Parts-King]

Your car MUST be serviced in accordance with the manufacturers reccomendations. that does not mean it has to go to a Toyota garage. If you have servicing done elsewhere, then you MUST keep all records, mileage, date, receipts for parts / oils etc. It is not a get out clause, you must have your car maintained, why would they want to assist anybody who fails to look after their car? They do ask the dealer if it has any history before perfoming out of warranty repairs, but it is not often they refuse to do work, best not to push it and keep thiose records

Kingo

[Mistermena]

Your car MUST be serviced in accordance with the manufacturers reccomendations. that does not mean it has to go to a Toyota garage. If you have servicing done elsewhere, then you MUST keep all records, mileage, date, receipts for parts / oils etc. It is not a get out clause, you must have your car maintained, why would they want to assist anybody who fails to look after their car? They do ask the dealer if it has any history before perfoming out of warranty repairs, but it is not often they refuse to do work, best not to push it and keep thiose records

Kingo

With regards to having the car serviced at a non Toyota dealer... How would Toyota UK look on this in the event of making a warranty claim? Would they have a kinder eye if they saw a main dealer stamp? Or would that not be a problem? And what if you'd done the services yourself and used all genuine Toyota parts and kept all receipts? Does this not count for something?...

[Heidfirst]

I'm reading Kingo's post that if you can provide evidence that services were done at appropriate mileage/time intervals using required quality parts/consumables then Toyota would be OK with it even if not done by a dealer?

[jedi134]

Get in quick mate before your warranty runs out.....I suspect the dealership is trying to stall you out of warranty.

Of course I could be well off the mark again.

[janeko]

well, I can just say that I'm having a 2nd engine rebuild at 105K in my T180 Avensis being done as we speak. That was authorised only because I had all the stamps in the book from main Toyota dealers. I have bought the car recently and would have not myself serviced it in an Toyota service... but I'm sure glad the previous owner did!!!

[jedi134]

You lucky lucky sausage you. :-)

[Mistermena]

So is Mr Kingo going to comment on my question?

[Parts-King]

Yes I will comment, it's taken 10 minutes to find this thread this morning, what use is an email giving you the link to the thread that does not take you there? I have had to trawl through the forums to find this again, not in my watched list or anywhere else

With regards to having the car serviced at a non Toyota dealer... How would Toyota UK look on this in the event of making a warranty claim? Would they have a kinder eye if they saw a main dealer stamp? Or would that not be a problem? And what if you'd done the services yourself and used all genuine Toyota parts and kept all receipts? Does this not count for something?...

Toyota cannot force you to take your car to a Toyota dealer, however, they do insist the car is serviced in accordance with the manufacturers maintenance schedule. Doing an oil change once a year in you shed, or anywhere else for that matter does not count as a serviced in accordance! If you have your car serviced at a non Toyota garage, then I would suggest you keep all copies of invoices, parts and type of oil used, and a check list, from the garage who did the job, because in the event of a claim, you MIGHT be asked to produce evidence that proper procedures have been carried out. A check sheet, signed, dated, with mileage etc would be ideal for this, not just a stamp in your service book. Having a full Toyota service history is far better, as your history is recorded on the national database which Toyota can access and you would not have to provide any further evidence. If you have a problem with your car out of warranty, they will look more favourably on customers who have been loyal to the dealer and brand, if you have little or no dealer history, you may be denied an out of warranty request

Kingo

[Mistermena]

Many thanks for that info mate!... So its off to the dealer for me to have a service then! Wish I'd not changed the !Removed! oil now!. Lol... Never mind

Cheers

Taff

[dervdave]

I used to think it was any excuse for the manufacturer to dodge honouring the warranty but I can see the other side now plus theres that many dodgepots trying to misuse and obtain ungenuine warranty repairs.

[Parts-King]

I used to think it was any excuse for the manufacturer to dodge honouring the warranty but I can see the other side now plus theres that many dodgepots trying to misuse and obtain ungenuine warranty repairs.

If Toyota are going to honour their product then they want to know it has been maintained properly and not just had a stamp put in the book from Fred in the shed.

I tell people all the time a service history is worth a lot of money to your car if your change cycle is every couple of years. Our sales team will very often decline to take a car in P/EX if it has no history, only because the next customer demands it these days and a car without any history is not worth as much, fact!

No manufacturers are perfect, but Toyota are a heck of a lot better

Kingo

[acetip]

Sometimes its a Fred on the Toyota forecourt who just stamps the book to show a services are up to date when its not had that service.

[T5NELtim]

Sometimes its a Fred on the Toyota forecourt who just stamps the book to show a services are up to date when its not had that service.

If they are doing that then they should !Removed! well lose their franchise!

I'm sure it has happened BUT in all honesty I would have most confidence in a main dealer full toyota history from new - especially where same dealer has supplied and done all services.

Tim

[Mistermena]

I remeber years ago when my sister bought a used car from a main dealer I went to pick it up with here and they sais that they'd do a full service for her! I popped open the bonnet only to find that the oil was below the min mark and as black as it could be!!!.... So I went to have a quiet word with the service manager! I wasn't a happy bunny that day. The dealership closed down 3 months later!... Shame :arrgg-matey:

But I'm sure that kinda service is a thing of the past!

[acetip]

I remeber years ago when my sister bought a used car from a main dealer I went to pick it up with here and they sais that they'd do a full service for her! I popped open the bonnet only to find that the oil was below the min mark and as black as it could be!!!.... So I went to have a quiet word with the service manager! I wasn't a happy bunny that day. The dealership closed down 3 months later!... Shame :arrgg-matey:

But I'm sure that kinda service is a thing of the past!

I am sorry old mate but its not, i know of two such incidents at toyota dealers and one involved my car that was brought from them that they suppled to the first owner new. these scams happen in the s/hand dealership.

Not all toyota car salesmen go to heaven. but you cant blames the rest of the dealership for this,cos i doubt if they know. or condone it.

[Mistermena]

I remeber years ago when my sister bought a used car from a main dealer I went to pick it up with here and they sais that they'd do a full service for her! I popped open the bonnet only to find that the oil was below the min mark and as black as it could be!!!.... So I went to have a quiet word with the service manager! I wasn't a happy bunny that day. The dealership closed down 3 months later!... Shame :arrgg-matey:

But I'm sure that kinda service is a thing of the past!

I am sorry old mate but its not, i know of two such incidents at toyota dealers and one involved my car that was brought from them that they suppled to the first owner new. these scams happen in the s/hand dealership.

Not all toyota car salesmen go to heaven. but you cant blames the rest of the dealership for this,cos i doubt if they know. or condone it.

Eh up my mate... I think that people have to think long and hard to who looks after there pride and joy in that case! I always try and stay with my car and when ever possible watch the work being done. I like a fully trained and seasoned tech working on my car and not some YTS lad with a lump hammer!

[Den B]

I remeber years ago when my sister bought a used car from a main dealer I went to pick it up with here and they sais that they'd do a full service for her! I popped open the bonnet only to find that the oil was below the min mark and as black as it could be!!!.... So I went to have a quiet word with the service manager! I wasn't a happy bunny that day. The dealership closed down 3 months later!... Shame :arrgg-matey:

But I'm sure that kinda service is a thing of the past!

I am sorry old mate but its not, i know of two such incidents at toyota dealers and one involved my car that was brought from them that they suppled to the first owner new. these scams happen in the s/hand dealership.

Not all toyota car salesmen go to heaven. but you cant blames the rest of the dealership for this,cos i doubt if they know. or condone it.

Eh up my mate... I think that people have to think long and hard to who looks after there pride and joy in that case! I always try and stay with my car and when ever possible watch the work being done. I like a fully trained and seasoned tech working on my car and not some YTS lad with a lump hammer!

Have worked with some pretty good technicians in my time that started on YTS courses!

[Mistermena]

I remeber years ago when my sister bought a used car from a main dealer I went to pick it up with here and they sais that they'd do a full service for her! I popped open the bonnet only to find that the oil was below the min mark and as black as it could be!!!.... So I went to have a quiet word with the service manager! I wasn't a happy bunny that day. The dealership closed down 3 months later!... Shame :arrgg-matey:

But I'm sure that kinda service is a thing of the past!

I am sorry old mate but its not, i know of two such incidents at toyota dealers and one involved my car that was brought from them that they suppled to the first owner new. these scams happen in the s/hand dealership.

Not all toyota car salesmen go to heaven. but you cant blames the rest of the dealership for this,cos i doubt if they know. or condone it.

Eh up my mate... I think that people have to think long and hard to who looks after there pride and joy in that case! I always try and stay with my car and when ever possible watch the work being done. I like a fully trained and seasoned tech working on my car and not some YTS lad with a lump hammer!

Have worked with some pretty good technicians in my time that started on YTS courses!

Then you have them work on your car then! As I had one (That I found out at a later date) do a cam belt on my Citroen ZX years ago that almost wrecked my engine for me!... There is a moderator here on the site that changed his oil filter only to find that someone at Toyota had put it back on using copper grease on the rubber gasket seal! Lovely stuff to make the gasket go hard and maybe fail!... Now I'm sure that a qualified tech would know thats a no, no? Thats a school boy mistake! and anyone who has worked on cars would know that as I do having worked on them for over 30 years!

Yes I'm sure that some go to make fantastic techs in time! But if I go to a dealer and have my car worked on and pay top dollar I want somone who knows what they are doing.

[acetip]

In most workshops apprentices are given the servicing to do,cos they have to start somewhere.and the qualified staff do the moe tec repairs etc.

But these trainees should be whilst doing anything should be kept under observation.

but are they?

when i first had my old passat i had the VW dealer do the servicing whilst it was still under warranty.

After collecting it i noticed the tick over speed was now far too high,when checking this problem out when i got home i could see one of the fuel pumps several adjustment screws (rotary pump) which were all marked with a blob of yellow paint to show if they have been disturbed i could see that the volume screw on the pump had been moved,the lad at the dealers had mistaken the volume screw for the throttle stop screw.The dealers workshop forman at first denied the screw had been touched but the lad admitted he had tried to adjust the slow running speed.

the forman said they would rectify the problem but i told them no i would fix it which was fairly easy when i got hold of the instructions from a friendly Bosch injection specialist.

All it needed was the volume screw turning back, then the tickover returned to what it should have been,then turing the volume screw in untill the point just before the revs increased again the tightening the lock nut.

If i had let the dealer do this i would have only worried that they would have done it correctly. never had any further trouble with after that.

If you take your car to any main dealer you expect a fully experianced technician to be working on your car whatever work is being carried out.

Think again.

[Mistermena]

I agree mate... Most of the time they are given a service to do! But I think that they should still be supervised untill a point where they know what they're doing. But an oil change is so easy that even my 12 year old daughter could do it!... But it would seem that even a certain main dealer doesn't know how to change an oil filter if they put copper ease on the gasket!... Shocking really!!!... Lets hope that other main dealers are not like that one eh!.