Has My Day Arrived?

[avensisTR1415]

Hi all,

to start i live in the south of Ireland and have a Northern Ireland imported from new Jan 2008 Avensis 2.0 D4D.

Having read many posts on the dreaded head gasket fault i think my day has finally arrived...

for past few months i've been hearing the gurgling water sound behind the dash...

over the past two nights the engine cooling fan was coming on when the outside temp was around 5 degrees Celsius. The car wasnt driven hard just short 20 min drive at around 60 mph.

So this morning i popped the bonnet and took a look at the coolant level at it was down at the low mark so i topped up with about 1/2 litre to the full mark.

Then i dipped for oil and it was below the min mark on the stick, its currently reading 108k miles and oil was changed at 100k.

I topped up the oil too and took it for a drive again and checked the coolant level again, it appears to lost a little via the overflow pipe.

I think i know the answer already, looks like the head gasket doesn't it???

Now whats really on my mind...

I have full toyota service history from 0 - 60k

However from 60k - 100k i took it to a non dealer garage however i always personally bought original toyota parts from the same dealer, they even know me by name at this stage.

But stupidly of me i never kept the receipts so dont really have proof now.... i have credit card statements to show three times i bought parts from Mr T.

Am i going to be in trouble now... the car was really well looked after i personally cleaned out the egr valve every 10k always kept an eye on the fluid levels so disappointed in the car now as i've had it from new.

I spoke to a MR T mechanic earlier this year about what would happen if the HG was to ever go on my car, and he told me as its a Northern Ireland import into the republic they wouldn't be able to do anything for me, trade it in was his best advice at the time.

So now im not sure what to do go back to Toyota Ireland or go to Toyota UK, my Local Mr T dealer or the T Dealer in Northern Ireland who i bought it from????

Edited September 23, 2012 by avensisTR1415

[Awebb180]

who did the services? was it yourself or a garage?

alex

[avensisTR1415]

Wasnt myself that did the work, but a local non dealership garage.

[Druid Boy]

Well there is some good news which is, because you paid by card your local garage will be able to track down your payment and prove your servicing history because they will are required to keep their records fro the tax man. However they are not required to provide you with this service but as you know them they may be able to help you. Have you discussed the car's issues and the likely Toyota response with them? They may be bale to offer some advice.

[burly]

Hi mate, I am down in Waterford. Had the same issue in April 2011 with my 2007 Avensis D4D. I went to Toyota dealer in Waterford and Lismore who were no help at all. But I went to Toyota dealer in Kilkenny, and I got sorted. It was a long saga which took a lot of pushing from me, aqnd a great deal of help from a foreman in the garage in Kilkenny, but I got there in the end and the car went in for 4 weeks for a full engine rebuild all paid for my Toyota. I too had a mixed service history. Bottom line with this is that Toyota know there is a problem. The first respone will be No, but if you keep persevering, you will get there in the end. If you wanna PM me, we can have a chat about it.

[t-spiritpete]

Hi mate, I am down in Waterford. Had the same issue in April 2011 with my 2007 Avensis D4D. I went to Toyota dealer in Waterford and Lismore who were no help at all. But I went to Toyota dealer in Kilkenny, and I got sorted. It was a long saga which took a lot of pushing from me, aqnd a great deal of help from a foreman in the garage in Kilkenny, but I got there in the end and the car went in for 4 weeks for a full engine rebuild all paid for my Toyota. I too had a mixed service history. Bottom line with this is that Toyota know there is a problem. The first respone will be No, but if you keep persevering, you will get there in the end. If you wanna PM me, we can have a chat about it.

Sounds like good advice to me.

Pete.

[avensisTR1415]

Update:

So its been a week since i was on here and want to update you all....

Firstly I took my car into my local Mr T dealer here in the south, Wouldnt even look at the car as it was imported from the north of ireland. Their advice was source a second hand engine and they would fit it for me. Needless to say i wasnt going to be doing that.

So next i called Toyota Ireland explained the situation they too were most un helpful, "your car was distributed via Toyota UK so we cant do anything", she went on the explain that even if it was an irish car sold from new in the south they still wouldnt be able to do anything for me as it has over 60k miles... "Out of Warranty", when i told her about the extended warranty offered in the UK she informed me this wasnt available from Toyota Ireland.

Next I called the dealer i bought it from in Northern Ireland (Mid Ulster cars in cookstown), got talking to one of the service guys who was most helpful, he asked to see the car the next day and if needed they would give me a car while they worked on mine. So next day i took it up to them, they took it around the back into the garage and within 5 mins he reappeared "new engine we will start work on it right away and it will be ready in 3 days". Girl on the service desk transferred my insurance onto the loan car off i went.

Saturday morning i picked it up all washed and cleaned inside.... took it for 300 mile drive and running good as new. Top marks to "Mid Ulster cars", ill be buying from again that im sure of.

Also noticed that all toyotas in the UK come with a 5 year warranty where as in the republic its only 3 yrs even more reason to buy from toyota uk.

Thanks for all the info lads if it wasnt for this forum i would have driven mine till it over heated instead i got it before it actually let me down.

[Druid Boy]

What a result! Well chuffed for you and thanks for the feedback. It seems customer service may not be extict after all.