Dealership Servicing

[miffed]

Hi I would just like to know what members think about my servicing.

I bought my Avensis from a dealership back in 2006 and it has been pampered all its life with regular servicing at this dealership. mileage 18269.

I cant remember the exact millage but around 60,000 miles it started using oil and i had this checked. I was told that a liter of oil per 1000 miles was within toyotas tolerances. The car was just outside any warranty at this time.

Roll forward quite a few more miles 110414 the car throws up an engine management warning light and it goes back to the dealer for a diagnostic, £265.48 later with a faulty o2 sensor changed we are back on the road. All servicing completed by this dealer from purchase.

We are now at 114000,00 miles engine managment light on again.

Back to the dealer for diagnostic.£59.00 Cam cover leaking oil into cylinders which has burnt out inlet valve, recommend new engine.

My question is

Should this have been spotted during the regular servicing and the previous diagnostic test or is it just bad luck.

[Heidfirst]

Hi Jeff, you might want to confirm which engine.

[Druid Boy]

I can't see how this would have been spotted during regular servicing - unless it is petrol engine in which case there may have been signs of oil contamination/burning on your spark plugs.

As for the previous diagnostic check, the sensor was found faulty and replaced. In the absence of other indications of a fault that is a reasonable course of action. If each time a cheap electronic component failed we had to pay for a full diagnostic to determine if something else had caused it to fail we wouldn't be very happy either.

I can't imagine that the burning engine oil caused the O2 sensor to fail as I presume the sensor is on the intake side rather than the exhaust.

So, I think just bad luck - although why you need a new engine instead of new valves or, worst case, a new head is beyond me.