Sand in the tank, headlights, or electrical issues, the saga continues for the 4th time? (10/9/18)

Ask for a fuel sample

 

Turns on National news looking for breaking news with helicopter view out of Fairfield CA titled "Dealership on fire, customer watches"

 

Can't wait for an update on this one now or for their explanation on how sand can get in a fuel tank, make it stop working, and then miraculously be ok again without destroying any parts, especially a fuel pump.

Good thing I bought MY Off Road 4x4 to crawl around the Walmart parking lot in 4-lo, two wheels up on the curb.

 

The brochure doesn't say anything about closed course. It actually says the truck is built for most off road applications.

And claims to "have the best dune cred"

 

So the service guys agree with me and advised me to call corporate. The fuel sample they showed me looks actually very clear. Apparently it "dissolved"

 

Pro tip: all service writers will defer to corporate.

Not a step in any direction, don't be fooled.

 

There is no fuel filter on these. Only fuel strainers which sits on the fuel pump inlet. It's like a sock sort of.

The gens which last had an external fuel filter are 1st gens.

 

Fuel can dissolve sand? That's a new one to me. I have never seen or heard that before. But if they can replicate that by putting in some sand in a small bottle filled with fuel and allow it to sit for some time and it dissolves then I guess we can all be believers.

 

Just called the experience center and they are going to present my case.

I didn't get the opportunity to bitch a bunch this time, however I'll let them work their process and follow up with more pressure later

 

That's good. Honestly, I don't agree with the fact that fuel can somehow work it's way into the gas tank. The only fuel related part which you can possibly damage is the vent valve as part of the fuel evap system as it is open, but still filtered to keep pressure in the tank from excessively building up. The rest is sealed.

For a truck that is marketed as off road and is seen fucking around in the dunes, jumping, etc, they sure dropped the ball on your particular truck if sand really was the case.

 

I completely agree. I haven't had the chance to go apeshit on anyone today, however if corporate denies my case I will be calling back and destroying then with facts and false advertising. If this doesn't get resolved they can't shove the lease up their ass and I'll never be in a Toyota again. This is my first Toyota. The purchasing process was a nightmare and I got robbed, and now this.

That new raptor though.....



Anyway, I hope I get to keep this Tacoma I really do enjoy the truck and it's proven to be very capable and I was impressed.


I do have a question though.. Do the TRDORs come with mudflaps? Mine is missing them... I can argue had it been properly equipped the sand wouldn't of been in there.

 

Mudflaps are an add-on.

 

It was a long shot lol

 

I really can't see how sand would get in the fuel tank. They are so sealed that IIRC modern standards are equivalent to less than a teaspoon of fuel vapor leakage in 100k miles (or I could be just making that up).

I don't think hydrocarbons dissolve sand. At least not on a human lifespan timescale and sure as heck not in a few days. I've spilled plenty of gas in my younger days and while it will dissolve the tar out of asphalt (slowly), it leaves the sand and rocks.

ALSO: It ran fine until you washed it. Are they saying you drove sand into something?

They are out of ideas.

 

Yea.... I've turned it over to corporate. I just sent them a very lengthy email.

 

So I went back to the dealer today to retrieve things from my truck (which is in the lot with the interior torn to pieces)

Spoke to the tech and he showed me the fuel sample with 3 grains of sand in it, and said under the high temperature and high pressures of our fuel system it can dissolve the sand. I don't think that's likely.

Basically they are saying the sand entered through the filler neck and that it's my fault or someone "poured sand " into my gas tank. I'm saying that even if sand around the filler neck was dropped into the tank, it should be caught if the vehicle had proper filtration.

Also, why did the truck stop working after getting wet, and the fuel cap was never touched, only to begin working again 4 hours later, and then stopped working again at the car wash after 1 tank of gas and a 4-5 hour drive...

It's not adding up. They keep telling me to turn it into an insurance claim. I'm pissed. Absolutely no reason that driving in a beach, pulling 2 vehicles out and parking on the beach (next to a Honda civic....) Should kill this "all mighty" truck. Literally there were Civics, Audi's and Subaru's on the beach.

Wtf... How do you get out of a lease? Or can you trade a vehicle in while leasing it?

 

you can trade while leasing...Time to dump it and crawl away.

 

Can I trade to another company? Such as Ford... (Don't hate me) Just an example

 

You're going to take it in the shorts on a trade right now. Wayyyyyy too early in the lease to do that.

 

you can trade to anything/any company. You just need to read to see what your early lease termination fee is. A lot of times its like $500 or so.