No oil filter in the housing...

Bought a used 2020 TRDOR last June with 16K on it. I have a company truck so I rarely use the Taco. I did my first oil change at 19,1xx just because... no oil filter in the housing... Dealer has documentation of the service done presale so they admitted not replacing the filter and admitted fault in writing... I'm sure the engine will be fine. it's well after break-in so I doubt there was a bunch of metal roaming around in there...

Anyone else have an opinion?

 

If you saved some of the oil, you might send a sample to Blackstone to have it analyzed just to see what it shows. That's not a ton of miles, but no filtration at all for 3K would have me wondering. If it comes back normal, don't worry about it.

 

Considering they've admitted fault, you might bargain for a reallyyyyy extended powertrain warranty on the house for their screwup to ensure you don't bite the bullet for a future potential failure, although probably unlikely. Either way, its a principle issue, and they should eat the cost of a full teardown to inspect for damage, or just give an extended warranty. I imagine they can get out of any future failure if they wanted, so best to fight it now verses later.

 

I would squeeze the dealer for maybe extended warranty or something along those lines.
These new engines are not putting out enough contaminants to be concerned with 3 thousand or so.
Unless you have been doing some serious towing or dusty off road stuff...then maybe a different story.

Not to be one of those guys, but a similar experience years ago on my wife's 4runner and I vowed to always do my own maintenance.

 

Hmmm. I wonder how often this happens? I guess it's possible at times.

 

they owe you a lifetime warranty on the engine

 

Bigger question is how does a highly trained Toyota dealer “technician” install the filter cap with no filter inside? Hope they remembered to put the lug nuts back on and torque the wheels. It would take less than 10 months to find that out however.

 

Additional Info: they aren't a Toyota dealer, They're a Ford Dodge Jeep place. I traded my JL Rubicon on it. I now know why there was a new in the wrapper filter in the center console though...
Don't have an oil sample... it went straight into the used oil tank before I even found the filter missing.
No towing or off-roading...
I'd be shocked if I even put another 20-25K on it before selling or trading...
I'm not going to beat them up about a warranty, it still has the 5y/60 drivetrain warranty... if I drive over the crank, it should be covered... If not, I have them admitting fault on paper...

I did a search on here and found this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/no-oil-filter.748693/

I am surprised that there's an above zero chance there could be others running like this... and if there'll be consequences from it.

I have a shop with 3 lift's in it and I do my own work on everything my family has, unless I don't have the tooling and it's uber expensive...

 

I wouldn't worry about it. Research oil filters and you'll find that for a number of years vehicles weren't equipped with them. I think it was the 30's or 40's when they started. Also, they have a built in bypass that opens when the element gets clogged. These V6's run really clean. I suggest "The Car Care Nut" channel on YouTube. He's a Toyota technician, he has a few videos on this engine and one on oil filters that are really informative.

 

Why not just make them give you a brand new truck? If you're gonna go ridiculous, go totally ridiculous

 

Ok my bad. A highly trained Ford, Dodge, Jeep “technician”…………

 

I'm dating myself but, I learned to drive in a 1952 Dodge 1 ton in the early 80's... no filter on it either... I'm very familiar with how they were back in the day... as I said earlier here, Im old ...

I've been a subscriber of Car Care Nut ever since I started looking at Tacomas...

 

It's better that way. You never get turned down.

 

and i have calluses to prove it...

 

Do you get the senior menu when you go out for dinner? (Asking for a friend)

 

No, but I keep getting AARP spam in my mailbox.

 

Put a filter in, change the oil and enjoy the truck. If ya wanna be over cautious, run for 20 minutes in the driveway and change the filter and oil again.

 

We can chatter all day long and make jokes about "expert technicians" from any brand of automaker, but ...

You have a vehicle that has run without an oil filter for an unknown number of months (years?). And you have a few years of working on cars to base at least a semi-informed decision (I do not know how-well-informed).

It is your money, your truck, your future repairs. Return it, get a warranty, or just do nothing.

 

I think it'll be fine...

 

I agree.