Dealer Says "External influences."

Good Evening TW,

Long time lurker, first time poster. Just want to thank everybody on here for their efforts. Here's a little background on my situation.

I have a 2006 2.7L 5-Speed Prerunner that I bought brand new. No modifications just slightly larger tires. As it sits now, I have 179,XXX miles and counting. Never encounter any problems with my truck until now, and I fault the dealership's service department for it.

Yes I know what you guys are thinking, "why the hell would you go to the dealership?" Well I do all the routine maintenance myself. For any big ticket items or problems I cannot pinpoint I go to the dealer. Before I had my truck, I met through one of my friends, a service advisor for Toyota. He told me if I had any problems just come see him. Over the years he has helped me out albeit not the the best deals in the world, but good for dealership prices.

Anyway, at about 154,XXX miles my truck started to have driveline vibrations. I took it to the service advisor I know and he said the drive shaft was bent. Now I'm no expert, but I questioned him to how I could have bent a long and heavy piece of metal? By the way I don't off-road or tow anything with my truck, just highway miles. Well I had no reason to not believe him because he built up a friendship. I asked if he could give me the old drive shaft when they were done and he obliged.

I received the old drive shaft and took it to a buddy of mine who is good at mechanical things. One look at my old drive shaft and he spotted the problem, which was a seized bearing in the U-Joint that's it. What would of cost me about $100 for re-balance and fixed U-Joints with grease fittings, now cost me $525. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, he's not a mechanic just an advisor, but i know dealerships would just repair parts they put in brand new ones.

Fast forward 8 months my clutch goes out. I go back to my friend and they replace the clutch. The mechanic at the dealership then proceeds to say I have a leak in the seal where the yolk slips into the transmission. I said fine take of it. I got the truck back and drove it around and noticed it kept leaking and now I have a driveline vibration around 2,000 RPM when decelerating.

I call again and drop off my truck at the dealership overnight. Thinking they would call me in the morning to tell me the problem, I was way off. They called my at 3:30 P.M. saying my bushing in the transfer case was bad. Then they called their manager to check out the driveshaft and noticed some gouges and said that the driveshaft is likely bent causing the leak.

This is the suppose "External influences" result.

Now the dealership is saying I hit a large rock or road debris causing an "External Inlfuence" and will not replace the driveshaft even though it has been less than a year since I replaced it. I never hit anything, because i would of see other signs of damage under my truck and there is none, only to the drive shaft. And i just commute on the freeway from home to work and did not encounter a "large rock" as they called it

Logical reasoning seems to be lacking here because how to these perfect teeth marks get on a drive shaft when it is rotating? seems a lil fishy to me.


The manager claims he has see it before and has changed hundreds of truck transmission in his 28 years as a shop foreman. Let me mind you guys that this leak all started when I replaced my clutch, and had no problems before.

This is what the leak look likes under my truck



Just your guys opinion, what do you think the gouges are? I have my suspicions the dealer messed up my shaft when they were fixing something else.

 

Did the dealership say you have a transfer case on a Prerunner, or did you mean to type that a bushing was bad in the transmission? A Prerunner doesnt have a transfer case. Regardless, it sucks that you paid for a new driveshaft when you could have replaced ujoints for $20 a piece. Unfortunately the chatter marks are consistent with the driveshaft hitting something while the truck is moving forward, but if it was forceful enough to bend it you probably would have heard it and made a mental note. The ujoint being seized for a long time might have caused the transmission seal to fail and start leaking. Before spending money on a transmission replacement or rebuild, you could take it to another shop and have them replace the seal, and if you still have the old driveshaft, have them replace the ujoints and slap it back on. If the symptoms are still there afterward (hopefully not), then a transmission rebuild/replacement might be needed.

 

Thanks for the reply, I already rebuilt my original driveshaft. The dealer did say "bushing in transfer case" which I thought was odd to. All well who knows but everything starting leaking after I replaced the clutch.

 

In order to replace the clutch the drive shaft is pulled and the transmission is also pulled. Either of these steps could involve damage to the rear seal in the transmission. It could also be the source of the marks on the drive shaft.

The rear seal on the transmission is an easy cheap repair.