Engine Failure at 35k

Holly smokes, something definitely not right with that motor for sure at 35k miles.
Sound like a lemon to me.

See if they will swap your motor for one of those old 3.4 Toyota motors that run forever,


just kidding
But man I would be pissed

 

I have never seen a head gasket replacement or head replacement go well in the long-term. It's just the start of a bunch of problems that will happen in the future.

Get rid of the vehicle. Honestly, Toyota's goodwill with the Tacoma is being depleted everyday.

 

The way I look at is if the rest of the truck has been good, once they fix the motor chances are they will get it going better than you had it.I would drive it and not worry about what could happen.If it comes with a new engine warranty even better.

 

This sucks to hear, but now you have a warranty on the engine they repaired. Any future problem it's on them.

 

Microinchs? Hahaha...let me know how many service manuals you find that unit of measurement in and stick to topics you know.

OP, Toyota will follow the procedure in the FSM for head replacement. Since the FSM states to only replace head bolts if they are outside of a spec, then the original ones go back in. At the end of the day Toyota and your dealer want to do the job right and not have any issues down the road. A repeat job is more costly than cutting corners in the first place. However, contrary to what the internet will lead you to believe, not every part needs to be replaced “because I’m in here”.

 

Unless it's on your dime, then they suggest & demand you replace everything!

 

I had a transmission blow on my 6K mile [bought new] 2002 Tacoma back in the day. Not the same as what is being said here...but it was in the blue mountains up a huge grade...lucky to have it towed and got it fixed by Toyota in Hermiston Oregon. Toyota got us a sleek lincoln town car because we were headed to Utah with my dog and its kennel. Fit like a glove in the back seat. Came back from the trip and they had the engine bay all cleaned up and a new tranny I floored all the way 4 hours home. Never any other issue. They also paid for two nights in the luxurious Pendleton OR Roadway Inn.

This stuff happens. Might be the only thing for another 200k

 

Wow. Sorry that seems like a raw deal toyota customer service is pretty much the worst. Have had 22 new vehicles ....this first Toyota and I couldn't get them to fix a window lol. I'm guessing a motor would be an act of God

 

Head gasket will not be reused. Studs (bolts) probably will be reused. Just because the head is replaced, does not mean reduced reliability. It all boils down to the person doing the work. Heads are replaced all the time with no issues. My 1st gen had recall and when the starter went bad, they forced me to have them replace 2 perfectly good head gaskets. I put 100,000 more trouble free miles on that truck. Sometimes you're better off not posting on the internet. BTW, I have had historically horrible experiences with Toyota service departments, including the one that performed the aforementioned head gasket job.

 

Your not alone, my brothers 2007 tacoma with 60,000 miles had an immobilizer issue. The immobilizer security system would randomly not let the truck start like at the gas station, filling up with gas truck wouldn’t start left him stranded numerous times and then it would start up again a day later. This went on for 6 months. The truck went to two Toyota dealerships and they couldn’t fix the problem, they replaced all of the mobilizer parts including the main ECU. He had $4000 invested starting out at 1000.00 trying to fix the problem but Toyota couldn’t figure the problem out . Toyota next wanted to replace the complete truck wiring harness at some horrible price.
He ended up trading it in at the dealership.

Sometimes you have to cut your losses and Move on as it might come back at you later.

 

Complicated + hard to diagnose = let someone else buy it

 

Toyota actually had a hot shot master tech come in just for his truck to fix it.
No dice, the newer cars and trucks are getting so complicated with electronics that small issue can
be a deal breaker

 

What convinced me to shy away from cars with ongoing computer problems was watching Scotty Kilmer videos where he discusses chasing electrical gremlins.

I got my hands full bleeding brakes properly. I damn sure don't wanna get involved with stray millivolts from angry sensors lying to ossified computers.

 

The main thing I'm getting from most of this thread is:

-A ton of people want the world for free because of one issue
-A ton of people lose all confidence in their vehicle because of one issue

OP, yes, it sucks. They are, however, repairing the issue and giving the truck back. Considering its on their dime, I'd say they're more inclined to get it fixed up right so it doesn't come back. I like the suggestion of doing some tests down the road to check work, and sure I'd at minimum inquire about an extended warranty.

As I compared it to other fixes earlier, I will again. Some people saying "it will never be the same" or "you'll always have problems" etc etc etc. Does the same logic apply to a radiator, a water pump, an A/C compressor? If taking off a cylinder head opened up a smorgasbord of problems, as some will have you believe, there would not be such a huge market for aftermarket cylinder heads on muscle cars, etc etc. Furthermore, if it really did open up a metaphorical can of worms, the manufacturers wouldn't want to do it either, and would save a TON of labor money by dropping in a new engine.

I worked in automotive through college, people lose all trust in their cars for the smallest issues, and this forum is no different. There will be people who insist they should just sell their ride and buy a new one because of a hose, a pulley, a belt, or even a headlight (not kidding, had that one).

As I said, I get it, it sucks and will surely make you a bit weary for a few months driving it. If it's fixed right, you'll find the confidence in it again quick. If not, it will become readily apparent, and you'll be back at the dealer raising a stink.

 

It's basic, fundamental knowledge as far as modern engine building/machining is concerned. Most MLS gaskets require a pretty specific finish to seal properly. Ra or roughness average generally use Microinches as the unit of measure. Here's a couple of demo video I made several years ago.

Uncut surface right after disassembly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhnS98NkQig

Freshly surfaced head (i was really stoked how this one came out) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhDkewCmaGA

Not really sure how the Toyota tech is going to re-surface the deck without pulling the engine and disassembling the engine. Hence the concerns with good long term results of this repair.


As a rule, the recommended surface finish for a traditional composition style soft-face head gasket in an engine with cast iron heads and block is 60 to 120 microinches Ra (roughness average). But the recommended surface finish for the same type of head gasket in an engine with an aluminum head on a cast iron block is smoother, typically 20 to 50 microinches Ra. On late model engines with multi-layer steel (MLS) head gaskets, the OEM surface finish recommendations tend to be even smoother, say 20 to 30 microinches Ra or even 7 to 15 Ra. But the aftermarket also sells MLS gaskets with special coatings for many of these same applications that can handle surface finishes in the 50 to 60 microinch Ra range. So you have to know your gaskets and the surface finish recommendations for them by the gasket manufacturer, or the OEM if you are using a factory-style replacement head gasket.

Don’t assume close enough is good enough. Eye-balling the surface finish will tell you if the surface is really smooth (a mirror-like finish), really rough (like sandpaper) or somewhere in between, but it won’t tell you if you are in the recommended range. Dragging your fingernail across the surface isn’t much better, either, because a 30 Ra finish feels almost identical to a 50 Ra finish. And the smoother the finish gets, the more difficult it is to see or feel much difference.

The only way to accurately determine if the surface finish is within the correct range is to check it with a profilometer. This is an expensive electronic instrument that drags a diamond-tipped stylus across the surface to calculate its profile characteristics.
From https://www.enginebuildermag.com/20...avoid-when-resurfacing-cylinder-heads-blocks/

 

Which Honda V6 is this?

 

Ridgeline 3.5L. Lots of complaints.

https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Ridgeline/2006/engine/4_cylinder_has_gone_bad.shtml

 

I saw this happen with a 2JZGE in an is300. Metal head gaskets while durable, are much less forgiving than the old mushy composite gaskets when it comes to mating surface quality.

In the case I saw, short block was replaced, head re used. It was fine for a few years until the head gasket started leaking combustion gasses into the coolant. The lexus dealer botched it somehow.

 

Ask this dude

https://www.10news.com/news/local-n...-carlsbad-dealership-arson-charged-with-fraud

 

Dammit.....and here I am today at the Honda dealer ready to trade my Taco in on the most highly reviewed and critically acclaimed pickup truck of all time. The unequivocally amazing Honda Ridgeline!!!

Then you post this ^^^ and I get all kinds of cold feet and just can’t make the deal. The disappointed Honda salesman even asked for my complimentary Honda coffee cup back.....and it was a paper cup!!