Large piece of metal found in my rear differential...I'm a bit pissed at Toyota's quality

As disconcerting as it is to find something like this, it actually is quite common as you can see by others who have found similar machining debris in their pumpkin. I know you probably won't take this piece of advice, but try and relax as this is nothing to get all worked up about.

 

Ohh I forgot.... Yes, the nasty smell is still in the air in the garage and I finished hours ago and had the door open.. The oil was very glittery as well... I was going to deliver it to the oil change guys for them to recycle it but maybe I'll keep it just in case Toyota wants to see it?

If anything, there should be a sticky of things you "should" do...because if I knew this, I would have done it at 3000km.

What about engine oil drain plug magnet... do you think I should invest in one?

EDIT: My BMW's were NOTHING like this... I know BMW have their "Never change this fluid" but I always did it around 30k and never found the amount of junk and metals inside like this.

B

 

You think that's bad you should have seen the transmission filter in my John Deere tractor at the first service interval. No wonder the dealer did everything they could to try and talk me out of doing that service myself. I brought them a pill bottle full of metal shavings and the service guy said "Thats it? you got off light" haha. Never found any metal after that and never had a problem with the tractor. The manufacturing process is not a perfect world....

 

As a former Deere employee, their manufacturing “process” would make you sick.

Not a single piece of equipment is sellable off the assembly line. All assembly lines. Not. A. Single. One.

 

Those gears are harder than woodpecker lips. I use mine to shred all sorts of things.

 

It’s manufacturing swerf, nothing to worry about

 

I’ve heard bad things about JD a few times lately. Why is it so bad?

 

Long history with that place. I worked there 7 years, my dad retired after 44, several uncles in various different roles.

The parts shortages exacerbate their issues, but I believe there is a shortage of good assemblers, engineers, and management in general. I worked alongside people who literally came from casinos and nail salons, no manufacturing experience whatsoever.

And Deere suppliers sign 7 year contracts to supply parts, and agree to a certain percentage cost reduction each of those years for the same part. Those places have the same personnel issues, so the savings has to come from somewhere, unless they want to lose money.

Deere has never been more profitable is the scary part. But that comes mostly from corporate acquisitions and tax laws. Their equipment, even if it has all its components, will leak, function incorrectly, you name it. Every assembly line has a “repair” area, always has. But now they are staffed to the gills with the few good employees they have that will work all the hours they can. Every machine they make needs tweaking at the factory and the dealer.

I could go on all day about the shit show. And it’s a state of the art, no expense spared, “best in the business” type of manufacturing company.

I left because the incompetence was too rampant for my sanity. Took a $5/hr pay cut because i hated feeling like all I did 10 hrs a day was hump doorknobs.

 

Tacomas wouldn’t have magnets if there wasnt a need for them . My 2nd gen with 200k miles would collect an occasional fleck or two, but never had any major issues as a result.

Im going to keep following rec svc intervals for severe duty as I tow and plow snow with my ‘21.

 

The oil probably stank because it was non synthetic gear oil. Brand new gear oil reaks.

 

Magnet is doing its job. You’ll be fine.

 

Magnet did it’s job and that smell is normal for gear oil. Stop whining and drive the truck, eh.

 

My second gen taco had a bigger chip when I changed the rear diff at 5k miles. I was concerned about my 3rd gen so I changed all the gear boxes at 5k- no chunks this time even with the rear diff howl.

Hopefully your diff will be fine, most likely shouldn’t have any issues. Follow the Severe Operating conditions service intervals if you want to be on the safe side

 

It's a piece of soft steel debris probably from when they drilled and tapped the drain plug hole. It should have been blown out during manufacturing but somehow it was missed. Obviously, it was captured by the drain plug magnet and never caught in the ring/pinion or it would be chewed up.

Why go full on Karen over nothing? What is the complaint other than your feelings are hurt?

 

+1000

 

Completely normal Their just little disc shaped things

 

It’s not addressed because it is not an issue. There is no rash of failed rear diffs in Tacomas.

Had the same chip in my first diff fluid change. One of many reasons why a 1000 mile break in service is a good idea.

 

It's what causes 'glitter' in older diffs that never get their oil changed.

Seriously, people didn't used to change it and would go 200K.

Of course, then the abrasives took out the pinion seal, then the rear ran out of oil and ate itself but that was the life of one in the 20th century.

 

Some good info here. This is why I like doing dif fluid with the first oil change. You'd do it for a gear swap after so many miles, why not on a new truck with new gears. Doesn't hurt - and obviously access metal is common. If I didn't have gears going in soon, I'd do it. Thanks for sharing OP!