Warning About Toyota Cars

[disk_4_sale2]

I have the same experience with the thread starter. I bought my Toyota Altis 1.6 from Toyota Marikina in May of 2003. I religiously followed the preventive maintenance schedule (PMS) of the car bringing it to Toyota Marikina every 5,000 km. I used only Toyota parts and oil for my car. What I immediately noticed everytime my car is serviced at Toyota Marikina is that they always use engine flush everytime the oil is changed. Please note, I only use the ordinary Toyota oil that they recommend and not the synthetic ones. The engine flushing surprised me a lot because this should be done only when you switch oil from synthetic to ordinary or vice versa. Pinabayaan ko na lang i-engine flush kasi mura lang naman ang cost.

 

Sometime in 2006, I switched to Toyota Makati along Metropolitan Avenue because my girlfriend was working there and secondly, that dealership is owned by Toyota Motor Philippines. Toyota Marikina and Cubao and others are owned by the Metrobank Group of Companies. Bottomline is, I was able to avail of huge discounts plus the fact that the car will be taken cared of much better because of the affiliation of the dealer with Toyota Motor Philippines and the fact that my girl was working in the service department. The first thing I observed when my car was serviced by Toyota Makati is that they did not flush the engine when the oil is changed. Fast forward to October of 2007 and at 78,000 kms, I heard some noise emanating from the engine. I brought the car to Toyota Makati and lo and behold, they discovered the oil in the engine to be half full. Further investigation revealed that my Altis has developed oil sludge in the crank case. The service technicians tried all remedial measures like cleaning the oil sludge (binabad sa sosa and kinudkod) and others. They failed in all their attempts because the engine continued to emit noise and consume oil at the rate of 1 liter every two weeks or even less. When all things proved futile and ineffective, they recommended a general overhaul of the car which they did last month and at a cost of PHP37,000.00 inclusive of the machine shop where the sludge was sand blasted to remove it from the crank case. Please note, the cost is net of the 15% discount on parts and labor and a huge slash on the machine shop from the initial estimate of PHP25,000.00. Ang dami pinalitan. My altis is now working fine again and like brand new. However, I just bought a Honda Civic from Honda Cars Manila and will be using it from hereon. Yung Altis, ibibigay ko sa pamangkin ko.

 

The question that begs the answer is what caused the general overhaul of the engine of my Altis. Toyota Makati offered two explanations to me namely,

 

1. The oil that Toyota Marikina used. It is Toyota oil alright but with an additive which they call AMALI OIL. It is different from the oil used in other Toyota dealerships not owned by the Metrobank Group of Companies. Toyota Makati came short of calling the AMALI OIL inferior in quality than the regular Toyota oil. This is the reason why the engine has to be flushed every oil change. The problem could have been avoided if Toyota Makati was made aware that Toyota Marikina was servicing my car before I switched to them. They would have flushed my engine the first tme I used them to service my car. So beware when you have your car serviced with Toyota. Ask first if the dealer is owned by the Metrobank Group of Companies. If it is, go somewhere else.

 

2. There is a flaw in the engine design of VVTi engines of Toyota. It is prone to engine sludge if you exceed the 5,000 km PMS. That is why you have to make sure that you have your Altis PMS'd every 5,000 km or near that but not beyond that. This was the cautionary notice I got from Toyota Makati when I claimed my car after it was overhauled. To give you an idea on what I am talking about, please search the internet using the key words sludge and Toyota and you will find a wealth of information on the subject including court cases in the United States filed by irate consumers. The problem is not confined to Altis only. All models with VVTi engines are susceptible to sludge if you do not change oil every 5,000 kms. My new Honda Civic requires 10,000 km check up and not 5,000 km.

 

Yun lang.

 

 

magandang info po eto sir... buti na lang sa Toyota makati ako nakakuha ng unit at nagpa PMS... question ko lang is prone pa rin ba ang VVTi engine sa sludge if you use synthetic oil? I didn't use Toyota oil when I had my oil changed last 1k PMS, ginamit ko royal purple synthetic oil...

[machototoy]

my wife will be getting a vios this month.

most probably from toyota shaw

 

any tips?

 

get the new color, yung red. yung may pagka light red.

 

ok siya, super tipid sa gas and maliit lang kaya madali idrive. bagay na bagay sa wife mo para hindi siya mahirapan magdrive.

 

problem lang sa vios yung panel board niya, wala siyang temperature gauge at nakalagay siya sa gitna.

[gobster]

I am a 2004 1.6 Altis owner. Nasa 40,000 kms na ang mileage. I'm so busy that I miss check ups, in other words neglected yung car. But so far, I have no problems. Smooth pa rin yung ride. Meron pa nga nagcomment recently nung nag-hitch na friend ko, "bago car mo?" Gabi kasi so hindi napansin na hindi yung new look na altis.

[ponx_99]

I am a 2004 1.6 Altis owner. Nasa 40,000 kms na ang mileage. I'm so busy that I miss check ups, in other words neglected yung car. But so far, I have no problems. Smooth pa rin yung ride. Meron pa nga nagcomment recently nung nag-hitch na friend ko, "bago car mo?" Gabi kasi so hindi napansin na hindi yung new look na altis.

 

Better not miss your check-ups. already saw an altis just about your car's age whose owner completely misses his check-ups. the end result, oil which looked liked sticky mud, ruined pistons and valves. the shop totally had to overhaul the engine. :thumbsdownsmiley:

[Shubby]

tsk tsk tsk...ganito n pala toyota :thumbsdownsmiley:

[id6230]

Despite having bought a car from a very reliable car company, there is and will always be a chan\ce that a buyer can get a "lemon car" from them. Having said that, Toyota, in my opinion, and basing on their track record (scientific evidence), is on the top on the list when it comes to reliability of their product.

[gobster]

Better not miss your check-ups. already saw an altis just about your car's age whose owner completely misses his check-ups. the end result, oil which looked liked sticky mud, ruined pistons and valves. the shop totally had to overhaul the engine. :thumbsdownsmiley:

 

I know. I will bring the car for a check up. Change oil, oil filter, spark plugs, check break pads, etc. Thanks, man.

[jettison_last]

get the new color, yung red. yung may pagka light red.

 

ok siya, super tipid sa gas and maliit lang kaya madali idrive. bagay na bagay sa wife mo para hindi siya mahirapan magdrive.

 

problem lang sa vios yung panel board niya, wala siyang temperature gauge at nakalagay siya sa gitna.

 

yeah my wife got the 1.3J Blaze color (red). delivered last October.

so far so good. no problem with the gauge panel kahit nasa gitna, sanayan lang.

[salvaje]

para sa akin okay naman ang toyota proper maintenance check lang ang kailangan

[pasion nato]

as in all mechanical equipments and contraptions,......... the name of the game is proper maintenance... don't wait till it conks out to repair... on the surface you seem to be spending a lot in regular maintenance but in the long run.. it's always going to be cheaper.

[rdy]

ako no problem with my 2008 vios manila bay.

[johnlove]

I have bad experiences with the services of 2 Quezon Ave dealerships - Toyota & Ford.

Madalas mali ang diagnosis nila, at palit ng palit ng piesa kahit bagong bago pa ang parts.

Maybe Quezon city is only good for spa, food, and nightlife.

Edited March 22, 2009 by johnlove

[djrs]

Matibay ang TOYOTA:

 

pero wag kayo aasa lang sa Toyota service. hehehehe.

 

ang dami ng magaling ngayon na repair shops..

 

try also royal purple or motul as you oil..

 

yung altis ko 2001 pa hanggang ngayon wala ako problem...

[reskie22]

avoid traveling at a speed of 100kph and above...sudden brakes wont work

accident will surely happen

[miguelandal]

i own a toyota rav4, after all this years it still drives very well pero may kalampag pa siya. the engine doesn't give me much problems.

 

off-topic: my friend bought a suzuki swift and after two weeks nasira ung computer box while he was driving in edsa. nawala lang bigla control ng kotse niya. ung ceo ng suzuki galing sa Japan inamin na factory defect ung nangyari so willing siya magbigay ng dalawang swift na upgraded lahat ng parts para lang di tuloy nung kaibigan ko ung demanda. binenta na niya ung mga swift, wala kasing kwenta ung kotse na un. he now drives a sylvia.