Blown head gasket at 65k miles

[sk8rider]

Hey all,

Bought a 2000 LC used at 43k, previous owner had all the service records etc and I've taken care of it too. But, I noticed a coolant leak the other day and took it in and was informed it's the head gasket. Ugh...at 65k miles??

The dealer wants $2,200 for parts and labor. They also suggested replacing the timing belt and water pump while they're in there. Can't the timing belt go 90k miles?

Anyway, I was just given this information a couple hours ago and am still peeved and not necessarily thinking straight. (this isn't the first problem I've had with this thing - the antenae mast motor broke, front door actuator, rear door sensor..)

Has anyone else experienced this with a 100 or am I the only one? I certainly feel like it (of course the dealer had to tell me about all the 4runners he's seen with 200k and no problems).

It's just disappointing...probably the least reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Not sure if I got a dud or what...

Anyway, any thoughts/comments/suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

 

[mobi-arc]

Based upon feedback on this board, it's unusual. At 65,000 if you handle things diplomatically, you may get Toyota to cover all or a portion of it under warranty. Expensive vehicle, subscribed to reliability reputation, faithful customer, etc...

 

[G-Cat]

...and yes, the timing belt is good for 100k...but the part, itself, is cheap, so if your paying labor anyway, have the belt replaced.

 

[rph74]

...and yes, the timing belt is good for 100k...but the part, itself, is cheap, so if your paying labor anyway, have the belt replaced.

I second that.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

 

[uzj100]

I would take this up with Toyota corporate and see if they can work something out. Just 5k out of the powertrain warranty. This is highly unusual.

 

[ATLcrusher]

Good luck getting Mr. T to cover it. Yes, it is only 5K out on mileage, but being a 2000, it was probably sold in 99, meaning the three year warranty expired sometime in 2002 (it's 3 yr or 36K - whichever comes first).

Sorry about the bad luck.

 

[SWUtah]

Good luck getting Mr. T to cover it. Yes, it is only 5K out on mileage, but being a 2000, it was probably sold in 99, meaning the three year warranty expired sometime in 2002 (it's 3 yr or 36K - whichever comes first).

Sorry about the bad luck.

I would have the timing belt and water pump done along with the serpentine belt and have the tensioners check while their in there. The recmmended interval is "6 years or 90K miles" I bet your at around 6 years since your LC was built. I did mine a 6 years, with only 58K miles and the belt would not of made it to 90K miles, plus the water pump was starting to weep. I would also have them checkout the exhaust manifold on that side since they will already be in that area. I think the warranty is 5 years or 60K miles on the drive train for your 2000, so I would also talk to Toyota about covering part of the repair. Good luck.

 

[e9999]

yup, seems unusual on the 100 and a low mileage too.
Hard to tell what will happen when our rigs start getting up there in miles, but on the 80 side, it's not looking so good, with HGs failing left and right, to the point that several guys are now looking at replacing them as PM....

 

[Jim_Chow]

yup, seems unusual on the 100 and a low mileage too.
Hard to tell what will happen when our rigs start getting up there in miles, but on the 80 side, it's not looking so good, with HGs failing left and right, to the point that several guys are now looking at replacing them as PM....

Having read that thread, it seems the problem w/ the 80 is either the original HG design and/or excessive heat at cyl. #6 (against the firewall). It's also an I-6, which undergoes more HG flex/expansion than an I-4. And isn't a V8 basically two I-4's mated together. . Your HG failure is only the second 2UZ HG failure I've heard of on this board. Funny thing about the 80's owners saying no other vehicle is as durable, etc. My 20 yr old 4runner w/ 22re is still running strong at 200K on the clock, HG done at 120K mi since I had the t-chain done then (mechanic pulled the head). The entire OEM gasket kit (HG, intake/exhaust manifold, other stuff) only cost me $90, plus the guy only charged me $500 labor, and I supplied the OEM parts (about $250 incl. steel/rubber chain guides in lieu of the OEM plastic). The HG we removed only showed penetration about half way between the cylinder and edge of HG material, so it had a long way to go, and this was with a 15 yr old OEM 2-row core radiator that was 60% clogged). Hate to say this, but I have no doubt the 22re would outlast a 1FZ with a fraction of the maintenance cost/time.

 

[LEXUSBEN]

Suggestion and questions:

Did the previous owner have the services done at the same dealership where the truck is?

If yes, have you done the 60k service?

Good leverage points for them helping with warranty.

Every dealer has a goodwill budget, you just have to help convince them to spend it on you. Previous history at the dealer helps with your case. Also if the 60 has not been done yet, wheel and deal. ex I'll do the 60 if you cover the head gasket.

And by the way your head gasket failure is rare.

hope this helps, ben

 

[Jim_Chow]

Suggestion and questions:

Did the previous owner have the services done at the same dealership where the truck is?

If yes, have you done the 60k service?

Good leverage points for them helping with warranty.

Every dealer has a goodwill budget, you just have to help convince them to spend it on you. Previous history at the dealer helps with your case. Also if the 60 has not been done yet, wheel and deal. ex I'll do the 60 if you cover the head gasket.

And by the way your head gasket failure is rare.

hope this helps, ben

This is main reason why I plan on having my dealer do the maintenance through the bulk of the warranty...might help with future warranty claims or "goodwill" issues (got 5 yrs or 50K mi left). Just had a VGRS ECU replaced (was out of calibration causing the steering wheel to be 5-10 deg off center, but dealer has to replace it to claim a warranty, I guess?). They originally said it was alignment, so the warranty wouldn't cover that, but called later and said it was the ECU, and was covered by the platinum warranty. Replacement part alone would have been $814+labor w/o warranty! Say your exhaust manifolds start ticking or master cylinder booster pump fails just out of warranty. Is the dealer/Toyota/Lexus USA going to be more sympathetic if you had all the maintenance done by them from day 1 or didn't spend a penny on them after the purchase? At least this is my logic.

 

[LXPearl]

If the previous owner had the maintenance work done at a Toyota dealership you have excellent potential for a goodwill repair by Toyota. Even if the maintenance was not done by Toyota, but you have been a previous Toyota owner using dealer service and parts, you may still be in good shape.

I had a good will repair by Toyota on a Previa that lost its O2 sensors past the 80K point. I worked with the regional and then national office, submitted evidence of owning previous Toyotas purchased at Toyota dealers and having repair and part purchases at Toyota dealerships, and Toyota did the repairs gratis (over $1K). I have only bought Toyotas (or Lexus) since then, and tend to buy most parts and service at the dealerships.

I think it is worth checking with Toyota Customer Service about having your HG replaced. Even if you are relatively new to Toyota, a timely goodwill replacement may result in you becoming a loyal Toyota customer in the future. Definitely worth a try. Toyota may consider it a good investment.

 

[cpcc]

Where was the coolant leaking? Was it dripping down? Were you getting white plumes of smoke from the exhaust? Find it hard to believe that you have a blown gasket at that mileage. A 2nd opinion may be in order.

 

[uzj100]

Powertrain warranty is for 5 years or 60k miles.

uzj100

 

[Jim_Chow]

Make sure it's not a radiator hose that's weeping. I had the radiator hose that goes into the cylinder head on my old 4runner weeping for months...couldn't find the leak, but the evidence was dried coolant splattered all over the engine compartment/steering components, not a drip down the side of the block. What happens is when the engine is cold, the radiator cap valve is shut, so as the coolant warms up, pressure builds in the system (this is where leaks appear). But once the coolant hits a certain temp, the radiator cap valve opens, and the pressure is relieved by allowing the coolant to flow into the bottle. Problem was, everything I checked (after arriving at work or after a long drive), I never saw any coolant leaking, just the level in the bottle would slowly drop over a couple of weeks. I tightened all the hose clamps, too. It was only after driving a couple of miles first thing in the morning on a road trip in the middle of nowhere. Pulled into the gas station and saw red coolant dripping about 2 drips/second right from the hose into the alternator. Tightening the hose clamp didn't help any, and it was a Sunday morning, of course, and the nearest Toyota dealer was 100 mi away. I just drove the 300 miles through the mountains home. Made it w/ no issues...good 'ol Toyota reliability.

I'd have your cooling system pressure checked before jumping to the conclusion it's the HG. After all, it is an expensive repair.

 

[sk8rider]

Wow, hey, thanks for all the replies. Appreciate it.

The tech pressure tested the system and noted "leakage from right headgasket area at cylinder block area." It's not leaking into the cylinders. No milky oil, no white smoke from the exhaust.

As for the service history, I feel I have a pretty strong case, even though I bought it used.
Previous owner had all service done at Toyota (less 2-3 oil changes done at other places). He also had the 15k and 30k service performed.

I bought it at a LEXUS dealership who performed their own inspection and service at 43k.

I've had number of services performed at my local Toyota dealership since purchasing due to issues and regular maintenance, and also JUST did the 60k service there. I also had a '01 4Runner and an '02 IS300.

Anyway, we'll see how much they value my business.

 

[Atticus]

Having read that thread, it seems the problem w/ the 80 is either the original HG design and/or excessive heat at cyl. #6 (against the firewall). It's also an I-6, which undergoes more HG flex/expansion than an I-4. And isn't a V8 basically two I-4's mated together. . Your HG failure is only the second 2UZ HG failure I've heard of on this board. Funny thing about the 80's owners saying no other vehicle is as durable, etc. My 20 yr old 4runner w/ 22re is still running strong at 200K on the clock, HG done at 120K mi since I had the t-chain done then (mechanic pulled the head). The entire OEM gasket kit (HG, intake/exhaust manifold, other stuff) only cost me $90, plus the guy only charged me $500 labor, and I supplied the OEM parts (about $250 incl. steel/rubber chain guides in lieu of the OEM plastic). The HG we removed only showed penetration about half way between the cylinder and edge of HG material, so it had a long way to go, and this was with a 15 yr old OEM 2-row core radiator that was 60% clogged). Hate to say this, but I have no doubt the 22re would outlast a 1FZ with a fraction of the maintenance cost/time.

This post makes no sense to me. Unless I'm mistaken, you admit that you changed your headgasket as PM on a rig with 120,000 miles. That being the case, I struggle to see what your point is. Your last sentence fails to take into account that, when replaced with the new model headgasket (and not just a new "old" headgasket), the 1FZ can last a very very long time. For instance, there are a ton of 200,000+ mile 80's out there that have had no hg work done. Mine happens to be one of them. Should I replace my headgasket, then how long would my engine last without an overhaul? It's anyone's guess, but it could be a very, very long time. I'm sure if I had to have the timing chain fixed, I would do the hg at the same time. That doesn't mean anything one way or the other, really. Also, "penetration about half way between the cylinder and the edge of HG material" does not necessarily mean that you had only "used up" half of your head gasket's useful life. I don't think that any 1FZ owner would be happy with half the material missing from the headgasket.

Have fun with your 22re, but the 1FZ is a great engine. Flame away.

 

[landtank]

Funny thing about the 80's owners saying no other vehicle is as durable, etc. My 20 yr old 4runner w/ 22re is still running strong at 200K on the clock, HG done at 120K mi since I had the t-chain done then (mechanic pulled the head). The entire OEM gasket kit (HG, intake/exhaust manifold, other stuff) only cost me $90, plus the guy only charged me $500 labor, and I supplied the OEM parts (about $250 incl. steel/rubber chain guides in lieu of the OEM plastic). The HG we removed only showed penetration about half way between the cylinder and edge of HG material, so it had a long way to go, and this was with a 15 yr old OEM 2-row core radiator that was 60% clogged). Hate to say this, but I have no doubt the 22re would outlast a 1FZ with a fraction of the maintenance cost/time.

Hey Jimmy, next time you have a comment about a posting in the 80 section show some balls and respond there.


The comment on reliability was centered around the fact that the government outlawed the use of asbestos in HGs and that large displacement engines were more effected by this because of their size and all the manufacturers where scrambling trying to redesign a substute material. Your 20 year old 22RE doesn't meet the criteria for comparison as it is a small displacent engine with an asbestos HG.


As far as this situation is concerned I'd rebuild the starter as it's located under the intake manifold and the contacts are only like 25.00 and they are in there anyway.

 

[Atticus]

x 2

 

[SWUtah]

Hey Jimmy, next time you have a comment about a posting in the 80 section show some balls and respond there.

.

Good to know if any 100 series owner has a comment about a 80 series they are required to post it in the 80's forum so the comment can be "approved" if not they are a ball less coward???