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Posted by sewerat
Just found this article on the Ossie Surf site, interesting.
"I recently bought a 1993 Hilux Surf V6 (3VZ-E motor) backed by an AA / Swann Insurance 3-year warranty. After <1000km the head gasket blew at the right bank, rear cylinder water jacket - the block was badly corroded around the jacket edges. It needed a skim and rematch with the heads – over NZ$3000. The AA refused to pay as their warranty excludes failures caused by corrosion. The mechanics at the Toyota dealership said the failure was caused by poor servicing / insufficient coolant changes. I didn’t believe them.
I had heard of head gasket problems with these motors (Surfs and Camrys) and that there was a recall for NZ new 3VZ-E vehicles in NZ in 1998. My vehicle was imported from Japan in 1999. I contacted Toyota Motor Corporation through Toyota NZ and established (with the VIN number) that my vehicle should have been recalled in Japan in 1997/98. In the manufacture of these engines, Toyota used a type of head gasket that had a specific compound that reacted adversely with the coolant and caused corrosion of the block.
As such, Toyota Motor Corporation ACCEPTED LIABILITY for the failure without any fuss whatsoever and paid me out for the cost of the repair 2 weeks later! This was negotiated very smoothly through the people at the Toyota NZ call centre. All I had to do was produce the repair invoice and have the mechanic at the dealership confirm to Toyota NZ that the block was corroded. Toyota NZ said that as the vehicle was subject to a recall it should have been fixed in Japan, and as it wasn’t, TMC was happy to pay.
I am aware that there are LOADS of Toyota V6 cars / 4x4s out there that have blown head gaskets due to block corrosion. I have spoken to several Toyota dealership mechanics around the country and indeed, they have seen this problem many times. I am told by Toyota NZ that if the VIN number of these vehicles corresponds with the pre-export recall listing in Japan, the owner is eligible for a refund.
If you’ve suffered the pain of a big hole in your pocket, dig out your invoice and give it a go! Feel free to contact me if you wish."
Making no comments, just posting info.
Sewerat Bob
Well out of curiosity and my overflowing problem I thought i would try and find out.
Rang dealers, want to know about recalls ok sir ring 01737 363633 Toyota customer relations.
TCR, hello
Me, I would like to know about recalls please
TCR, ok whats the chasis/frame number
TCR, what vehicle is that
Me, Hilux Surf
TCR, Oh a grey import, no i Haven't any recalls for that vehicle.
Me, do you have any recalls for the Surfs
TCR, no they are Japanese
Me, are they really you do surprise me, so Toyota isn't a Japanese
company then
TCR, yes we are but we are not Japanese
Me Huh, sorry i must have the wrong number thought this was Toyota
a world wide company
TCR, yes thats us but we are in the uk
Me, ok so can you help me with my question
TCR, no because they are Japanese and we dont know about them we
only sell British Toyota,s
Me, you mean i have been lied to all this time and Toyota is really a
British company
TCR, no well yes, but we dont know about the surfs
Me, but I know there have been recalls so why don't you have a list
TCR, because its made in Japan and you didn't buy it here
Me, yes i did, bought from a garage in Bedford and?????
TCR, we don't have any data on them, if it was a world wide safety
recall we would, but it was a special service recall only to
Japan and Australia where thet are distributed not here
Me, so Toyota isn't a world wide company then
TCR, yes we are
Me, so you dont really care about me and my problem cause I got an
import
TCR, yes we do
Me, Oh good so how are you going to help me
TCR, like i said we don't anything about surf's and it was a local recall
Me, so if you don't know about surf's how do you know it was a local
recall and that surf's are only distrubuted in Japan and Aus
TCR, like i said we dont have any data here
Me, so your not willing to find out or honour any recalls from Japan
even though its a Toyota and your Toyota
TCR , as i said we don't hold any data here
Me, your begining to bore me know you sound like a record thats got
stuck.so you really dont care about your customers, well i won't
buy any more of your UK cars, watchdog did a programme on
manufactuers that isolated people who own imports I'll give them
a ring instead.
TCR, Well i could....
Me, no thanks t**t see you on tele
Just found this article on the Ossie Surf site, interesting.
"I recently bought a 1993 Hilux Surf V6 (3VZ-E motor) backed by an AA / Swann Insurance 3-year warranty. After <1000km the head gasket blew at the right bank, rear cylinder water jacket - the block was badly corroded around the jacket edges. It needed a skim and rematch with the heads – over NZ$3000. The AA refused to pay as their warranty excludes failures caused by corrosion. The mechanics at the Toyota dealership said the failure was caused by poor servicing / insufficient coolant changes. I didn’t believe them.
I had heard of head gasket problems with these motors (Surfs and Camrys) and that there was a recall for NZ new 3VZ-E vehicles in NZ in 1998. My vehicle was imported from Japan in 1999. I contacted Toyota Motor Corporation through Toyota NZ and established (with the VIN number) that my vehicle should have been recalled in Japan in 1997/98. In the manufacture of these engines, Toyota used a type of head gasket that had a specific compound that reacted adversely with the coolant and caused corrosion of the block.
As such, Toyota Motor Corporation ACCEPTED LIABILITY for the failure without any fuss whatsoever and paid me out for the cost of the repair 2 weeks later! This was negotiated very smoothly through the people at the Toyota NZ call centre. All I had to do was produce the repair invoice and have the mechanic at the dealership confirm to Toyota NZ that the block was corroded. Toyota NZ said that as the vehicle was subject to a recall it should have been fixed in Japan, and as it wasn’t, TMC was happy to pay.
I am aware that there are LOADS of Toyota V6 cars / 4x4s out there that have blown head gaskets due to block corrosion. I have spoken to several Toyota dealership mechanics around the country and indeed, they have seen this problem many times. I am told by Toyota NZ that if the VIN number of these vehicles corresponds with the pre-export recall listing in Japan, the owner is eligible for a refund.
If you’ve suffered the pain of a big hole in your pocket, dig out your invoice and give it a go! Feel free to contact me if you wish."
Making no comments, just posting info.
Sewerat Bob
Well out of curiosity and my overflowing problem I thought i would try and find out.
Rang dealers, want to know about recalls ok sir ring 01737 363633 Toyota customer relations.
TCR, hello
Me, I would like to know about recalls please
TCR, ok whats the chasis/frame number
TCR, what vehicle is that
Me, Hilux Surf
TCR, Oh a grey import, no i Haven't any recalls for that vehicle.
Me, do you have any recalls for the Surfs
TCR, no they are Japanese
Me, are they really you do surprise me, so Toyota isn't a Japanese
company then
TCR, yes we are but we are not Japanese
Me Huh, sorry i must have the wrong number thought this was Toyota
a world wide company
TCR, yes thats us but we are in the uk
Me, ok so can you help me with my question
TCR, no because they are Japanese and we dont know about them we
only sell British Toyota,s
Me, you mean i have been lied to all this time and Toyota is really a
British company
TCR, no well yes, but we dont know about the surfs
Me, but I know there have been recalls so why don't you have a list
TCR, because its made in Japan and you didn't buy it here
Me, yes i did, bought from a garage in Bedford and?????
TCR, we don't have any data on them, if it was a world wide safety
recall we would, but it was a special service recall only to
Japan and Australia where thet are distributed not here
Me, so Toyota isn't a world wide company then
TCR, yes we are
Me, so you dont really care about me and my problem cause I got an
import
TCR, yes we do
Me, Oh good so how are you going to help me
TCR, like i said we don't anything about surf's and it was a local recall
Me, so if you don't know about surf's how do you know it was a local
recall and that surf's are only distrubuted in Japan and Aus
TCR, like i said we dont have any data here
Me, so your not willing to find out or honour any recalls from Japan
even though its a Toyota and your Toyota
TCR , as i said we don't hold any data here
Me, your begining to bore me know you sound like a record thats got
stuck.so you really dont care about your customers, well i won't
buy any more of your UK cars, watchdog did a programme on
manufactuers that isolated people who own imports I'll give them
a ring instead.
TCR, Well i could....
Me, no thanks t**t see you on tele
on the forum, to monitor our messages 
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