Potential Cause of rumored GR86’s blown engine? Seal packing(RTV) was peeled off

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Spektyr

But what if the gasket you need is at the bottom of the tube?

Order from an Australian supplier.

[toyotoys]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Order from an Australian supplier.

LOL!

[Stephen W.]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Order from an Australian supplier.

It wouldn't help because they put the applicator nozzle on the opposite end for those down under.

[mr.whiskers]

On one hand this kind of sucks and this was the risk I took buying a car that just came out.
On other hand I bought a new car on warranty, I was careful during the break in period, from now on I ll make sure to change the oil every 6 month, keep a record of it and if it blows then it will be up to the dealership to fix it.

[diga]

2022 BRZ Limited 6MT owner, I believe I'm in first production run for US dated 9/21 - in a possible warranty situation such as this, I'm wondering if the dealership can access GPS data and correlate high RPM? For instance if GPS data can be obtained showing location of a track/autox while also showing high RPM in same timestamp, could that be used as a basis to deny claims? I'm not sure if StarLink or similar service is preinstalled on GR86 but BRZ has StarLink which I believe does track GPS. Forgive me if this has been brought up previously.

[FrickingReallySlow]

What do you mean by "in a possible warranty situation?" if you're just worried, just drive the car and try not to go over the rev limit. The ECU is the one that tracks over-revs with counters, I don't think they care if you did it at a track event or on the street.

Originally Posted by diga

2022 BRZ Limited 6MT owner, I believe I'm in first production run for US dated 9/21 - in a possible warranty situation such as this, I'm wondering if the dealership can access GPS data and correlate high RPM? For instance if GPS data can be obtained showing location of a track/autox while also showing high RPM in same timestamp, could that be used as a basis to deny claims? I'm not sure if StarLink or similar service is preinstalled on GR86 but BRZ has StarLink which I believe does track GPS. Forgive me if this has been brought up previously.

[diga]

Originally Posted by FrickingReallySlow

What do you mean by "in a possible warranty situation?" if you're just worried, just drive the car and try not to go over the rev limit. The ECU is the one that tracks over-revs with counters, I don't think they care if you did it at a track event or on the street.

welp, in this case RTV clogging oil intake causing catastrophic engine failure.

[Petah78]

Originally Posted by diga

welp, in this case RTV clogging oil intake causing catastrophic engine failure.

Care to expand? Your engine is toast and at the dealer being looked at? Mileage?

[Teseo]

It's a sport car, they will assume you drive it hard. Best you can do is, fix it or take the keys while I'm walking away

[Aon]

Providing a summary of my situation via a copy-paste of my Facebook post.

I've had several people reach out to me about this so I will try my best to summarize.

I have a 2022 GR86 that I purchased in January to be a daily driver and occasional autocrosser. I have 13,770 miles on it and have changed the oil twice (at 5k and 10k) using Motul fluids in the engine, transmission, and differential. One of the main selling points of the car was that Toyota advertises providing a free NASA track day and a 12 month NASA membership with the purchase of the vehicle (though I have not taken advantage of either yet). Based on that, one could assume they support motorsports to some degree.

On July 10th, I suffered an engine failure due to oil starvation. Teardown found it was the cylinder #4 rod bearing that failed. There was grey sealant in the oil pickup (which is a well-known and warrantable defect occurring since 2013).

A field technician specialist (FTS) was assigned to the case but rather than inspecting in person as is typically done, they did not inspect the motor. Instead either he or someone at the dealer looked me up on social media. They showed me a photo of me taken at a local Test & Tune event (untimed, non-competition) in late March (I was testing different setups and playing around with tire pressures. This was the only time the car was driven in the way the photo shows). They also showed me an onboard video of me driving in someone else's white GR86 (mine is Black).

This “proof”, along with the FTSs remark that the issue is common when drifting (he is a local drifter well-known in the community), prompted him to deny the warranty claim and the Service Manager to agree with the decision. I was provided an estimate of $11k for the repair.

I inspected the motor and took photos of the oil pickup and the excess sealant which I showed to the Service Manager and Toyota Corporate. I explained to Toyota Corporate that according to the Service Manager, the FTS had still not been to the dealership to physically inspect the motor even after the sealant issue was raised. The case manager with Toyota Corporate stated she had taken it as high as the Regional Manager for Gulf States Toyota and everyone involved is standing by the FTS and Dealers decision.

I spoke with the Service Manager at the Dealer and requested further escalation or consideration for a goodwill claim. He did not entertain this nor any other compromise on the repair (50/50, parts only, labor only, etc.) and stated that he valued the dealerships reputation with Toyota and did not want to compromise that by approving something the FTS and Toyota Corporate had already determined was not warrantable.

The Service Manager provided me with only 2 options. Either pay for the $11k repair or have the car and the motor removed from the dealership.
Yesterday, I had the car towed to a local Subaru specialty shop and I ordered a low-mileage pullout motor. Total cost is expected to be around $7k.

This is a huge misstep for Toyota. They claim on their website that the GR86 is "track-tested with the soul of a true sports car" which implies being on track at 100+ mph for 20 minute sessions as seen at many track events (including the ones they pay for their customers to participate in (which are very demanding on the car; the oiling system in particular). However, if a manufacturing defect occurs and causes a failure while participating in said track day, or even an autocross course that will never exceed highway speeds nor last longer than 60 seconds on average, Toyota has essentially said you are on your own and they will comb social media and other sources to reinforce that you abused the vehicle.

Due to this situation, I strongly urge anyone that uses their GR86 for anything beyond street duty to take all possible precautions. Cover or remove your plates while on site. And be very cautious about posting to social media. Anything that isn't privately shared amongst friends can be found and used against you. Even then, screenshotting and sharing is out of your control. Be warned and be safe.

[Petah78]

Originally Posted by Aon

Providing a summary of my situation via a copy-paste of my Facebook post.

So sorry to hear, i wonder if their decision will change if more cases starts popping up. Mind sharing the build date on your specific car?

[Kamber]

Sorry for your situation mate. The egregious difference in response we’ve seen from the various blown engine / RTV blockage cases that have popped up on the forums lately has squarely convinced me to go with a BRZ and not a GR86. One brand will fuck you when the if the time comes, the other will make you whole.

[Kamber]

Sorry for your situation mate. The stark difference in response we’ve seen between Subaru and Toyota when it comes to the various blown engine / RTV blockage cases that have been shared on this forum and the other GR86 forum lately has definitively convinced me to go with a BRZ and not a GR86. One brand will actively try to fuck you if the time comes, while the other will support you and make you whole.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Kamber

Sorry for your situation mate. The egregious difference in response we’ve seen from the various blown engine / RTV blockage cases that have popped up on the forums lately has squarely convinced me to go with a BRZ and not a GR86. One brand will fuck you when the if the time comes, the other will make you whole.

There is just as much chance of a Subaru dealer denying for the exact same reasons. It isn’t just a Toyota thing.
Like the recall failures there were more dealers that fixed it than didn’t but some just refused.
For the money involved it just may be worth talking to a lawyer. Usually first consultation is free.