NHTSA complaint #11669564

Owner complaint summary

Toyota defectively designed and/or manufactured coolant bypass valves ("the Defect") that prematurely fail. When the Defect manifests, coolant leaks out of the closed-loop coolant system. This adversely impacts the ability of the coolant system to properly regulate the temperature of the engine, and can lead to engine overheating, stalling, increased emissions and catastrophic engine failure. In addition, the leaking coolant can leak into the surrounding engine components, including the electrical system, and damage those components. The leaking coolant can also corrode the sensor on the coolant bypass valve, which causes it to remain stuck in the "open" or "closed" position and thus impedes its ability to properly direct coolant throughout the engine, thereby impeding the ability of the engine to operate within the appropriate parameters. When the Defect manifests, it also causes a message to appear on the dashboard over the speedometer, which states: "Engine Maintenance Required" and "Visit Your Dealer." The message cannot be dismissed or otherwise removed from the dash of the Class Vehicle by the operator of the Class vehicle, and instead must be brought to a dealership or to a mechanic. The message is distracting and obscures a significant portion of the speedometer. blocks other important, safety-related messages that are intended to display in the same area of the dash occupied by the message. Cars system reads “engine maintenance required” due to coolant bypass valve, car is only at 42,000 (6,000 miles past warranty) was told it’s not covered under powertrain warranty and was charged almost $1000 to get it fixed