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Excessive Oil: *PLEASE* do report! Instructions from Toyota here

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by MrPete, Jan 29, 2019.

  1. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    I just got off the phone w/ a rep from Toyota national.

    (My Gen3 has been eating oil since 110k miles; the dealership topped off for free but finally said no more.)

    National's response, with no appeal:

    1) Sorry, no.
    2) We watch trends in issues; if there's a "massive scale" of problems, we will create a program. (And if we do, we of course would reimburse your repair from before the program.)
    3) It's true the 1.1qt/600 mile number seems low. Our own dealership test is 1 quart in 1000 miles. That's what was used for the Camry recall program.
    4) Please, PLEASE, please... DO report to us! Before even complaining to your dealer. We can't act on what we don't know.

    So, below is specific info on how best to report excessive oil consumption to national!

    1) Go to http://www.toyota.com/owners and create an account. Link it to your VIN. You'll find everything they know about your car's service history.

    2) Collect your own documentation/story of when the issue began and how big it is. I like to convert my consumption numbers to extra-quarts-consumed-per-10,000-miles since that's the official oil change interval. (Mine: 14 quarts right now.)

    3) Call Toyota National Customer service and have a nice conversation to report your case. Collect a case number.
    1-800-331-4331 M-F 7am-7pm Central; Sat 7am-4:30pm Central time
    (Extension 4->2 for "new case" -> "not some other issue" ;) )

    I had a very understanding rep on the phone...
     
  2. Preeeus

    Preeeus Member

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    Our Toyota Prius Gen3 (2010) has the same issue.

    We filed a case with Toyota corporate (tel:800-331-4331) not too long ago. They claimed they were unaware of the issue. We found that hard to believe.

    We are scheduled to get an oil consumption test at the dealership. The dealership said they would go to bat for us if they consider the oil consumption excessive. They didn't define excessive. It's hard to believe Toyota's manual implies that burning 1.1qt of oil every 601 miles is somehow acceptable. Unlikely an arbitrator, judge, or jury would agree. That's over 18qts of oil burned between oil changes! Maybe the EPA needs to force the recall.

    We are concerned that the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors will fail with this type of oil consumption. Those are expensive repairs on the Prius.

    We also encourage people to report this to Toyota corporate (tel:800-331-4331) immediately.
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how much are you burning? have either of you cleaned the egr circuit?
     
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The TSB (first of the attached) set the consumption level at 1 quart in 1100~1300 miles. The car has to be under 60K miles though, to qualify for free replacement pistons/rings (model year 2015 style). They also do a full gasket replacement. Still, an interesting read, and maybe even if you're over 60K, you can get some compensation from Toyota?
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. Preeeus

    Preeeus Member

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    Toyota Prius is burning 1qt of oil per 800 miles driven.

    We haven't done anything with the EGR system.
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how many miles on her?
     
  7. Preeeus

    Preeeus Member

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    Right around 145K miles.
     
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    seems too young to be burning that much oil
     
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  9. Preeeus

    Preeeus Member

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    Exactly. We aren't too happy about it. We are both disabled and were depending on this vehicle to last a long time.
     
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  10. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    Mine is burning 14+ quarts per 10k miles (around 700-800 miles per quart.) Better in cold weather.
    Yes, cleaned. Tried additives. Nothing helped much.

    Considering the lacquer thinner / ATF solution... running it by my own expert friends.
     
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  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    maybe you'd be better off trying to find a way to get it to more than a quart/600 miles ;)
     
  12. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    STOP please.

    Taking wild guesses and using "snake oil" treatments at random might very well make matters WORSE instead of better.
    Applying "fixes" for stuck rings will just be a waste of time if the problem really is worn valve guides or a leaking head gasket.

    You need to do a compression and leak down test and a radiator pressure test to find out where the oil is REALLY going.

    In the process of doing all that, they may find that oil is actually LEAKING out somewhere only when the engine is running.

    If those friends really are "experts" this is what they should be telling you.
     
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  13. Greenteapri

    Greenteapri Active Member

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    The OP sounds desperate. I would be too burning fourteen quarts every 10k. He's burning almost twice what Toyota deems as 'normal'.

    It is not normal for a modern four-stroke engines to burn oil.

    I'm sure the OP, as well as other gen three owners, would notice pools of oil accumulating on driveways and garage floors.

    I commend the OP for being proactive; searching for a solution to this $eriou$ i$$ue. An issue that T0y0ta is reluctant to admit and remedy.
     
  14. alanwagen

    alanwagen Member

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    I have 101k on my 2010 but I live in the warmer South and only use Tier 1 gas. Synthetic oil only every 10k miles I use no oil.
    There is an association of carbon clogging the oil control rings. One guy on this blog, used Techron fuel system cleaner 4 tanks in row and reduce his consumption. It is worth a shot and keep on using Tier 1 gas.

    Toyota Prius Problems and Common Complaints | Toyota Parts Center Blog
     
  15. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    No, not desperate. Just frustrated. This is a well known issue.

    No oil accumulation anywhere. That's one of the strange things about this design defect. I had no idea there was an issue, until suddenly... there was. Ever since about 110k miles, I have had to check oil on every fillup.
     
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  16. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    Yes of course only to be done in the context of ensuring as much as possible that we know the exact reason for this on my particular vehicle... although this IS a well known issue.

    No wild guesses, and no "snake oil" treatment at random. Here's the priuschat thread where a very experienced ASE Certified tech described what he did to completely solve the problem. In the thread he also describes the potential risks.
    Oil consumption...what I did to correct it. | PriusChat

    I've also discussed with my local Toyota guy, who off-the-record told me that he's done a variation of this for years on his own vehicles, keeping them clean as a whistle inside the engine.

    My "experts" include friends who are among the top mechanics in the region. Which of course is why I would never claim to have the expertise to make this decision on my own. I'm not an expert... because I happen to know a few :)
     
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  17. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    The Internet "forums" tends to magnify EVERYTHING.

    Of course it is a "well know issue" that engines with high miles tend to use more oil.
    Some more than others, even with engines that should be identical.

    It has been going on since about 24 months after the first Ford rolled off the assembly line about a hundred years ago.
    By your definition, every car ever made has a "design defect".

    I am sorry that you got a car that started using more oil a bit sooner than most but there are literally MILLIONS of them on the road that don't do that.

    If you would put yours in the hands of a really competent mechanic, he might be able to solve or minimize the problem.
    Just because you KNOW a few people who might qualify as "experts" doesn't make YOU one.

    And your proposed trial of things that others claim to have done with success IS just shooting into the wind.
    You don't really know if those stories are true or not.......or if you have the same situation or not.

    But I do wish you luck. I think the odds are about 50/50 that what you are doing will make things WORSE instead of better.
     
  18. Greenteapri

    Greenteapri Active Member

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  19. Preeeus

    Preeeus Member

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    This isn't about a couple of Toyota Prius vehicles using a little oil as they get older.

    This is about a known defect with the Prius in which it uses up a massive amount of oil. So much oil, in fact, that owners can't even make it 1/2 way to their next oil change without completely running out of oil. So well know, in fact, that Toyota has issued an official Toyota Service Bulletin (T-SB) documenting the problem and the solution. The only step left is for Toyota to extend the warranty so people can actually get the problem fixed.

    For the 2015 Prius, Toyota redesigned the pistons and piston rings in order to fix the problem with the Prius engine. Why? Because they knew they had a problem on their hands.
     
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  20. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    OK, fair enough.

    If that is the case, why isn't that mentioned immediately when a thread like this is started ?
    Along with a brief summary of what the "fix" in the bulletin actually IS ???
    Instead of all of these questionable amateur solutions which might not have anything to do with the actual problem ??????

    You have made a good start at being very helpful here.
    How about finishing the job and supplying the TSB number for those folks who need it.......since the incompetent Toyota shops can't seem to find it on their own.
     
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