Oil Pump Failure at 115k Two Days After Being Serviced

Need some help here…

I drive a 2011 tundra and recently took it in to get an oil change and tire rotation before a road trip.

Authorized Toyota dealership did the work and called me back saying I needed to have the valve cover gaskets replaced because I had oil leaking in my engine.

They did the work and two days later I started my road trip. 100 miles into the trip my engine started making some not-so-beautiful noises so I got it towed to the nearest Toyota dealership.

They looked at it and told me that I had metal particulates that caused and oil pump failure and destroyed my engine. I’m now looking at $12000 for the engine + labor on a truck that might have been worth $11000!

Called the dealership that did the work 2 days before the road-trip and they said they’re not at fault. They said oil pumps sometimes fail and that it’s unfortunate it happened at 115k miles.

I am having a hard time believing a word they say and am certain that they are at fault for me having a totaled tundra at the moment.

If any of you have answers to the following questions I would love your help!

- Do oil pumps actually fail on their own at 115k (I have taken good care of the truck and it was working fine before I took it in for service)
- Could the work they did introduce metal particulates into my engine?
- Will Big Toyota (customer service) back me up if I engage them?
- Is there any way to prove the dealership is responsible?
- Is the dealership right and I just need to buy a new truck?
- What’s the best way to fight this?

Thanks for your help! Sorry for the long post!

 

I am sorry to hear that, gang.

Well, my TPMS started blinking and lit up after dealer service. I called them back and they said it's a 13yr old truck and things fail

Also, they left my air intake loose and I found an extra screw in my door pocket.

 

It is exceedingly rare for a shaft-mounted gerotor oil pump to spontaneously fail. Further, how did this alleged pump killing debris get past the strainer?

 

Did you check the oil before you left?? Sounds like maybe there was not enough oil in the engine.?

 

The second dealer said debris passed thru the pump causing it to fail. I would wonder if something got dropped in it when they had the valve covers off. I would have the lower pan dropped while I was there and see what’s in it (if anything). Take pictures

 

i have never seen a 5.7 oil pump fail. if they did the valve cover gasket its possible the dropped something in the engine, or cleaned the surfaces with sotchbrite pads and didnt keep it from falling into the engine.. scotch brite pad particles in the oil can eat up bearings pretty quick if its a substantial amount.

 

OP needs to confirm whether he checked the engine oil on the dipstick after the dealer service and before the trip. OP did you? Be honest.

 

If a main dealer (or anyone else) is using any type of abrasive pad to clean mating surfaces they need a slap.

Sorry for your woes OP.
I don't like main dealers as rule and whilst it sounds more than coincidental that the pump failed after they worked on the truck there is a possibility that they weren't responsible for the failure - either way trying to prove their negligence and get anything out of them will probably just kick you hard in the wallet and the mental health stakes.

 

How much oil had leaked out prior to the valve cover gasket repair? It may not be a coincidence at all, and the engine was simply ran on low oil for an unknown period of time. There is a chance the servicing dealer doesn't know that answer either.. The lube tech could have done a quick drain into the oil drain cart, went to fill her back up and then realized (hey, there is oil all over the place! Better get a mechanic to look at this..

It is good practice to do a quick oil check and look around the engine bay during fill up. If nothing else, at least once a month. Automobiles are much more reliable than ever before and as a result, people tend to become complacent. Whatever might have happened, that is a tough pill to swallow!

 

If the oil is still in it, a sample could be taken and sent in for analysis. Aluminum oxide (abrasive from buffing discs) of any real amount would be the solid proof you need that dealer #1 is to blame.

 

Damn. 100% service related. One bad tech just gave 2000 good techs a bad reputation. Sorry OP, but I think you are going to have a really hard time finding an attorney to take this case. Truly hope I'm wrong! Best of luck!

 

This may be common in the 3rd gens, but I'm nearly at 300k with original oil pump.

 

I don’t think I’ve heard of a 2nd Gen oil pump failure, either. Metal contaminant will technically destroy the pump, but that metal had to come from somewhere first. Seeing that it was serviced two days earlier with the valve covers open up does sound suspect.

I second a lot of what has been said - get an oil sample and have a UOA done. Did you check the oil level? Not only could a tech have not refilled the oil before starting it up, then started up and realized their mistake, but they could have simply added the standard 5 quarts that most other cars take which would have been 3 quarts short. A high RPM climb up a grade pulls a lot of oil out of the sump and could have cavitated the pump causing it to self destruct.

Anytime I’ve done top end work, I’ve followed it up with an oil change after confirming that the work was completed correctly in order to flush any contaminants from the system. I would only be slightly surprised if that isn’t SOP at the dealership.

Either way, that’s a total bummer.