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-   -   Toyota Fortuner - Turbo failure at 59,000 kms (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/171940-toyota-fortuner-turbo-failure-59-000-kms.html)

It is indeed with a heavy heart that I pen this down. My 4x4 manual Fortuner has been diagnosed with Turbocharger failure. Has anyone in this Forum experienced the same? Please find below the letter penned to Toyota customercare.

Date: 04-01-2016

Dear Sir or Madam,

It is in an extremely disturbed state of mind that this letter is being penned.

I am a proud owner of a Fortuner, reg no PY-03 A ----, 4 x 4 manual, 2012 model. All my routine services have been prompt and done systematically at M/s Nippon Toyota, Cochin. My Fortuner has run approximately 59,000 km till date.

On 18th June 2015 around 8.30pm while driving the vehicle 3 warning lights lit up on the instrument console. They were the Engine malfunction light, Traction control malfunction light and the Traction control off light. The vehicle did not stop but slowed down considerably as the engine was not revving above 1800rpm. The helpline number of Nippon Toyota, the nearest Toyota service centre was called and they arranged the Muvattupuzha service centre (which was the closest) to be opened and the vehicle received.

On 19th June 2015 I received a call from the service advisor that the vehicle was still under diagnostics and the problem was not yet pin pointed. They said they were looking at the malfunction of the Traction control sensors and some electrical loose contacts. They requested me to wait for another day for the diagnostics to be complete which I promptly agreed.

I made a personal visit to the service centre on 20th June. The service head of the service centre met me and explained in detail about the problem. He said the sensors were perfectly alright and the problem was to do with the wiring. He assured me that the problem would not arise again and requested me for another day to keep the vehicle under observation. The vehicle was delivered to me on 22nd June 2015. The vehicle was under warranty at that time.

On 31st December 2015, this same problem cropped up again with the same lights- Engine malfunction light, Traction control malfunction light and the Traction control off light lighting up again. The vehicle went into limp mode with the RPM not increasing beyond 1800rpm. The helpline was promptly informed and the request was made to me to deliver the vehicle to the Kalmassery service centre (which was the closest). They kept the vehicle in diagnostics for 2 days and I was given a call from their Technical Head on 2nd January 2016 that the problem was traced to the Turbocharger unit of the engine malfunctioning. He said that even though the fault is probably due a small component of the Turbo the whole Turbo need to be changed, as it is a single sealed unit.

I was informed that the Turbocharger unit is costing a huge amount of money, more than Rs 120000. I request you to kindly consider this as a pre-existing problem and waive off the charges. I request you to kindly consider that even though the vehicle is 4 months and 14 days beyond the warranty period, the problem was first reported in the warranty period.

I have been a Toyota customer from 2009. I have previously owned a Corolla Altis before upgrading to the Fortuner. One thing that I was confident when buying into the Toyota Brand was the bulletproof reliability of your engines and drivetrains. I personally know of people whose Innovas have crossed 400000km without any problem. It has come as an extremely rude shock to me that such a critical part of the engine such as a Turbocharger has failed within 59,000km in such a heavy-duty vehicle such as the Toyota Fortuner.

I am very sure that you have not come up with any case of Turbocharger failure in Indian Fortuners. In addition to the pre-existing facet of the problem, I request you to kindly consider this as a one-off problem and rectify it from your side a goodwill gesture, considering that the vehicle only a few days beyond the warranty period and that it has run only 59000KM.

I hope and pray for a favorable response from your end. I am sure that this problem has been escalated to the higher authorities by M/s Nippon Toyota, Cochin.

Mod Note:

Please avoid typing with excessive capital letters in your posts.

We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further.

It would help us of you could please give a bit more background into your pattern of usage of this vehicle. Is it mainly self-driven? Chauffeur driven? What sort of roads? Traffic situations?

Whether or not the "idling" rule has been followed religiously comes into question here. See http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...rged-cars.html

Do you have the copy of the job card and bill details for the original complaint? Try to get your dealer also into confidence so that they can also push some recommendation. This has to come out as a goodwill gesture.

Very surprised at a total failure of a turbo, esp at such low mileage numbers.

Was there any previous signs, oil at exhaust or white smoke, power loss? before this, or now?

Last but not least, are you sure it is the turbo? :) Might be worthwhile to get in touch with Muvatupuzha dealer to rule out the previous wiring related issues.

The vehicle is completely self driven. I do not have a driver at all. I make it a point not to revv the engine till its reached the operating temperature. Very hard earned money!

Due to the horrendous traffic conditions in Kerala, I make it a point only to take my Fortuner late at night or very early in the morning that to for only long distance travel. I use a Grand i10 for city runabout.

Both the muvattupuzha and the present dealers are the same. The vice-president of Nippon Toyota is a good friend of mine. He has promised to forward the problem to Toyota as a pre-existing one.

There was absolutely no signs of turbo failure other than the TC System malfunction light being on with the engine malfunction light. Another thing is that the lights go off at times and then the vehicle behaves perfectly.

I have been given the information that only a very small component of the Turbo is malfunctioning. There is no problem with the Turbo proper but since it comes as a sealed single unit the whole unit has to be changed

So which very small component is failing?

Thanks
Jeroen

Most probably it's the motor controlling the vanes, that's what I have been told. Since its a sealed unit they are also not sure.

What they are sure of its the turbo unit which is malfunctioning

This is really sad. Please do keep us posted on the possible causes as well as importantly how Toyota deals with this situation.

All the best.

Hi gopzdoc,

It is very strange to see a turbo failure at 59k, in a perfectly maintained car. Also, a turbo failure usually throws some mechanical and visible symptoms like white or black smoke, power loss, high pitched sound etc.. etc.. than a couple of malfunction lights and a limp mode.

In any case, since the vehicle went into limp mode, please get your vehicle scanned for error codes and post it here.

Dhanush, absolutely no symptom from the turbo as such. As I mentioned earlier the turbo as well as the vehicle behaves perfectly alright in between these limp episodes.

BTW how do you get these error codes?

I would like to highlight a similar issue which I faced with my Toyota Innova 2 -3 years back wherein I had sent my vehicle at Wasan Motors workshop in Deonar as I was facing some noise issue from the front of the vehicle. To my shock I was informed that there was a failure with the Turbocharger and it had to be replaced which would cost me around Rs. 80000 /-. My vehicle was out of warranty but the running of my vehicle was mere 40000 kms. I decided not to go ahead with the replacement but instead what I did was visit 2 more service centres in Mumbai i.e. Shinrai Toyota, Worli & Madhuban Toyota, Kurla. I never mentioned anything about the Turbocharger and asked them to inspect my vehicle for the noise problem and to my surprise both of them didn't point towards turbocharger but instead there was some other small component (I actually don't remember the name of the part now) which costed me around Rs. 3200 /-. After that incident I have stopped sending my vehicle to Wasan Motors and shifted to Shinrai Toyota.. I hope this information can help you in anyway.

Great point! Getting a second opinion always helps, especially when we're talking about a major failure.

By the way, Wasan Motors is a known crook. I don't agree with the way they do business. My Jeep had visited them only once for its 1st service and they conveniently swapped the imported ignition switch with some local one. Obviously, I got the original back. Shinrai Toyota is very good.

Motor controlling vanes? Can you find what exactly is this part?

If it is intermittent then it will be most likely an electrical or electronic component.

Other fortuner owners, do you guys have any info on what all sits along with the turbo unit?

It could be the stepper motor for VN/VGT turbo. Before anything else, you might want to pull off the connectors, clean it up, clear the error codes and check how it fares. And since you are from kerala, the more reason you have for moisture to seep in.
Turbos are no longer just wholesome mechanical components.

New news folks. The turbocharger costs Rs 117000. Toyota while denying the warranty claim due to the expiry of the warranty period, as a good will gesture agreed to meet 1/3 the cost of the same. Dealer has agreed to meet 1/3 of the cost & the rest of the amount to be met by me.

What say? The amount due from me will work to Rs 39000 which is moderately reasonable. Guys your opinion?

Before getting the turbo change, please do check the vane actuator (mostly vaccuum assisted). A simple torn pipe can cause this. Hope the dealership has checked this. Do get a 2nd opinion.