RoadVitals

1994 Toyota Pickup Engine Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Engine reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
16
Latest Sep 2, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
18%
of 91 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1994 Toyota Pickup submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming engine

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Engine
Filed Sep 2, 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 TOYOTA PICKUP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A SILENT RECALL FOR THE HEAD GASKET, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HEAVY WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

NHTSA ID
10423073
Incident
Aug 1, 2002
Mileage
43,000 mi
Body & structureEngineTransmission
Filed May 13, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 TOYOTA PICKUP. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS TO HAVE A NEW CLUTCH AND EXHAUST INSTALLED. THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED A DEFECT AND ATTEMPTED TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER; HOWEVER, THE TOW DRIVER WOULD NOT TRANSPORT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE FRAME WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND UNSAFE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000. UPDATED 6/01/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED A NEW CLUTCH AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. UPDATED 06/02/09.*JB

NHTSA ID
10268645
Incident
May 7, 2009
Mileage
75,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 8, 2006

I OWN A 94 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND A 94 TOYOTA SR5 PICKUP TRUCK. BACK IN '98 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE I BROUGHT BOTH MY VEHICLES TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA IN RESPONSE TO THE RECALL. THEY REPLACED THE HEAD GASKETS ON BOTH VEHICLES. RECALL NOTICE: A 3VZ-E HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT JUNE 26, 1998 VEHICLE: TOYOTA TRUCK 4X4 MILEAGE: 46,623 JULY 17, 1998 VEHICLE: TOYOTA 4RUNNER MILEAGE: 38,037 THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY 2006 OF THIS YEAR, MY TOYOTA PICKUP TRUCK BLEW A HEAD GASKET WHEN I CRANKED IT UP ONE AFTERNOON. DENSE SMOKE AND RADIATOR FLUID FLOWED FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS VIBRATING. LESS THAN 12 HOURS AFTER THE HEAD GASKET BLEW IN MY PICKUP TRUCK, THE VERY NEXT MORNING I STARTED MY WIFE'S 4RUNNER TO MAKE A TRIP INTO TOWN. IMMEDIATELY WHEN I STARTED IT, DENSE SMOKE AND RADIATOR FLUID FLOWED FROM THE TAILPIPE AND THE ENGINE WAS VIBRATING EVEN WORST THAN BEFORE. I IMMEDIATELY TURN THE TRUCK OFF. TOYOTA OPENED A CASE# 200602060829. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CALL CHAN COLEMAN AT SANFORD TOYOTA AND TRY TO GET A SPECIAL PRICE. I CALLED CHAN AND WAS TOLD I WOULD NEED TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE IN HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. HE TRANSFERRED ME TO SERVICE AND WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,600 PER VEHICLE TO REPAIR. I HAD BOTH VEHICLES TOWED AND REPAIRED BY A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. BELOW ARE THE DATES AND MILEAGE FOR THE REPAIRS. FEBRUARY 16, 2006 VEHICLE: TOYOTA TRUCK 4X4 MILEAGE: 120,000 FEBRUARY 4, 2006 VEHICLE: TOYOTA 4RUNNER MILEAGE: 102,000 I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC AT THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT THE REASON THE HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWING WAS BECAUSE OF A CASTING DESIGN FLAW WITH THE ENGINE HEADS AND NOT THE HEAD GASKETS. THE HEADS HAD DIMPLES WHICH OVER TIME WOULD CAUSE THE HEAD GASKET TO BLOW. THE HEADS ON BOTH MY VEHICLES HAD TO BE RESURFACED TO REMOVE THE DIMPLES. I CALLED TOYOTA WITH THIS INFORMATION BUT WAS TOLD THEY SHOW BOTH MY VEHICLES WERE FIXED IN ACCORDANCE TO THE RECALL AND IT IS A ONE TIME FIX ONLY AND THE OWNER NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AT SOME POINT.

NHTSA ID
10157031
Incident
Feb 3, 2006
Mileage
120,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jan 15, 2004

CRACK IN A THIN AREA OF CYLINDER WALL. LOSS OF COOLANT CAUSED OVERHEATING. REPAIR REVEALED STRETCHED TIMING CHAIN WITH BROKEN GUIDES AND THE BEGINNINGS OF DAMAGE TO CHAIN COVER HOUSING. ALSO, THE REAR 2 CYLINDERS WERE CLOGGED WITH BURNED, DRIED OIL. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 90 DAYS(MARCH, JUNE, SEPTEMBER, DECEMBER). THE REPAIRMAN SAID IT WAS A FACTORY DEFECT AND NOT OF MY MAKING.

NHTSA ID
10070802
Incident
Jan 15, 2003
Mileage
88,000 mi
EngineFuel systemSteering+1 more
Filed Jul 11, 2003

THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE CYLINDER HEAD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE OF A LEAKING HEAD GASKET. *JB THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO TOLD THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING FROM THE TOP TANK, THE CLUTCH FLEX LINE AND POWER STEERING PUMP WAS ALSO LEAKING. THE GAS GAUGE WAS INOPERATIVE. THE DRIVE BELT AND TIMING BELTS WERE REPLACED. PH. *JB

NHTSA ID
10020220
Mileage
116,000 mi
Engine
Filed Aug 16, 2002

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START VEHICLE .CONTACTED DEALER. TIMMING CHAIN BROKE.*AK*JB

NHTSA ID
8016489
Engine
Filed Feb 9, 2002

TRUCK OVER HEATED AND INITIAL DIAGNOSTIC STATED: NEW WATER PUMP, CRACKED HEAD, REBUILT ENGINE. TIMING CHAIN COVER WAS REPLACED, WATER PUMP REPLACED, AND HEAD RESURFACED. UPON HEARING A LOUD RATTLING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE ON FREEWAY, WAS ADVISED TO DRIVE 300+ MILES HOME WITH IT AND TO CALL IF IT WAS STILL THERE IN A FEW DAYS. TOOK TO ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER WHO HAS FOUND THAT CRANKSHAFT NEEDS TO BE SMOOTHED AND NEW BEARINGS ARE NEEDED (SO FAR...).POSSIBLY MORE LOWER PORTION ENGINE PROBLEMS-CYLINDER HEAD, PISTONS... RECOMMENDED REBUILD ENGINE... *****-DIMS 11 IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS***** 758008.*AK *JB

NHTSA ID
10006477
Incident
Jan 31, 2002
Mileage
85,525 mi
Engine
Filed Oct 24, 2001

I HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED AT 90,000 DUE TO A RECALL ISSUED BY TOYOTA. I AM NOW AT 115,000 AND THE HEAD GASKET NEEDS TO REPLACED ALREADY. I HAVE THE CAR AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID THAT HE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THAT I ALREADY HAD THE RECALL FIXED. HOWEVER HE DID MENTION TO ME THAT ANOTHER CUSTOMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WHERE HE RECENTLY HAD THE HEAD GASKETS REPLACED DUE TO THE RECALL AND IS HAVING HIS HEAD GASKET REPLACED AFTER 15,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT AT THIS TIME TOYOTA IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ISSUES BUT IF THEY DO THEN I CAN BE REIMBURSED AT A LATER POINT BUT THAT THERE WERE NO GUARANTEES. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE INITIAL WORK THAT WAS DONE DURING THE RECALL WAS DONE PROPERLY SINCE HEAD GASKETS DONT TYPICALLY GO BAD AFTER 25,000 MILES.*AK

NHTSA ID
753621
Incident
Oct 24, 2001
Engine
Filed Aug 2, 2001

WHILE DRIVING NOTICED A LOT OF WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF TAILPIPE. OWNER BELIEVED HEAD GASKETS HAD FAILED. ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. HAD NO FUEL LEAKAGE. AT INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS INFORMED THAT ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CYLINDER HEAD PARTS. *AK

NHTSA ID
893307
Incident
Jul 27, 2001
Engine
Filed Jan 25, 2001

HEAD GASKET BLEWOUT AND DID SOME DAMAGE TO THE BLOCK. WE WERE UNAWARE OF RECALL ON HEAD GASKETS.*AK

NHTSA ID
739918
Engine
Filed Sep 26, 2000

VALVES WERE ADJUSTED AT 41497 MILES, 60171 MILES. ADJUSTMENT WAS UNSATISFACTORY AND READJUSTED AT 60205. I COMPLAINED THAT THEY WERE STILL CLICKING BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE NOISE WAS FROM MY TIMING CHAIN. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 63500 AND THE VALVE TRAIN IS VERY NOISY.

NHTSA ID
732598
Incident
Sep 26, 2000
EngineTransmission
Filed Feb 24, 2000

WHILE DRIVING COULD HEAR NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. ALSO, ENGINE COOLANT LEAKED ALL THE TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
857516
Incident
Feb 23, 2000
Engine
Filed Jan 4, 2000

. I KEPT ADDING COOLANT AND NEVER LET IT RUN DRY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE STAFF SAID THE HEAD CRACKED AND OVERHEATED THE ENGINE. THERE WAS SCORING ON THE CYLINDER WALLS AND PISTON DAMAGE. THE ENGINE WAS REBUILT AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. ALL RECOMENDED MAINTENANCE WAS COMPLETED AND DOCUMENTED AS PER THE MANUAL. *AK

NHTSA ID
716844
Incident
Nov 23, 1999
EngineTransmission
Filed Dec 23, 1998

TRANMISSION LEAKED AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. ALSO, ENGINE HEAD GASKET HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANMISSION HAD TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE OLD SEAL, AND THE DEALER FIXED THE SEAL TO STOP THE LEAKAGE. *AK

NHTSA ID
832649
Incident
Apr 12, 1996
Engine
Filed Feb 5, 1997

OWNER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED, OWNER THEN NOTICED IT WAS BECAUSE OF A FAULTY HEAD GASKET; OWNER ALSO NOTED TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN CERTAIN VEHICLES. *AK

NHTSA ID
808675
Engine
Filed Sep 9, 1996

TIMING BELT FAILED, RESULTING IN ENGINE NOISE, ALSO REPLACED WATER PUMP. *AK

NHTSA ID
508360
Incident
Aug 12, 1996

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .