What year did Toyota fix the oil consumption problem?
There isn’t a single year in which Toyota fixed the oil consumption problem. Instead, the company rolled out fixes in multiple waves across different engines and markets, beginning in the late 2000s and continuing through the 2010s, with coverage varying by model and region.
Background: what the issue involved
Oil consumption problems were reported by owners of certain Toyota and Lexus models, often manifesting as unusually rapid oil use between oil changes. Toyota conducted investigations, issued technical service bulletins, and in some cases offered extended warranties or targeted repairs. The scope of the issue was not universal; it affected specific engines and model years rather than a single global defect across all Toyota vehicles.
A multi-year, model-specific response
Below is a high-level look at how Toyota addressed the concern over time. The steps reflect a broad, gradual approach rather than one definitive fix year.
- Issuing technical service bulletins (TSBs) to guide dealers on diagnosis and potential repairs for affected engines.
- Offering extended warranty coverage for select engines and model years in certain markets, where oil consumption issues were more commonly reported.
- Implementing engineering changes in newer model years to reduce oil consumption, such as redesigned engine components and improved oil-control mechanisms.
- Encouraging owners to monitor oil levels and seek inspection if signs of excessive consumption or burning oil appeared between changes.
The range of actions above illustrates that the fix evolved over several years and varied by where the car was sold and which engine it used.
Regional and model variations
Because warranty coverage and service actions differ by country and by specific engine family, owners should consult their local Toyota dealer or the official Toyota/Lexus recall and service databases to confirm which actions apply to their vehicle. Regional campaigns often reflected local regulatory requirements and market-specific engine designs.
United States and Canada
In North America, authorities and Toyota ran service actions and, in some cases, extended warranty coverage for affected engines. The emphasis was on model-year pairs and engine families that showed higher incidence of oil consumption versus other Toyota engines.
Europe, Asia, and other markets
Other regions followed similar patterns with region-specific campaigns. While not every model was covered, several engines seen there benefited from targeted repairs, updated components, or later-generation engine designs designed to minimize oil use.
Summary
The oil consumption issue with Toyota vehicles was not resolved by a single year. Instead, Toyota pursued a multi-year, engine- and region-specific set of fixes, beginning in the late 2000s and continuing through the 2010s. For owners today, the most reliable path to clarity is to check the vehicle’s engine family and model year against local Toyota notices or to contact a dealer for the exact coverage applicable to their vehicle.
