Complaint 982394

Complaint Summary

ENGINE

Owner Narrative

TRUCK'S COMPUTER IS READING AN INCORRECT PERCEIVED ALCOHOL DENSITY. TRUCK HAS A FLEX FUEL ENGINE AND THE COMPUTER IS TELLING THE ENGINE THAT THERE IS ETHANOL IN THE FUEL SYSTEM WHILE THERE IS NOT. I HAVE NEVER RUN ETHANOL IN THE TRUCK YET THE COMPUTER IS READING THAT THERE IS A 30-50% ALCOHOL DENSITY IN THE FUEL. THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE RESULTED FROM THIS ARE MISSING WHILE UNDER POWER AND POWER LOSS WHILE DRIVING. HAVE HAD MY TRUCK TO MULTIPLE DEALERS OVER 5 TIMES NOW. THE DEALERS HAVE CONTINUED TO RE-FLASH MY TRUCK'S ECU ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM TO COME BACK BECAUSE THE ECU IS A LEARNING ECU. TOYOTA HAS RELEASED A FIX FOR 2012 AND 2013 MODELS BUT NOT FOR THE 2011 MODELS WHICH IS LEAVING ME STRANDED. I PULL A BOAT FREQUENTLY AND THE LOSS IN POWER HAS SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON TOWING. THIS PROBLEM ALSO CAUSES THE ENGINE TO RUN LEAN RESULTING IN POORER FUEL MILEAGE AND INCREASED COSTS FOR ME. I'VE TALKED WITH PEOPLE AT TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THERE ARE NO PLANS TO RELEASE A FIX FOR THE 2011'S AND THAT THERE IS BASICALLY NOTHING THAT I CAN DO. SO NOW I'M STUCK WITH A TRUCK THAT IS READING THE FUEL WRONG AND CAUSING THE TRUCK TO RUN LEAN WHICH IS SURELY GRADUALLY DAMAGING THE ENGINE WHICH I'M SURE WILL RESULT IN LOTS OF REPAIRS AFTER THE TRUCK IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.