"Some 2006-2011 model year vehicles equipped with the 2AZ-FE engine may exhibit engine oil consumption. The piston assembly has been changed to minimize oil consumption."
For drivers of these vehicles (see "Affected Models" below), this means that the oil pressure light can come on early and often, and/or that the engine can burn a quart of oil every 1,000-1,200 miles. This oil consumption can damage the engine long-term—even causing it to fail—and obviously costs the car owner more because he or she has to purchase more oil, and take the car into the shop more often.
And yet, it wasn't until 2015 before Toyota offered to repair the issue for free—and even then, only for certain models and within a limited time window. This offer was too little, too late, and left many Toyota owners out in the cold. In fact, by 2015, many drivers had already shelled out several thousand dollars in repairs.
WHICH TOYOTA VEHICLES HAVE AN OIL DEFECT?
The following Toyota vehicles may suffer from the oil consumption defect:
2007-2009 Toyota Camry
2007-2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid
2007-2008 Toyota Solara
2009 Toyota Corolla
2009 Toyota Matrix
2006-2008 Toyota RAV4
2007-2008 Scion Tc
2008-2009 Scion Xb