I had 2 safety incidents in one year with the 2 Toyota vehicles we own, all due to sloppy maintenance.

1. We had the wiper liquid freezing when driving through Germany when returning from ski holiday. (The week before it happened, the car was serviced by Toyota dealer.) 2. Last year, we had the brake pads replaced late. It was replaced after my wife noticed the noise of metal-metal contact. The repair was done in a sloppy way at the Toyota dealership, as they failed to replaced the rotors. (they were damaged because of the metal-metal contact)

When you then go to Toyota, you are confronted with what is called the "deny till we die" mentality. In the case of the wiper liquid freeze, this went so far as Toyota Belgium service telling me the wiper liquid froze because I must have added water to it without antifreeze. Then I said 'OK, that 's it', I bought an alcohol tester, put it in the car, and when I brought it in for maintenance, and asked the dealer to refill, tell I would test. He did not fill it, acknowledging he had been lying to me all the time.

With the brakes, I had a similar experience. I bought a micrometer, went complaining about it at the dealer. He denied the rotors were under thickness, until I put on the micrometer, and showed him the reading. Then, he kept saying this was still OK, I could drive with it at 180 km/h on German highways (this is allowed there). That did it for me. No more Toyota maintenance please. I replaced the brakes myself.

Now, when I look on this site, I see a lot of engine oil consumption issues. I have a question to all of you: Are you sure this is a car problem ?. Are you sure your Toyota dealer is using the right oil, and replacing the filter as he should ?.