I've recently had a similar issue. My 2012 SR5 diesel, at around 135k, recently had a torque converter failure. Driving from Chinchilla to Gold Coast, disaster struck in Toowoomba halfway home.
The torque converter failed, and was completely replaced at a cost of $6500 by an automatics specialist in Toowoomba (at the recommendation of the bloke at Toyota in Toowoomba who first diagnosed the problem). Toyota were going to charge $9000. Two weeks without a vehicle, hire car costs, etc etc.
The vehicle was purchased brand new from my local dealer, and has had every single service at the same dealer since. The vehicle has done zero towing, hardly done any work whatsoever, 95% highway miles with no load. A couple of Cape York/NT trips with a bit of weight in the back. I should mention that the alternator died for no apparent about 10 months earlier (1 month out of warranty) - while I was up the Cape of all places......
At the time the torque converter failed, the vehicle was less than 12 months out of warranty. The Auto specialist said he'd only seen a couple of new Hiluxes do this. Toyota of course said they'd never heard of this issue before....
I bought a Hilux, and spent the extra money, because I didn't want these sorts of inexcusable failures. The vehicle has not been worked hard at all, has been serviced perfectly, I've supported the dealership where I bought it, done everything exactly by the book.
What I'd like to know is - is there any point whatsoever in me writing a letter to Toyota? Or would that be a complete waste of my time?
