Hi Scotty,
I have the 2009 matrix 2.4 that burns a half quart of oil every 500 miles. Toyota claims this is because of faulty piston rings and pistons. Once that $4000 repair is done, does that fix the issue? Or is the engine faulty and going to burn oil either way? I've heard the cast iron liners play a role in wearing the pistons out prematurely. I'm a car guy, but this is way over my head. It's a shame because it rides so good and burns less gas than my 1.8L Kia Forte. Should I bother trying to get Toyota to fix it or should I get rid of it because the engine is simply faulty and going to have the issue come back? I can't find a straight answer online, any help would be appreciated.
That AZ series engine is quite famous for being an endless oil burner after they “upgraded” it in ‘06.
So to answer your question, the 2AZ-FE will eventually burn oil again, that’s just a design flaw.
But for $4,000? For that price you should get at least a full engine rebuild. Sounds kind of outrageous to me. I remember that when I needed an engine rebuilt, (1.4T from GM) it was like $1,500. For that price they should at least inspect the entire engine, warranty it, and replace the timing chain (another design flaw of the AZ)
personally I’d just find the most economically safe way to get rid of that car and get a Toyota with the ZR series engines - those were pretty amazing.
Would I be able to get one of those ZR engines or a similar Toyota engine installed in my Matrix?
Dan, the “fix” (TSB 0094-11) where Toyota replaced the piston assembly in those engines (on affected models) - did that truly resolve the issue?
http://media.fixed-ops.com/Toy_ServiceBulletins/sb0094t11.pdf
@davic-c , on most cars it is impractical to swap the engine to a different model - in the case of a 12 year old Toyota it is also cheaper just to get one with the correct engine (2nd generation 2009-2013 Matrix 1.8L was their best in the US)
@DayWalker I do not think so, but I doubt it. It seems as just a repair manual for when it does eventually happen...
Once the rings are fixed the engine would be fine.
Will that fix it for good or is it going to have that issue after 150,000 miles? Assuming I take care of the car perfectly, which I do. Also, the rings aren't the only issue, the pistons themselves are defective as well because the holes on the sides are too small, which pushes the oil into the combustion chamber, burning off into the catalytic converter and ruining oxygen sensors.
I have a 2015 Kia forte with 65,000 miles on it that has no issues so far, should I just roll with that car instead?
From misunderstanding one the correct rings are installed there should be no more burning oil iss
My phone cut off. How long do you want the Kia to last? Realize if you sell it you will not get much for it.It should easily go to 150000. You might get lucky and it will last longer. Keep up with fluid changes and baby it. Personally I would keep it until something expensive goes than get another vehicle.