Toyota 86: FA20D Piston Ring Excessive Oil Consumption

The FA20D boxer engine suffers from piston ring sealing failure caused by inadequate ring tension and bore geometry tolerances. Oil is drawn past the rings into the combustion chamber and burned, leading to consumption rates of 1 litre per 1,000–2,000 km in severe cases. Toyota and Subaru both issued TSBs acknowledging the fault and, in some markets, extended the engine warranty to 100,000 km for affected components.

• Oil level drops more than 0.5 litres per 1,000 km between service intervals
• Blue or grey smoke from exhaust on deceleration or engine braking
• Oil warning light illuminating before the scheduled service interval
• Fouled spark plugs with oil deposits on the electrode
• Catalytic converter damage or failure from oil contamination

1. 1

   Check oil level on dipstick against the service record mileage since last change.

2. 2

   Ask for receipts showing oil top-ups between services.

3. 3

   Inspect inside the oil filler cap for creamy sludge (unrelated) or note absence of combustion residue.

4. 4

   Inspect tailpipe for blue-grey smoke film.

≈A$3,220 to ≈A$6,900 at independent workshop rates, shown as an approximate guide in Australian dollars. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, converted to Australian dollars, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “How often have you topped up oil between services, and how much did you add each time?”
• “Has the engine ever been diagnosed or repaired under the oil consumption TSB or extended warranty?”
• “Can you show me receipts for oil purchases or workshop top-up records?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.