Toyota Aurion: VVT-i oil supply hose pinhole — sudden oil loss and oil pressure light

Aurions built before about June 2009 use a 2GR-FE with a rubber section in the oil supply hose feeding the VVT-i actuator, and that rubber develops a pinhole. Corrosive gases drawn through the crankcase ventilation system attack the hole and enlarge it, and once it opens up the engine loses oil quickly rather than gradually — the warning is abnormal engine noise and the oil pressure light, both of which arrive after oil has already gone. Toyota addressed it under a service campaign that fitted a redesigned hose free of charge, so a car that has had the campaign done is fixed permanently. That makes this a two-part question for a buyer: has the hose been replaced, and if nobody knows, is there oil where there should not be. It is a cheap part protecting an expensive engine.

• Oil pressure warning light, especially under acceleration or at idle when hot
• Abnormal engine noise — ticking, rattling or a general rise in mechanical noise
• Oil on the ground under the front of the car, or a burning oil smell
• Oil level dropping quickly rather than gradually
• Oil spray or wet oil residue around the front of the engine

1. 1

   Ask first whether the VVT-i oil hose has been replaced under the Toyota campaign and ask to see the invoice or the dealer stamp — this is the answer that settles it, and any Toyota dealer can check the campaign status against the VIN for free.

2. 2

   Then look for yourself with the bonnet up and the engine cold: work across the front and top of the engine looking for wet oil, oil spray patterns, or a build-up of dirt stuck to an oily patch, which is what a slow leak looks like once it has been there a while.

3. 3

   Check the oil level and colour on the dipstick and note whether it is at the mark.

4. 4

   Look at the ground where the car has been parked for fresh oil spots.

5. 5

   Once running, watch the dash carefully for the oil pressure light at idle and again after a drive when the engine is fully hot, and listen for any ticking or rattling that was not there cold.

6. 6

   Ask the owner how often they top the oil up.

7. 7

   If a workshop inspection is possible: ask specifically for the VVT-i oil line to be inspected, since it is a known campaign item and any Toyota technician will know it by name.

Parts involved: PCV / oil separator.

$300 to $4,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, 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.

• “Has the VVT-i oil hose been replaced under the Toyota campaign?”
• “Has the oil pressure light ever come on, even briefly?”
• “Do you ever need to top the oil up between services?”

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.