Toyota Estima: 2GR-FE Rear Bank VVT-i Rubber Oil Hose Failure

Toyota issued Limited Service Campaign LSC90K covering the 3.5-litre 2GR-FE V6 engine across multiple models including the Tarago. The short rubber section of the oil supply hose feeding the rear-bank VVT-i actuator degrades internally, developing pinhole leaks. Positive crankcase ventilation gases accelerate the rubber's deterioration. Oil sprays onto hot exhaust components creating a fire risk and the engine can lose oil pressure rapidly. The campaign offered free hose replacement, but many vehicles in the NZ/AU secondary market were never presented to a dealer for the repair.

• Oil pressure warning light illuminating suddenly at highway speed
• Burning oil smell from engine bay with no visible pooling under vehicle
• Abnormal ticking or rattling noise from rear cylinder bank at idle
• Oil mist or staining on firewall and rear of engine bay
• Rapid oil level drop without external puddle visible beneath car

1. 1

   Open bonnet and inspect the rubber section of the oil hose running to the rear cylinder bank VVT-i actuator for cracking, pinhole weeping, or oily staining on surrounding components.

2. 2

   Check whether the replacement hose carries a yellow dealer identification tag or has been upgraded to the full metal tube.

3. 3

   Ask dealer to run VIN through service campaign database for LSC90K completion status.

4. 4

   Look for oil mist deposits on the firewall side of the engine bay.

Parts involved: PCV / oil separator.

$200 to $700 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 this vehicle had the Toyota VVT-i oil supply hose replaced under Limited Service Campaign LSC90K, and can you show the dealer service record confirming it?”
• “Has the hose been upgraded to the full metal replacement tube rather than just the interim rubber replacement?”
• “Has the vehicle ever had an oil pressure warning light illuminate, and was the cause investigated?”

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.