The scoop:
03 V8 Sport 4x4 w/approx 40K miles. Mobil 1 since about 10K miles. No prior engine trouble, never overheated, etc. Started making a loud ticking/knocking noise once the engine was warmed up (not the typical noise you get when the engine is cold and you have a failed lifter).

Took it into the dealer, the found a bunch of metal in the oil and have since ordered a replacement motor.

Any other V8 failures out there?

 

I thought the V8's were bullet proof.

 

yours is the first I've heard of, keep us posted on exactly what happen, if you can.

 

One reason to always have the dealer change the oil. That sucks, but on the bright side... Maybe you'll get the new V8 with the VVTI.

 

Sorry to hear it. First one I have heard off, please keep us posted. I also have the V8 and would like to know what went wrong on it. To be honest I have not heard of any V8s grenading, even on the Tundra or Sequoia.

 

I've done all of my own oil changes. The dealer had no problem with this. They asked if I had maint records, I pointed them to the reciepts (which I keep in the owners manual), no problem... But yeah I've heard of that being a problem for other people.

Not too sure that I'll ever know the root cause. The dealer is not going to tear down the motor at all. Toyota wants the engine to go back to the factory for analisys.

 

Well at least they are swapping the engine out no prob. It's a pity that we will never know what the issue was. Was there anything unusaul about your use of the 4R? i.e. lots of towing, high revving, offroading, etc??

 

Some towing but not daily or anything. My boat weighs about 4500 lbs, close to 5000 if it's full of a ton of gear and a full tank of gas but I don't ever tow it very far full of stuff. I've taken two 1200 mile road trips with the boat in tow but interestingly the noise started happening a full year after the 1st towing road trip and right at the very begining of the 2nd road trip (yup, that's right it went 1200 miles boat in tow making this noise - scary...). Otherwise, not much offroad, only once or twice and oil always changed every 5K miles with Mobil 1.

 

Then you are probably just very unlucky. Oh well hope your rig is up and running soon.

 

WOW!!! I never heard of this. I'd say that it must have been a part failure like a piston broke. That's a shame

 

I've never heard of this either! Man, glad they're getting things fixed for ya though ...

 

That sucks, bro! Maybe a broken timing chain/belt? Once again, just my stupid 2 cents.