A representative of Toyota has confirmed that Blake Alvarado, who reported his car’s engine seriously damaged after a little of track use, would get the car repaired on warranty terms. The company only reconsidered its standing after receiving overwhelming negative feedback in the media and the Internet.
Around a month ago, Alvarado’s car’s engine caught on fire during an autocross event. Two weeks later, he received an official reply from the dealership claiming the car was not covered by warranty. The response contained photos of the GR 86 found on the Internet that showed it driven in what the manufacturer deemed ‘too harsh’ of a manner.
The owner was not happy with the decision and complained to the senior management of the company. Now, Toyota has finally acceded and agreed to have the engine overhauled at no cost.
What remains to be seen is whether this will remain a one-off case or become a precedent, possibly forcing Toyota to state its policy regarding such driving more explicitly.
It was apparently a poorly fitted seal that started the fire in the engine bay. As such, other potentially affected GR 86 owners might be looking forward to a recall campaign or an invitation to a dealership where the seal can be replaced.
Alvarado’s GR 86 had barely over 22,000 kilometers (13,670 miles) behind its back. Repairing the engine would have cost him around $11,000.