I have an Oct 2003 Landcruiser with a 4.7 Litre V8 Petrol engine (FE Series) fitted with LPG. The car has never been off a formed road and has ~ 44,000 Km. The vehicle has never been worked hard and is in mint condition. It is well and truly within warranty.

On turning the ignition key the engine blew and seized solid. Some hours later the engine started but with obvious audio signs of distress and vibration. It was subsequently found that a conrod had shattered and penetrated the cylinder wall. The heads were fine. Prior to the failure there were no signs at all of any problems, including temperature, coolant loss, vibration and performance.

I am in warranty dispute with Toyota, who will not replace the engine, because although they cannot specify why, they claim the LPG was at fault. They make this claim on the basis that there was no obvious mechanical fault that caused the problem.

I have had anecdotal advice that this engine is "weak" and that there is history of con-rod failures. I am seeking to verify this claim and gather supporting evidence for a likely legal case.

Can anybody help me on this please?

Alan H

http://www.lextreme.com/