ComplaintsforMahle Industries, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  The part number ******** which are main bearings for the Toyota ***** *** ****** engines, have claws on them, which Mahle claims are correct. I contacted **** *******, *** ****** *********** *** ****** ****** and none of their main bearings for this engine have claws. Mahle needs to consult with their engineer, because these bearings will not work without unnecessary modification. There is no reason for these to have locating claws. I've consulted with a Toyota Master Technician who states this engine never had notches in the block or main bearing caps since it was introduced in ********** **** ****** ** **** ** ****** *** ***** ****** on eBay from years 2002 to 2015, and none had these notches either. Mahle is trying to argue I screwed up the block trying to install, but it's evident they are at fault for making these with claws, and Toyota as well as 3 other bearing manufacturers back me up on this. Mahle is free to obtain a block from the earliest manifestation of this engine, a 2000 Toyota Yaris or a 2001 Toyota Prius and they will indeed find no locating notches.

  Customer response

  05/20/2023

  I contacted Top Line automotive, a supplier for import engine parts, and have found out that sometime around August of 2003, Toyota stopped using locating tabs on the 1NZFE engine. So it appears that Mahle has not looked inside a 1NZFE or 1NZFXE engine since late 2003. This also means that this engine only had locating tabs notched into the block and main bearings for only 3 years, and this engine was produced from 2000 to 2019.

  This also means that there are hundreds of thousands of  engines without the locating tabs. Over 750,000 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 198,000 Toyota Prius C, 94,000 2004+ Scion XA's, and 140,000 2004-2006 Scion XB's.

  So it is clearly evident that way more engines need bearings WITHOUT the locating tabs. Since it's easier to use tab-less bearings in an engine cut out for tabs, than it would be to modify the bearings or engine to accept bearings with tabs, there is no need to manufacture these with tabs. In fact Sealed Power, DNJ, Topline and other manufacturers ONLY make them without the tabs.

  I am pleading with Mahle to have an engineer look inside a 2005 Prius engine and see there isn't any notches for tabs. Mahle should reconsider making these with tabs, and it may be hurting their sales as well, since all of their competitors make them without.
  

   

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